Touching hot wires

[Strife]

Even for 1936 that's a poor advice on how to test voltage.
They already had lamps back then. No easier and cheaper tester than two 120V lamps in series. Lights dim = 120V, lights fully bright = 240V
Basically what a wiggly does, 120V pulls the coil a little, 250 some more, etc.

 

[sii]

When I started at my current job in 1996 we had an "old-school"electrician that gave everyone else a hard time about using a meter on anything less than 480 volts. He would check the load size of a fuse by touching it and his method to see if the line side of a motor starter was live was to unlug one wire and touch it to ground.

He was very close to retirement if I remember correctly and decided to go work at a local heavy equipment sales/service dealer.

About six months later we heard that he was working in a live panel adding a circuit and somehow managed to drop a pipe-wrench across the busses. He had to have his glasses surgically removed from his face and was unable to work again. They said it sounded like a bomb going off in the shop.

 

[John120/240]

When I started at my current job in 1996 we had an "old-school"electrician that gave everyone else a hard time about using a meter on anything less than 480 volts. He would check the load size of a fuse by touching it and his method to see if the line side of a motor starter was live was to unlug one wire and touch it to ground.

He was very close to retirement if I remember correctly and decided to go work at a local heavy equipment sales/service dealer.

About six months later we heard that he was working in a live panel adding a circuit and somehow managed to drop a pipe-wrench across the busses. He had to have his glasses surgically removed from his face and was unable to work again. They said it sounded like a bomb going off in the shop.

Despite this "old school electrican" & his years of experience, Sooner or Later it's gonna get you.

Work Safe

 

[rt66electric]

cool collection

cool collection

The NFPA didn't make an NEC handbook unitl 1968 (the small green one in the center of the pix). Before that, it was Croft's AEH or Wiring for Light and Power, or the National Electrical Code Handbook by Abbott.

Have you read any of the really old "Audels handbooks" they were printed from 1900's to 1920's?? They were mostly known for printing machinist and carpenters handbooks. The books are really facinating to read. All the stuff we thought was "new" in apprentiship school was printed way back when. The charts and diagrams are the same. Alot of stuff has been forgotten since the 1920's. I have seen several collections listed on fleabay.

 

[480sparky]

Have you read any of the really old "Audels handbooks" they were printed from 1900's to 1920's??
.........

 

[Nitel]

In my phone co. days, I would use fingers to identify the ring (-48vdc) side of the line. Could also tell when a line was
ringing (90vac 20hz), that woke you up on a hot, sweaty day.

 

[ActionDave]

Somebody that has the old treatment for cardiac arrest. I tried to search for it and had no luck. I think it was Iwire that posted.

 

[480sparky]

Somebody that has the old treatment for cardiac arrest. I tried to search for it and had no luck. I think it was Iwire that posted.

Using a finger in, uh, shall we say,........ a body orifice?

 

[ActionDave]

Yes, that's the one.

 

[480sparky]

 

[ActionDave]

Man I would hate being the one in need of treatment as much as being called on to give it.
I am always convinced that there is no better time to be alive than now. Stuff like what's in the above post add to the pile of evidence.

 

[readydave8]

I 'd prefer the snort of oxygen, please.

 

[K8MHZ]

In my phone co. days, I would use fingers to identify the ring (-48vdc) side of the line. Could also tell when a line was
ringing (90vac 20hz), that woke you up on a hot, sweaty day.

Back in my youth, I was stripping phone cord with my teeth one day when the phone rang.

I won't ever do that again.