# Acetylene is EXPLOSIVE!



## GrahamInVa (Jan 6, 2012)

A guy in the automotive recycling business sent this to me.

Freaking CRAZY!



Happy New Year Everyone ...this one too good not to send out


This happened in Regina Saskatchewan Tuesday morning (29 November 2011) 

I guess. Here is what the owner said:

So my time almost came to an end this morning... I'm very lucky to be alive.
I had an acetylene bottle in my truck, the valve was bumped so slightly and
Over night the truck filled with the gas. I noticed the smell, and opened
the doors to air out the truck. I drove the truck out of the garage to get
some more air movement. I went to roll the pass side window down and as soon
as I touched the power windows. BAM - with me in the truck. I lost all
hearing out of my right ear and got a scratch on the back of my head. All
things considering, I'm alive.


Pictures tell 1000 words.

Don't take any minutes or seconds you have for granted... it may be your
last...


----------



## oldspark (Jan 6, 2012)

The guy might be alive but I think his brain is dead!


----------



## jc64 (Jan 6, 2012)

Good to see that if your truck blows up with you in it, the air bags will deploy.  :coolsmile: 

jc


----------



## RNLA (Jan 6, 2012)

I know too much about this to have done anything but call the fire department. ANY spark even a static electrical spark, like the ones from your clothes, will set off a saturated air environment, Especially acetylene! I think any one can make a mistake but this was not the correct action to take. Looks like Toyota made the FJ to come apart in the event of interior explosions. Kind of like a crumple zone but different....


----------



## bioman (Jan 6, 2012)

Might wanta screw the lid on that bottle next time ! that'l leave a mark.


----------



## MasterMech (Jan 6, 2012)

Something doesn't jive here.  First of all, you most likely wouldn't survive the pressure from the explosion and even if you did, why would the airbag deploy?  This looks more like a rear impact and roll-over. (Rear tailgate is smashed IN and roof is completely gone?)  There's no charring, no melted plastic, hell the elect tape and plastic loom is intact on the wiring harnesses.


----------



## JustWood (Jan 6, 2012)

MasterMech said:
			
		

> Something doesn't jive here.  First of all, you most likely wouldn't survive the pressure from the explosion and even if you did, why would the airbag deploy?  This looks more like a rear impact and roll-over. (Rear tailgate is smashed IN and roof is completely gone?)  There's no charring, no melted plastic, hell the elect tape and plastic loom is intact on the wiring harnesses.


I was thinking the same thing.
Acetylene valves are inset with no way of opening the valve unless the handle was left on for transport. If that was the case the guy was a moron for leaving it on the valve.


----------



## yooperdave (Jan 6, 2012)

maybe just another case of finding some pics and adding whatever story you'd like, then posting it on the web?

first thoughts were-why is there no charring from the gas explosion?  but then i figured it out....
tiger woods ex-wife got ahold of this vehicle with a golf club!


----------



## rwhite (Jan 7, 2012)

A real picture and real scenario does not always make a real story if they don't match up. I'm calling BS.


----------



## gzecc (Jan 7, 2012)

I can believe it. Things aren't always so obvious. I can see some internal to external pressure damage, but is it possible that there wouldn't be at least a flash over?


----------



## quads (Jan 7, 2012)

The roof appears to be caved IN, not out.  I'm guessing this was some sort of a rollover accident, possibly end for end.  I would like to see a pic of the front end, but the only pic showing it slightly is with the guy oddly hugging it and blocking it from view.  But even in that pic it looks like the hood has a larger than normal gap and does not line up properly.  I think the front end, particularly the passenger front corner, also has damage which is being concealed in the pics.  It would explain the airbag deployment too, and the fact that the dash is smashed on the driver's side yet appears to be untouched on the passenger side (no passenger on the day of the accident).  If it had been an explosion from within with enough force to destroy the dash in front of the driver, driver would have easily been destroyed too!  But so would the dash on the passenger side, probably even more so.


----------



## madrone (Jan 7, 2012)

inevitabLEE said:
			
		

> Acetylene valves are inset with no way of opening the valve unless the handle was left on for transport. If that was the case the guy was a moron for leaving it on the valve.



Not always. Many acetylene cylinders come with a valve handle attached. Depends on size and style. All the ones I use at work have a valve handle, and it would be easy to nudge it open. In that case, however, he should have at least had the cap on to prevent bumping the valve. 

When I teach welding classes, I stress that one should never, *ever* carry cylinders inside a vehicle, not even the trunk. It's just stupid. Explosions are one thing, but suffocation is the more likely horrible accident. There's a lot of unbreathable gas crammed in a cylinder. Welding oxygen tanks included.

I have to agree that I smell a huge pile of BS on this story though.


----------



## rottiman (Jan 7, 2012)

Very simple, that much Acetylene firing off would have burned or melted something.  Don't see either one of those conditions present.  PURE BS< nothing more,nothing less............


