This reminds me...
I used to have a "work with metal" class at school.
Don't remember what kind of torch I was using but at some time mate asked me if I could help him. Which I did, when I returned to my masterpiece I decided I had to cool it a bit... Instead of using those big pliers I picked it up with my bare hands...
Ahhhhh.,. Hot...
I used to have a "work with metal" class at school.
Don't remember what kind of torch I was using but at some time mate asked me if I could help him. Which I did, when I returned to my masterpiece I decided I had to cool it a bit... Instead of using those big pliers I picked it up with my bare hands...
Ahhhhh.,. Hot...
My worst DIY experience...
I was working on an enclosure for a project, probably 5 years ago. I think the project was an AC power controller with current monitoring - I remember a big analog ammeter. The enclosure was a very heavy guage metal box from Allen-Bradley, intended to house a large contactor. I had a couple incidents with this box... First I remember drilling some holes, and somehow brushing my hand over the back side, before cleaning up the sharp pieces on the exit holes... sliced my hand up pretty good. Then I was cutting a large circular hole for the meter, using a jigsaw. I had glasses on, but somehow a piece of metal went under the glasses, and hit my eye. I didn't think anything of it until later that night, while trying to sleep... I thought it was just an eyelash or something at first. I kept rinsing my eye, and it only got worse... ended up at the hospital, getting the piece of metal removed from my eye. It is interesting how they do this... it is basically a tiny drill. I had a patch on my eye for a day or so, and had to go to the eye doctor a few days later to get the rest of the rust removed.
I think that metal box is still sitting on a shelf somewhere... I'm almost afraid to touch it again.
I was working on an enclosure for a project, probably 5 years ago. I think the project was an AC power controller with current monitoring - I remember a big analog ammeter. The enclosure was a very heavy guage metal box from Allen-Bradley, intended to house a large contactor. I had a couple incidents with this box... First I remember drilling some holes, and somehow brushing my hand over the back side, before cleaning up the sharp pieces on the exit holes... sliced my hand up pretty good. Then I was cutting a large circular hole for the meter, using a jigsaw. I had glasses on, but somehow a piece of metal went under the glasses, and hit my eye. I didn't think anything of it until later that night, while trying to sleep... I thought it was just an eyelash or something at first. I kept rinsing my eye, and it only got worse... ended up at the hospital, getting the piece of metal removed from my eye. It is interesting how they do this... it is basically a tiny drill. I had a patch on my eye for a day or so, and had to go to the eye doctor a few days later to get the rest of the rust removed.
I think that metal box is still sitting on a shelf somewhere... I'm almost afraid to touch it again.
While this story doesn't really involve DIY audio in any way, I thought that it would fit the mood of the thread.
A group of tourists was watching a blacksmith pound out a horseshoe. All the while a tour guide blathered on about the process. The blacksmith finished and hurtled the almost red horseshoe onto a stool to let it cool. Absent mindedly a touist picked it up to inspect the finished product. Quickly he drops it back. The blacksmith snickers and says "Too hot, eh?" From the tourist came the deadpan reply, "Nah, it just doesn't take me long to look at a horseshoe." His hands never left his pockets for the rest of the tour. He was probably too scared to look.
-Dan
A group of tourists was watching a blacksmith pound out a horseshoe. All the while a tour guide blathered on about the process. The blacksmith finished and hurtled the almost red horseshoe onto a stool to let it cool. Absent mindedly a touist picked it up to inspect the finished product. Quickly he drops it back. The blacksmith snickers and says "Too hot, eh?" From the tourist came the deadpan reply, "Nah, it just doesn't take me long to look at a horseshoe." His hands never left his pockets for the rest of the tour. He was probably too scared to look.
-Dan
1. Ever had the feeling something is wrong? A bad smell, maby? Once i left my soldering iron too close at the remote for my vcr. That didn't smell or looked any good. 
