[SEL] From a newsgroup: ...cranking

[Arnie Fero]

Hi Peter,

Yep, when I put a foot on a flywheel spoke starting my Bessemer
half-breed, it never fails to draw a crowd.  And I'm certain that a number
are like NASCAR racing fans, they enjoy the sport, but are also watching
to see the awful crashes.

In addition to the potential "launching into space" there is also the
potential for having your foot slip through the spokes with the resulting
destruction of your body if the engine starts while you're in that
position.

However, as with hand cranks, one can sit and tremble in fear, or one can
start the damn engine.  This is not a matter of Bad Engine Ju-Ju.  It's a
matter of taking a hard look at what you're doing and how you're doing it.
If you watch a bunch of different guys starting oilfield engines you will
quicky identify the ones who are candidates to win Darwin Awards and the
ones who know what the hell they're doing.

I think the key is to respect the machine's ability to seriously hurt you
if you do something stupid.  Then decide NOT to do something stupid.  At
this point I am comfortable that I can start my Bessemer, giving the crowd
a thrill, and still be able to climb down off the trailer and enjoy a cold
beer.  8-))

Definitely, appearances (relative to risk) can be deceiving.  Did you ever
see the pics of Dave and I cutting the 14" x 14" oak skid timbers for Jim
French's Tillinghast half-breed?  The classic pic shows me sitting on a
timber wearing just shorts.  I'm holding a big C-clamp that's clamped to
the nose of the bar of a big chain saw.  Dave is on the other end.  We're
cutting a 45-deg angle on the end of the timber.  Great pic!  Maybe Dave
or Dolly has it electronically and could share it with you.  It probably
looks as scary as someone starting an engine with a hand crank.  8-))

See ya,  Arnie

On Fri, 27 Jan 2006, peter ogborne wrote:

> Arnie.........What about those who stand on the flywheel spokes to bounce
> start ? Could be an spectacular result !
> I also like the method of starting by bouncing the flywheel with the foot in
> some marine engines,done by rocking the flywheel from the rim . Not quite
> the same potential for a accident as the standing on the spokes technique.
> Bouncing still evokes gasps of wonder as it confuses the latter day ''Arm
> chair Experts''.