Ice storm

[vtsteam]

Got another 5 inches of snow overnight, but not the additional 12 they were warning about after the 7 I plowed last evening (for which I am thankful!) Total accumulation about 12". Fine, dry stuff, moves easily, but very dense. Moves okay with the plow but can't take too big a swipe with it. Had to double up or triple pass sometimes. I plowed 3 more hours this morning, just doing cleanup, and trying to push back the drifts for any future storms. Drifts were as high as as I was sitting.

The tractor this morning after the overnight addition:

[CI]

The snow has stopped here, and we have perhaps 6 inches accumulated.
We are holding a constant 17F, and so everyone is scratching their heads, wondering what to do now, since the snow is not going away, and nobody wants to drive in it.
The driving problem is exacerbated by them salting the hills at traffic lights and such, which melts the ice, and then creates super slick zones that are pretty much impossible to use.
Using no salt, or using sand, would work much better, but the goverment, you know, has to the the goverment thing in the government way.

I don't need to go anywhere, so it is not a problem.
One day it will all melt, and we will go back to being too hot and humid.

.

[steamer]

The snow was up to the top of my alloy wheels this morning.  《Some where between 20 and 24 inches》

Dave

[CI]

The big ice storm we had here I guess it was in the 1990's was a wakeup call for this region.
We have some very large and important hospitals in the area, and some of them found out that their generators would not operate if city water froze up (which it did in some cases), or could not operate in extreme prolonged cold weather.

The utilities were hardened in this area after that storm, especially for hospitals and critical infrastructure.
That 1990's work helps these days when we get these ice/snow events, and there are good game plans in place to keep things going.

The data center downtown has on-site 256 MW of generating capacity, as long as the natural gas keeps flowing.
We don't seem to have problems with gas pipelines and cold weather around here, so that is a big plus, considering my house has gas heat.

We don't have too many water problems, but some of the water mains under the streets are buried too shallow, and every time we have 17F weather, the water lines under the street in our neighborhood rupture, so we are out of water for a week or so.
I keep non-powered water filters on hand because even when they get the water working again, it is contaminated for a while.

I am set up to function for about 2 months with no access to water or food.
I have propane, diesel, kerosene, can goods, and 20 lb bags of rice stored in sealed containers.
My 5kw generator will operate my work equipment, and keep the house heated, or in the summer one room cool.

We have a fireplace, but it is more trouble than it is worth to go out and chop firewood, and it makes a big mess in the house dragging wood in.
All the heat goes up the chimney when using a fireplace, so it is counterproductive.

Tornados are a bigger problem around here, and they occur frequently in this area.
I have an older low-rise house that has a lot of lumber in it, and the high winds we have experienced in this area in the past have not affected it.
There was a newer two-story house a few miles alway that collapsed like a house of cards in one wind storm, killing the owner.
New houses are basically crackerboxes comparted to most old houses.

I guess I coud fire up the foundry burner and burn off the driveway, just for fun, not that that would accomplish anything at all.

.

[crueby]

...

I guess I coud fire up the foundry burner and burn off the driveway, just for fun, not that that would accomplish anything at all.

The river of molten iron running down the driveway with snow steaming off, action figures melting into it etc, would make a GREAT youtube video though!   

[CI]

I saw a video on ytube last year; some fellow was pouring molten aluminum into I think a large stainless steel cookpot full of ice.
The ice flashed to steam, and the pot exploded violently, with large metal fragments flying in all directions.
Had one of those fragments struck him, it could have easily severed an artery.
I will look for that video.
I have great respect for the power that is stored in steam.
Foundry things are dangerous enough when you do everything exactly right.
There is really no need to hasten one's own demise.

Edit:
Here is a concrete furnace exploding.
Use refractory and dry it carefully if you make a furnace.
Concrete looks just like refractory, but they are not the same.


<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GtbTRZi7wY" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GtbTRZi7wY</a>

[CI]

I had an ingot mold pop like this, when I was filling it with molten iron.
I had some 3rd degree burns on my hands when the metal rolled down my leather jacket and into my gloves.
I even heated my ingot molds with a propane burner, but that was not sufficient to drive off residual moisture.
Ingot molds have to be heated to perhaps 750F in the exhaust stream of the furnace, else they will do the "pop" thing.

.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/P6tTLzBpZBw

[CI]

Copper explosion.
Same problem; ingot mold not heated sufficiently.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6-OK9looWQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6-OK9looWQ</a>

[CI]

This is why you don't melt and pour near your house or car.

.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X08FRVHvdZY" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X08FRVHvdZY</a>

[steam guy willy]

Hi Can one use Cement Fondue or is this the same as concrete ??

Willy

[CI]

Here is another ingot mold explosion.
This is very common.
I always dress for an explosion when handling molten metal.

.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/R1RjGLyX7Ns

[CI]

Hi Can one use Cement Fondue or is this the same as concrete ??

Willy

"Cement Fondue" ?  LOL, well, go for it, but be sure to make a video.

.

[CI]

Here is a refractory plinth that the crucible sits on that exploded because it had not been dried slowly.
Even refractory will explode if you don't dry it slowly.

I can't find the video of the person pouring metal into the stainless cookpot full of ice and water, but that is a worst-case scenario.
Molten metal may hit you if it explodes, but it will splat, and if you have full leathers on, it will just roll off.
If a stainless cookpot expodes, the fragments can literally cut you in half, so avoid those circumstances at all cost.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biJV2AlBi9M" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biJV2AlBi9M</a>

[CI]

Here is the video I was looking for.
It was actually a tin bucket.
Very lethal and near fatal explosion for this person.
Luck was on his side that day.

It is folks like this who give backyard casting a bad and dangerous reputation.
There is a long laundry list of dangerous things this person does; sort of an excellent video on what not to do, and what not to wear when melting metal.
Some folks will die or come close to dying for ytube views.
He was very lucky he did not have a camera person standing behind the camera.

You can see a piece of razor frisbee fly by to the right at what was probably supersonic speed.
Very deadly stuff.
Don't win the Darwin award (self elimination) with your foundry.


<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6kJ1tbk41E" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6kJ1tbk41E</a>


<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lax5_uSWQrg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lax5_uSWQrg</a>

[crueby]

Step one, remove brain. Discard, it obviously was not being used anyway.Step two, pour molten metal over water/ice.

Holy cow, was that stupid!