2. About the same age (14-15 yrs) I found the port on my C-64 could be used for some fun. I made a plug with 8 LED's and started programing away. Shure that was fun. - For some time. Then I found that the same port could be used as a frequency counter and hooked it up to my dad's stereo and a microphone. It actualy worked. But at some time, I must have turned up the output from the stereo and blew my poor C-64. Took me about 14 days on the paper route to pay for the repairs.
2. About the same age (14-15 yrs) I found the port on my C-64 could be used for some fun. I made a plug with 8 LED's and started programing away. Shure that was fun. - For some time. Then I found that the same port could be used as a frequency counter and hooked it up to my dad's stereo and a microphone. It actualy worked. But at some time, I must have turned up the output from the stereo and blew my poor C-64. Took me about 14 days on the paper route to pay for the repairs.
Yeah - I've picked up the iron from the wrong end, left nearby something plastic, all kinds of stuff like that.
The one that still gets me - I was working on an old Ampex 7" reel to reel tube based tape deck. I was about 13, sitting on the floor with the unit in my lap, rear components exposed, running!
Ok - I was trying to be careful, poking around trying to figure out what was wrong, without really understanding anything. My bare thigh touched something live, and for about 3 full seconds I lost control of my arms - they went flayling about out of control until my bouncing jostled the unit out of my lap. I felt a little weak, but I was ok (obviously).
You'd think I would have learned. When I was about 5 I plugged in the Christmas tree, with my fingers still on the bare prongs as I inserted the plug - shocked my *ss about 2 feet away from the wall. Funny part was, the plug stayed in the wall, a slight black smoke mark on the wall and my hand - and the lights were on!
The one that still gets me - I was working on an old Ampex 7" reel to reel tube based tape deck. I was about 13, sitting on the floor with the unit in my lap, rear components exposed, running!
Ok - I was trying to be careful, poking around trying to figure out what was wrong, without really understanding anything. My bare thigh touched something live, and for about 3 full seconds I lost control of my arms - they went flayling about out of control until my bouncing jostled the unit out of my lap. I felt a little weak, but I was ok (obviously).
You'd think I would have learned. When I was about 5 I plugged in the Christmas tree, with my fingers still on the bare prongs as I inserted the plug - shocked my *ss about 2 feet away from the wall. Funny part was, the plug stayed in the wall, a slight black smoke mark on the wall and my hand - and the lights were on!
Needing a power supply to power my newly finished Zen, I used the vastly oversized PS from my A75. I fell asleep listening to the Zen goodness. Turns out I used too small wire for the transistors. Eventually, the insulation melted off, shorted and turned the (non fused) PS into a 2.5 kW arc welder. In the haze of waking up, I thought the blinding light and huge noise was a lightning strike. After a while, the 20A breaker blew.
I use fuses now.
I use fuses now.
C
CryingDragon
Ok now that just sounds funny as hell. LMAO just the way you worded it. "Danger will robinson my hooks are flailing wildly!!" Sitting here reading this stuff is making me laugh like crazy and remember all the **** i did as i kidjvene said:
I give this thread 5 Schmashies!! 
LOL good stuff guys.My experiments have not been as courageous as some of the ones others have tried.
I was curious to know what would happen to an led if it is plugged into the 230V mains. I did that and switched on the power. Not much sound was created but the led had just cracked and some bits and pieces were missing.
I saw fireworks when I tried to plug in a neon lamp directly into the mains. I do not know what was wrong with it (or was wrong with me) but I saw the most brilliant blue flash and the entire electricity supply in the house was blacked out.
It was the same with a doorbell. Only I was holding the bell in my hand. Luckily my body parts are intact.
Cheers,
Vivek
I was curious to know what would happen to an led if it is plugged into the 230V mains. I did that and switched on the power. Not much sound was created but the led had just cracked and some bits and pieces were missing.
