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My apprentice tried to forge a 'surprise' for me using a chunk of mystery metal from a scrap yard in Boise, which turned out to be pure zinc and filled the entire shop with thick, white, toxic smoke for a solid twenty minutes.
Has anyone else had a 'helpful' gesture from a newbie go spectacularly and dangerously wrong?
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uma_ellis2mo ago
A gallon of acetone, @the_emery? That's a whole new level of scary.
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grace_campbell2mo ago
Honestly I used to think keeping stuff like that around was no big deal. Then I watched my neighbor's shed go up in flames because of a similar mix up with some old paint thinner. It really hits home how common household chemicals are basically just fuel waiting for a spark. Now I keep the bare minimum and lock up anything really nasty.
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the_emery2mo ago
My cousin's kid once tried to "help" me clean my garage workshop. He saw a dusty old jug and decided to pour the clear liquid into a spray bottle. That was my gallon of pure acetone. He started misting it on a shelf near the water heater pilot light. I walked in just as he was about to spray. Had to air the place out for hours and explain flash points to a very confused ten year old. Good intentions with zero knowledge can turn scary fast.
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