Death from Fractal Burnng

[HandyDan]

I guess it was bound to happen.

 

http://www.union-bulletin.com/local/local-man-electrocuted-using-dangerous-wood-art-process/article_daf59a2a-3420-11e7-8508-c7eb2f3dc175.html

 

 

[Steve Krumanaker]

Yea, that's the third instance I know of, one a few months was in OH if I remember correctly. The other I heard, was in a high school shop class with a commercially made unit, I don't believe that one was fatal but not sure. There is a serious "gee whiz" factor associated with the technique that is just making everyone want to do it. They are calling it "art" but it seems to me art should involve more than flipping a switch. No thank you for me.

 

Steve

[kmealy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pIkkzDagsY

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

I've not heard of that technique....interesting and one to avoid ( I guess).

[Stick486]

22 minutes ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

I've not heard of that technique....interesting and one to avoid ( I guess).

 

see Herb's work...

Wood burning

[John Morris]

Just playing the devils advocate here. How many deaths or injuries per year for fractal burning, and how many deaths or injuries per year for other shop or workplace incidents, table saw injuries or death, loosing digits or limbs in lathe work, severing of body parts.

Just a quick search I performed landed results for death by circular saw, a carpenter was trimming studs in place at chest level with a worm drive, and it kicked back and cut his jugular, he died.

Woodworking is inherently dangerous, anything can kill or disfigure you for life. If you want to perform a specific action on wood, with a new tool or new technique, know your tools, know your conditions, know your environment. No doubt some safety rules for fractal burning in this poor mans shop was ignored.

 

Here is a quote from the article:

Quote

A Walla Walla man died from electrocution while attempting a dangerous technique for sculpting wood, authorities said this morning.

 

Ok, I get it, it's dangerous, but so is using a 24" chainsaw to sculpt wood, I bet there are far more instances from chainsaw related deaths and injuries than fractal burning. Folks, just know and study your stuff before using.

[HandyDan]

I totally agree.  It happens in an instant.  A big problem I see here is the tool used for burning is a homemade device in most instances.  I see safety as a big concern especially considering it is high voltage arcing electricity.

Edited May 12, 2017 by HandyDan

[Gene Howe]

John, not nit picking, your advice is excellent, but consider the number of wood working tool used, vs the number of fractal burning set ups. 1 or 2 deaths in the latter category is huge. 

And, the margin for error in that category is practically non existent.

 

 

[Gerald]

I agree with Gene , it is not the fact that there are deaths in other areas of woodworkig, but the number of hours spent at each task. Probably thousands of hours in other tasks before a death recorded, however in fractual burning very few hours(including prep time.

 

One of our woodturning club members is a retired fire chief and he was one of the first to use this method and the first to do a club demo. His main thrust for about half of the demo was safety procedures and know how of safe assembly of the hardware. That was enough to let me know I did not want to do that. By the way he uses pins with clips to carry current thru the wood rather than handles on the electrodes. Then when he turns on the currect he is not in contact with either the table nor the electrodes.

[John Morris]

16 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

John, not nit picking, your advice is excellent, but consider the number of wood working tool used, vs the number of fractal burning set ups. 1 or 2 deaths in the latter category is huge. 

And, the margin for error in that category is practically non existent.

 

 

Good point Gene, I didn't think about the whole ratio thing, thanks.

[Steve Krumanaker]

John, you make a good point and I agree with you 100%. As wood workers, every tool we use has one purpose, to destroy wood fibers, skin and flesh don't stand a chance in case of a lapse or freak accident. Still, I believe there is a significant difference with fractal burning. Most of us have had close calls, maybe have a lapse or make a poor decision. maybe possible losing a finger, or suffering a head injury from kickback. With fractal burning there really aren't close calls, you make a mistake, you die, you have a lapse, you die, stick your hand where it doesn't belong, you die. Is it more dangerous than other tools? I don't believe so, it's just more deadly.

Steve

[John Morris]

6 minutes ago, Gerald said:

Then when he turns on the current he is not in contact with either the table nor the electrodes.

Sounds like that is the way to do it!

[John Morris]

I don't know much about Fractal burning or when it all began, perhaps we are in the pioneering stages of it? Hopefully over time, better equipment and procedures will be in place as it develops?

[John Morris]

By the way, how many deaths have occurred from this process, just the one?

[Gerald]

John it is a matter of research as far as equipment. The safe parts to build this are out there already in the electric supply industry. It is just a matter of buying good parts to build with and then follow safe practices in building and using the setup.

 

I have not researched the deaths, but today this one is all I can find on google. In the USA in 2001 there were 411 deaths for alltypes of electrocution .

[kmealy]

5 hours ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

I've not heard of that technique....interesting and one to avoid ( I guess).

There's been several threads on the topic here recently.   Search on " lichtenberg "

[RustyFN]

As an Electrician I have worked on many things up to 12,000 volts. It looks nice but I have no interest in holding a probe in each hand to burn things.

[Smallpatch]

I'm just glad the first time I saw the results of the two wires burning wood I was not impressed.  Reminded me of people playing Russian roulette with a gun.

[John Morris]

Ok, but I love @Dadio's lightening work! And I'd say, Herb, as long as you got a handle on it, go get em!!!!

[Dadio]

3 hours ago, John Morris said:

Ok, but I love @Dadio's lightening work! And I'd say, Herb, as long as you got a handle on it, go get em!!!!

Thanks John, I have been following this thread trying to get a read on whether it is worth the risk to keep doing this type of wood burning.

I have a presentation to do at the NW WWorkers meeting on the 25th where I was going to do a slideshow and a hands on demonstration plus a show and tell, at the local WoodCraft store.

After pondering this dicussion over night last night, I have decided to do only the Slide show and show and tell. I don't feel I should put WoodCraft or myself at risk in their store. Actually I was going to set up in the parking lot so as not to smoke up their store.

I have been trying to do research on casualties from this type of operation and have found none. The only firm evidence I have is the one posted here. And possibly 2 more that were mentioned, but can't find anything yet on them. I do not know the specifics of the fatality in Walla Walla WA. could not find any follow up articles on that one.

There is a ton of information about the practice an army of people doing it.

I feel safe enough doing it,but like you said, John there is no margin of error.

 

So in conclusion, I am going to bundle up the unit and return it to the manufacturer,  and I can always say I've done it and on to something else.

Herb