I saw fireworks when I tried to plug in a neon lamp directly into the mains. I do not know what was wrong with it (or was wrong with me) but I saw the most brilliant blue flash and the entire electricity supply in the house was blacked out.
It was the same with a doorbell. Only I was holding the bell in my hand. Luckily my body parts are intact.
Cheers,
Vivek
another stupid story...
When I went to EE school, an instructor told me a "funny" story.
Back when he used to work at the hydro power company, one of the janitors was moving alot of equipment from one end of the room to the other. He had been doing this for 2 hours when he decided to take a rest and sit down on an oil drum. The "funny" thing was, it was not an oil drum. I was a BIG mutha' of a capacitor.(30" tall, 24" diameter) My instructor happened to be the only one around and luckily he saw him just as he began to crouch over his "seat". My instructor's yelling startled him and he didn't sit down. Lucky guy.
When I went to EE school, an instructor told me a "funny" story.
Back when he used to work at the hydro power company, one of the janitors was moving alot of equipment from one end of the room to the other. He had been doing this for 2 hours when he decided to take a rest and sit down on an oil drum. The "funny" thing was, it was not an oil drum. I was a BIG mutha' of a capacitor.(30" tall, 24" diameter) My instructor happened to be the only one around and luckily he saw him just as he began to crouch over his "seat". My instructor's yelling startled him and he didn't sit down. Lucky guy.
Not DIY, but involves electricty, so I'll throw it in. In 8th grade physical science (aka physics--I don't know why it was called that) the professor/teacher had a small electric generator that operated via handturning. At the end leads were two big nails. And to introduce us to electricity he would let us take turns holding the nails while he turned the generator shocking us. We thought it was really neat and it could give us quite a jolt since, it was a fairly efficient unit and we were so little. One person couldn't take the full units power (not without some damage I don't think), but often the whole class would hold hands and he would really give it alot so the electric signal would pass through all 30 of us. The thing got really popular because we always wanted to play with it so the class ended up evolving into: if we were good for the day, we might get to be electrocuted. Alot of people wanted to see how long they could hold onto the nails before the pain got too bad. Naturally, the bigger kids always won.
(BTW, he also made a fire based spectrum analyzer one day. It was kind of cool and I don't remember the construction at all. I just remember a speaker fired into the end of a long tube and there were holes drilled along the length and somehow or another he used the flame from the bunson burner to light it all. It was like 12 or 18 flames jumping up and down at different intervals to the music.)
(BTW, he also made a fire based spectrum analyzer one day. It was kind of cool and I don't remember the construction at all. I just remember a speaker fired into the end of a long tube and there were holes drilled along the length and somehow or another he used the flame from the bunson burner to light it all. It was like 12 or 18 flames jumping up and down at different intervals to the music.)
My "jumpstart" to the electronics world started when a friend wanted me to take a look at a 1.5kW Strobe that did't work...... I had the thing taken apart... fired it up and noticed that it did't work... disconnected the mains and picked up the mainboard.... Woke up 15minutes later.... 
Still around and happily building a Aleph 1.2
Still around and happily building a Aleph 1.2In my early electical days, 10 or so, my friends and I found it most entertaining to hook up various small resistive objects across the AC line. Pencil lead, small electrolytics, resistors, earthworms, ICs, etc. One day, while using a less-than-reliable switch, I grabbed the (uninsulated) aligator clips, one in each hand, to clip them to a short piece of #2 pencil lead and- ZAP. I was ok, accept for a little weakness in my arms and a really fast heartrate, so I flipped the switch to the other posistion, assuming that I had accidently left it on just before. So, confident that the power was off, I went to try again, and once again got a rather prolonged shock. Needless to say, I unplugged the cord for the next attempt.
