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View Full Version : Sooo, I set myself on fire today



69TAPoser
04-09-2007, 04:56 PM
Ever had a bad day in the garage?

I am working on getting the dash wiring harness installed and the dash components replaced and connected in my car. My cigarette lighter retainer and element were completely frozen together and I wanted to get them apart to replace the element. Hmmm. Liquid wrench! I proceeded to throw the element/retainer in a coffee can spraying it with liquid wrench. Hmmm. It's really frozen together, why not fill up the coffee can enough to soak it in the liquid wrench?

Once I get enough liquid in the can I set down the can of Liquid Wrench on my metal bench and all of the sudden, poof! :seizure: Just by setting the metal spray can down on the metal work bench, it must have created enough of a spark to ignite the fumes...and then the coffee can. Now I have a flaming coffee can with about 2" of liquid wrench in it. The flames are about a 16" to 2' above the can. Uh oh, need to put this out. Hmmm. I''ll blow it out! After trying that not 1x, not 2x, but 3x I realize I am actually fanning the flames. I have now singed my hair, eyebrows, eyelashes and gotee.

Hmmm. It's at about this time that I realize I didn't hang a fire extinguisher in my garage when we moved in 3 years ago. Time to run for a big container of water. I pour the water in the can. Hmmm, not good. The flames are still very high and the water just agitated the flames. Time to get the coffee can out of the garage.

I dump the can on the concrete sidewalk and the liquid spills onto my grass. Now my grass in on fire in mutiple areas. Time to get more water. I finally get all of the flames out and am left with burnt grass, burnt sneakers, and singed hair. I call me wife at work (my finale of a series of major mistakes) and she is laughing so hard she is crying. So much for sympathy. :slap:

Lessons learned:


Liquid Wrench is VERY flammable. Use it in a well vented area.
Don't use it as a "bath" for parts
Keep a fire extinguisher in the garage
Don't blow on a chemical fire
Don't pour water on a chemical fire
Don't call your wife at work when you do something really stupidIf there is a dumba$$ of the day award, I am ready to accept it. :1st:

Hope you had a better day in your garage today.

Oh yeah, and the cigarette lighter retainer and element are still frozen together. :pat:

Phil

BA.
04-09-2007, 05:11 PM
That's a CLASSIC!! Thanks for the laugh!!







oh yeah, glad you're ok. :)

68BNUT
04-09-2007, 06:24 PM
Thats almost as good as when I drilled a hole in my carb float (to get the gas out) then decided to see if I could "solder it" closed again. uhh yeah set the float, my work bench and all the rags that I had drained the gas out on to, then when I grabbed all that and threw it on the floor. Well what else would you do with a big flaming mess in your garage floor butt, STOMP IT and catch your tennis shoe on fire, thats when I figured I better go ahead and bust out the fire exstinguisher.

Just another day to bored for my own good.

MrQuick
04-09-2007, 06:29 PM
""If there is a dumba$$ of the day award, I am ready to accept it.""

SPEACH! SPEACH! always try to be prepared...a simple lid or cap would have worked too.

novanutcase
04-09-2007, 06:34 PM
SPEACH! SPEACH! always try to be prepared...a simple lid or cap would have worked too.

Fire needs 3 things to work. Fuel, Heat, and Oxygen. Once it's lit the easiest way to put it out is to deprive it of oxygen!

John

s4dustin
04-09-2007, 06:47 PM
carb cleaner did it to me...had to pull my shirt off and put it out

aonghus
04-09-2007, 08:14 PM
one more reason to use PB Blaster, that and the tasty smell... LOL

dude, keep a box of baking soda in the garage at least!

- A former pyro child

LowBuckX
04-09-2007, 09:30 PM
I lost eye brows once. Was doing carb work and doing some easy revs with my thumb on the throttle. All good so I stick my face over the carb and give it another short rev poooof, Face on fire.. lol . I have a mirror in the garage now to look into the carb.

I need some baking soda. Good tip.

eville
04-09-2007, 09:37 PM
smother fires. blankets, metal lids etc.
Water=BAD

TonyL
04-09-2007, 10:11 PM
ahh fire. chemical fire. Here's a tip. One they dont teach in school.

1. if your pants are ablaze because someone splashed gas on you and a fire, stop drop and roll wont work. Thanks to the triangle created by your foot, knee and ground, air gets to the pants in the calf/shin area, and the fire wont be snuffed out. (lying fireman jerkoffs)

2. Patting gas soaked flaming pants gets gas on your hands which also apparently burn pretty well.

3. Running around screaming waving your flaming hands around with your pants on fire REALLY fans flames well. Provides LOADS of oxygen for the fire apparently.

4. Your "friends" may laugh even though you are certainly going to need a ambulance soon and comment on seeing the coolest leg warmers ever.

5. Removing your flaming pants will put out the fire by smothering it. Going commando may have been a mistake that day.

6. Ambulances take FOREVER once you've gotten 3rd degree burns on your legs and hands (at least it seemed like forever).

7. Morphine = good.

/just a tip.
//yes its all true. and actually happened to me.

69TAPoser
04-10-2007, 05:40 AM
Glad to hear that I am in good company! Maybe we should have an "injuries" section on the forum. :lol:

Yeah, that whole starving of oxygen idea didn't pop into my head when I was staring at the 2' flames, but should there be a next time, I will know what to do!

My neighbor is actually a fireman for our town and I was telling him about it this morning. He is convinced that the combination of the fumes, expulsion of so much fluid from the can, and then setting the can down on the metal work bench created static, which was enough to ingite the ambundance amount of fumes I had created. He also mentioned capping the can as a solution. :secret:

Baking soda also noted, thanks.

No harm (except to my ego and I won't be needing to trim my gotee for a while either) and a big lesson learned! :hmm:

Phil

EFI69Cam
04-10-2007, 05:47 AM
Glad to hear that I am in good company! Maybe we should have an "injuries" section on the forum. :lol:

Yeah, that whole starving of oxygen idea didn't pop into my head when I was staring at the 2' flames, but should there be a next time, I will know what to do!

My neighbor is actually a fireman for our town and I was telling him about it this morning. He is convinced that the combination of the fumes, expulsion of so much fluid from the can, and then setting the can down on the metal work bench created static, which was enough to ingite the ambundance amount of fumes I had created. He also mentioned capping the can as a solution. :secret:

Baking soda also noted, thanks.

No harm (except to my ego and I won't be needing to trim my gotee for a while either) and a big lesson learned! :hmm:

Phil

Thanks for the laugh and for getting some really good tips and advice out for all to see.

mac71ss
04-10-2007, 06:52 AM
:lol:

baking soda?

somebody has been watching gone in 60 seconds.

Mr.VENGEANCE
04-10-2007, 07:03 AM
wasnt that a script for a GEICO comercial?...


lol

6'9"Witha69
04-10-2007, 08:05 AM
Too funny.

Sad to say, been there, done that.

Also had an exploding carb in face.

Not fun, but funny to tell the story afterwards. Glad you are alright!

StRacerDuke
04-10-2007, 08:37 AM
Thanks Phil,
I needed a good laugh today.

camaro608
04-10-2007, 04:45 PM
keep a street sign in the garage to set on the coffee can thats what i do

Beegs
04-10-2007, 05:56 PM
Hey Phil, I am still hoping to get down there to see your car, please don't burn it before I get to see it! :candle:

It may not be a bad time to have your wife snap a pic of your burnt mug for the MUGS thread. :jump: