Horrific flare accident

[Sailingsaves]

All true.

When I do something it is on a shoe string budget, heck half of a worn out shoe string.

I had a left over piece of plastic plumbing pipe - that's the one that melted obviously.

The metal tube was from an old chair leg; very thin.

Anyway, I'm giving up this inventing malarkey - it is just depressing.

Big clear out - chuck it all - nice tidy house and garage = happy wife and start to enjoy what I have rather than try to make dreams become a reality.

I didn't sail my dinghy once this year or the year before - what a waste - time to start enjoying what I do have rather than trying to gain more.

The flares in bucket of water may be useful for those wishing to dispose of (but try to find the old post or research it yourself first I'd say).

 

[Daydream believer]

?

The first one didn't look significantly different to the Pains Wessex hand flares I set off at the weekend for disposal. Flares do emit sparks, that's why you hold them in a gloved hand at arm's length and preferably over water (I use the outboard-flushing bin on my patio).

I'd be more concerned that it seems to have burned through the tube - manufactured flares don't do that.

The flare in the second video just seems a bit weedy, not much actual "flare" being projected above the top of the tube.

Pete

it never occurred to me that one should have a gloved hand
Perhaps i should put a glove in with the flare storage box.
I cannot imagine, however, that someone in a liferaft would be bothering about gloves.
Sparks might not do the raft much good either

 

[Sailingsaves]

it never occurred to me that one should have a gloved hand
Perhaps i should put a glove in with the flare storage box.
I cannot imagine, however, that someone in a liferaft would be bothering about gloves.
Sparks might not do the raft much good either

Many people do have gloves in their flare box. Every handheld flare I have let off has eventually had to be held right at the base where the plastic 'ignition' mechanism is because the metal tube gets hot.

PHOTO of sparks from proper flare and liferaft:
http://www.kospictures.com/ImageThu...a_life_raft_holding_flare_awaiting_rescue.jpg

If in a raft I would be VERY careful using a flare.

 

[awol]

it never occurred to me that one should have a gloved hand
Perhaps i should put a glove in with the flare storage box.
I cannot imagine, however, that someone in a liferaft would be bothering about gloves.
Sparks might not do the raft much good either

I would recommend that you practice letting off a flare or two. I almost guarantee you would be popping something like a welding gauntlet in with your flare pack afterwards.

 

[prv]

it never occurred to me that one should have a gloved hand

Well, perhaps this is one reason that all the scare-mongering about being clapped in irons is not helpful. Next time you have a recently-expired hand-flare (not a rusty 70s example sweating nitroglycerine), choose a suitable piece of discreet private land and practice setting it off. The small bang as it gets going, and the sheer brightness of the light, are a little surprising the first time, so it's useful to be prepared. When my local training centre does the Sea Survival course, they line all the students up along the travelift jetty and have them set off a hand-flare each - seems like a very good idea to me.

Perhaps i should put a glove in with the flare storage box

Definitely. I have a pair of leather rigger's gloves in my grab bag where I keep all the flares. The gloves would also come out if we ever did a helicopter hi-line transfer - we once had to have a casualty lifted off Stavros by the Spanish Coastguard, the bosun was handling the hi-line, and I saw the state of her gloves afterwards. I would not want my hands to look like that.

I cannot imagine, however, that someone in a liferaft would be bothering about gloves.

I would, because they're in the grab bag and so hopefully made it into the raft with me. But yes, if you're reduced to just the 3 red hand-flares packed in the raft then you'll have to do without (or use a hat, sleeve, etc). That's probably ok - the gloves are a precaution rather than essential. I don't think any hot stuff ever landed on my hand from the half-dozen or so expired flares I've set off.

Sparks might not do the raft much good either

That's why you hold the flare out over the side. The stuff is burning in a tube, so anything that comes off it gets ejected away from you. I wouldn't be unduly worried about setting a raft on fire.

Every handheld flare I have let off has eventually had to be held right at the base where the plastic 'ignition' mechanism is because the metal tube gets hot.

The ones I've used have all been the same model of Pains Wessex hand flare, which have an excellent design.

Unfortunately I couldn't find a better picture than this one - the point is that the flare is telescopic. The metallic bit in the left-hand photo is inside the plastic tube in the right-hand one. You pull it out before firing, which means the ribbed plastic part you end up holding is completely hollow and has no hot material anywhere near it. I assume they must have a patent on this, because otherwise the other manufacturers are idiots not to have copied it.

Pete

 

[Sailingsaves]

The ones I've used have all been the same model of Pains Wessex hand flare, which have an excellent design.

Pete

Those Pains Wessex are a new design to me.

Mine are still this type (except red) and I remember shuffling my hand towards the base as it finished:

http://www.eventides.org.uk/images/flare.jpg

The new ones look an excellent improvement.

In my DIY tube experiment I simply packed the base with non-heat conductive material and also ensured no back blast could occur.

The small bang as it gets going, and the sheer brightness of the light, are a little surprising the first time, so it's useful to be prepared.Pete

Boy do I agree with that.

First flare I was ever ordered to fire was one like this (white parachute flare - lit up the surrounding area brilliantly):

https://hatchfive.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/7aeb14c5-fa35-4b58-84fe-06e878cd0ae3.jpg

Never had instruction in use of.

Had to read the instructions in the dark in a Welsh valley with the rain pouring. I read them quite carefully I can tell you.

Successfully used it BUT the huge amount of white billowing smoke surrounded my arms up to my shoulders and for about 4 seconds I was left wondering if my arms had melted off !

That was quite a scare as I was quite attached to my arms in both senses of the phrase

It was definitely more powerful than red rocket para flares and a good learning exercise (can't believe they never instructed us in their use before dishing them out).

 

[prv]

The new ones look an excellent improvement.

They are - but as I say, only available from Pains Wessex AFAIK. The other makes still have a fixed plastic handle on one end, which is fairly small in order to keep the overall length down.

Pete

 

[Daydream believer]

I have set them off in the long & distant past but really cannot remember the outcome
I had a very pistol for 40 years & i fired white flares in that 3-4 times.
That was a simple operation. Did not require me to read instructions etc & I did not end up near the burning parts
I handed it in when shells were no longer available - Except from abroad which could not be shipped due to nature of product.
I could have sourced different shells but they did not fit the length of the pistol. therefore, I handed it in.

i am considering getting a new pistol

 

[prv]

I had a very pistol for 40 years & i fired white flares in that 3-4 times.
That was a simple operation. Did not require me to read instructions etc & I did not end up near the burning parts

I think there's a lot to be said for that system. The regulatory obstruction is unfortunate.

Hand-flares aren't exactly complicated to use, though.

Pete