I was ok, accept for a little weakness in my arms and a really fast heartrate, so I flipped the switch to the other posistion, assuming that I had accidently left it on just before. So, confident that the power was off, I went to try again, and once again got a rather prolonged shock. Needless to say, I unplugged the cord for the next attempt.
i think we've all had our fair share of experiences with things going up in smoke (literally). this one is pretty minor, but while working on my JFET buffer i left the thing powered up, because i liked making tweaks to the live circuit and didn't want to have to plug it back in and wait for the thing to warm up and settle down to measure bias points etc. i was soldering in a shunt resistor with the circuit strewn all over my table. my roll of solder was across the table and i was just stringing it along to where i needed to solder, so while i was working on it the string of solder touched the power supply PCB, shorting out a +40V rail. this did a number of things:
1. it caused part of the PCB trace to vaporize
2. it sent a 40V surge to the circuit i was soldering, via the solder, blowing out my Noble volume pot and a handful of JFETs
3. give me a nice big blue spark and bang
fortunately the power of the surge melted the solder itself, thus breaking the connection, so this little accident passed fairly quickly. the damage wasn't so bad but i was pretty rattled by the firecracker-like pop it made in my face. after i regained my composure i went back to work on the (still live) circuit...
oh, in college junior year, i had a friend in my EE lab (brilliant guy actually, valedictorian and now doing quantum physics at MIT) who loved to grab little low-value 1/4 watt resistors with a pair of needlenose pliers and stick them in 120V AC outlets. the pop wasn't so bad but the smell of the burnt resistor was obnoxious and would take hours to go away. the same friend senior year while doing some experiements with a high-voltage laser tried to pry something out of the assembly with a screwdriver and got a 50kV zap. he said his whole body seized up and he felt his heart and breathing stop, but he was ok after a minute or two.
random other story - i have a coworker whose dad was an EE, years back he worked for a military contractor that did a lot of work on microwave equipment. apparently in the wintertime when working on the transmitters they'd put their lunches in front of the dish to warm it up, or if it got really cold outside they would stand in front of the dish to warm themselves up. fortunately my friend's dad knew better, but most of those guys died of cancer of some sort or another....
1. it caused part of the PCB trace to vaporize
2. it sent a 40V surge to the circuit i was soldering, via the solder, blowing out my Noble volume pot and a handful of JFETs
3. give me a nice big blue spark and bang
fortunately the power of the surge melted the solder itself, thus breaking the connection, so this little accident passed fairly quickly. the damage wasn't so bad but i was pretty rattled by the firecracker-like pop it made in my face. after i regained my composure i went back to work on the (still live) circuit...
oh, in college junior year, i had a friend in my EE lab (brilliant guy actually, valedictorian and now doing quantum physics at MIT) who loved to grab little low-value 1/4 watt resistors with a pair of needlenose pliers and stick them in 120V AC outlets. the pop wasn't so bad but the smell of the burnt resistor was obnoxious and would take hours to go away. the same friend senior year while doing some experiements with a high-voltage laser tried to pry something out of the assembly with a screwdriver and got a 50kV zap. he said his whole body seized up and he felt his heart and breathing stop, but he was ok after a minute or two.
random other story - i have a coworker whose dad was an EE, years back he worked for a military contractor that did a lot of work on microwave equipment. apparently in the wintertime when working on the transmitters they'd put their lunches in front of the dish to warm it up, or if it got really cold outside they would stand in front of the dish to warm themselves up. fortunately my friend's dad knew better, but most of those guys died of cancer of some sort or another....
ive picked up the bussiness end of an iron and sat on an ic with the feet turned up but two of the best blunders are:
putting a surface mount cap in backward, looked like a sparkler at first but it rapidly degenerated into normal fire
on a school project the circuit wasnt working exactly correct so i decided to check where the power was going by following the heat, (circuit was powered down) i checked the top half of an output set very carefully, just a touch at first then a grasp, it was cool. being extremely frustrated i then grabbed the lower half, by the time i realized it was hot, my fingerprint had been burned onto the tab. I could not figure an easy way to get the print off, when the project was turned in the professor asked whose fingerprint was on the fet. just heaping insult to injury
putting a surface mount cap in backward, looked like a sparkler at first but it rapidly degenerated into normal fire
on a school project the circuit wasnt working exactly correct so i decided to check where the power was going by following the heat, (circuit was powered down) i checked the top half of an output set very carefully, just a touch at first then a grasp, it was cool. being extremely frustrated i then grabbed the lower half, by the time i realized it was hot, my fingerprint had been burned onto the tab. I could not figure an easy way to get the print off, when the project was turned in the professor asked whose fingerprint was on the fet. just heaping insult to injury
C
CryingDragon
My heart has little fits for brief periods radomly all my life due to a genetic thingy.....pre vehicular contractions. Means it pumps (squeezes) before the in valve is closed and the out is opened so it pumps the blood backward,feels weird and makes ya light headed. i guess with that i should stop giving myself accedental hand to hand 40Kv shocks with automotive coils but i'm stubborn.
i guess with that i should stop giving myself accedental hand to hand 40Kv shocks with automotive coils but i'm stubborn. 
not a bad project.. just a response
I did this once in physics class for a project in high school. It involved an aluminum tube that was about 2" in diameter and about 2 ft long. On the side there was a tube attached to plug into the bunson burner connection (think i used jb weld). On each end of the tube were latex gloves for membranes. The tube had holes drilled every couple of inches. A speaker was placed right near the latex membrane on the end of the tube. The speaker was hooked up to music/function generator and you could see it work as a spectrum analyzer.
I might have missed a few details, since it has been about 6 years since I did that...
It was a fun project for high school physics, and I liked the dancing blue flames. Messing with the signal generator was the best part for getting interesting looking flames.
--
Brian
ezmeralda11 said:
I did this once in physics class for a project in high school. It involved an aluminum tube that was about 2" in diameter and about 2 ft long. On the side there was a tube attached to plug into the bunson burner connection (think i used jb weld). On each end of the tube were latex gloves for membranes. The tube had holes drilled every couple of inches. A speaker was placed right near the latex membrane on the end of the tube. The speaker was hooked up to music/function generator and you could see it work as a spectrum analyzer.
I might have missed a few details, since it has been about 6 years since I did that...
It was a fun project for high school physics, and I liked the dancing blue flames. Messing with the signal generator was the best part for getting interesting looking flames.
--
Brian
If you can't hide it, make a feature of it.
GP.
This is precisely the phenomena that gives race car engines their trademark rumpety-rumpety rough idle sound. You never know, maybe once your heart rate gets above 200 it will get into it's power band (in conjunction with the tuned length of your veins and arteries, of course) and you may be a big hit at the next Olympics.CryingDragon said:
GP.
GP. ROFLMAO
quote:
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Originally posted by CryingDragon
My heart pumps (squeezes) before the in valve is closed and the out is opened so it pumps the blood backward,feels weird and makes ya light headed. :xeye
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You just need a little more exhaust backpressure. Maybe a banana or two in the tailpipe will help.
Rodd Yamashita
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by CryingDragon
My heart pumps (squeezes) before the in valve is closed and the out is opened so it pumps the blood backward,feels weird and makes ya light headed. :xeye
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You just need a little more exhaust backpressure. Maybe a banana or two in the tailpipe will help.
Rodd Yamashita
C
CryingDragon
Ummm...bannana's in my what now? i don't think Mis chequita would appreciate that but i have rebuilt engines before and i know that dragsters grind thier cam's as much as 20 degrees off center to match the crank witch can twist up to 20 degrees torsionally under the 3000HP so the cylinder does fire just before the exsaust valve is opened at idle and the engine hardly runs at all
but i have rebuilt engines before and i know that dragsters grind thier cam's as much as 20 degrees off center to match the crank witch can twist up to 20 degrees torsionally under the 3000HP so the cylinder does fire just before the exsaust valve is opened at idle and the engine hardly runs at all- Status
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