----------



## Flatbedford (Jan 7, 2012)

The driver side door has also been strapped shut for transport. What ever happened to this vehicle didn't happen at the yard where it was photographed


----------



## firefighterjake (Jan 8, 2012)

Not saying it couldn't be a true story . . . but I have to say even before I saw everyone else's comments I was thinking that something doesn't quite match up.
I couldn't quite say what was making me wonder about things . . . it wasn't the lack of smoke or fire damage since it is entirely possible that there could be an explosion with no resulting fire or smoke damage.

However, I couldn't figure out what was making me think that things were off until I took a second and third look . . . and that's when I noticed what seems to be a discrepancy in the story and pics. The piece of sheet metal on top of the Toyota and a little bit missing from the driver side rear passenger door . . . again . . . not saying this could not be a true story with true pics because I have seen stranger things . . . but the paint missing from body parts on the outside of the vehicle seems odd . . . to me it seems more consistent with a roll-over or good smash up scraping paint off vs. an explosion removing paint.


----------



## Corey (Jan 8, 2012)

It's very interesting that many of the body panels are blown 'off' the frame - while the frame itself remains relatively intact.  Any type of collision would have just crushed the body panels in place.  It's as if the space between the metal outer skin and the inner panels blew up - pretty much what you'd expect in an explosion.

Either way, there is no doubt acetylene is explosive.  This article quotes 'acetylene balloons' - though most likely 'acetylene-oxygen' balloons.  Any farm kid knows how to light the cutting torch, adjust the acetylene/oxygen mix to the 'perfect' level, then shut off the acetylene to snuff out the flame.  Turn it back on and you're ready to fill balloons, 5 gallon buckets, or what ever.

http://www.esdjournal.com/static/Kansas/dauer truck.htm

We used to have an oxy-acetylene 'cannon' which would launch a 2-liter bottle several hundred yards and did our fair share of balloons, buckets, etc.  At one point, a 5 gallon bucket of oxy-acetylene mix topped with a gallon milk jug of gasoline made a mushroom cloud big enough the 'neighbors' came up from 1/2 mile away thinking a propane tank had exploded.  Ahhh, the good ole days!


----------



## oldspark (Jan 8, 2012)

Here is another one, I can understand the questions but it looks like it could have happened that way.
http://www.msha.gov/Alerts/AcetyleneNearmiss/AcetyleneTruckExplosion.htm


----------



## GrahamInVa (Jan 8, 2012)

I own a salvage yard and personally know the guy who send me the email. I don't have a reason not to believe him. The pictures were taken at his yard where he towed it to. 

The pictures do seem quite strange though. Especially the blown air bags.

I look at wrecked cars all day and have never seen anything like this.

It's amazing he is alive.


----------



## firefighterjake (Jan 8, 2012)

GrahamInVa said:
			
		

> I own a salvage yard and personally know the guy who send me the email. I don't have a reason not to believe him. The pictures were taken at his yard where he towed it to.
> 
> The pictures do seem quite strange though. Especially the blown air bags.
> 
> ...



The fact that you know the guy tends to make me believe this . . . even though things look odd . . . as I said . . . I've seen strange things before . . . sometimes things are not what we expect or what we have seen in the past.


----------



## prairiefire (Jan 9, 2012)

looks to be true, listed as a fire on s.g.i [saskatchewan government insurance] website. http://www.sgi.sk.ca/lcgi/salvage_bid_site/comp_details.cgi?stock_num=R116530&store=Regina    anyone gonna place a bid on it and fix it ;-)


----------



## wetwood (Jan 10, 2012)

Don't know about the Toyota but a few decades ago our high school shop teacher (who was kinda goofy) one weekend crawled in the back of his personal station wagon with a cutting torch and accidentally cut the hoses. The resulting flash fire burned off most of his eyebrows and mustache, his facial skin pealed off like a bad sunburn. I wish I could remember what he was doing in his station wagon with the torch but he knew he uuck fped and his telling of the incident had us laughing till our sides hurt. It gave us a new respect for acetylene though. can't remember for sure but I think it did singe the interior of the car.


----------



## Flatbedford (Jan 10, 2012)

prairiefire said:
			
		

> looks to be true, listed as a fire on s.g.i [saskatchewan government insurance] website. http://www.sgi.sk.ca/lcgi/salvage_bid_site/comp_details.cgi?stock_num=R116530&store=Regina    anyone gonna place a bid on it and fix it ;-)



The front half is usable.


----------



## woodchip (Jan 10, 2012)

Must admit, if an explosion enough to rip side panels off really were to occur, I would have expected the wind shield to blow out completely rather than shatter.

The lack of any burn marks or scorch marks also seems to point to something other than an explosion. 

I've seen a few thing blow up, and have never seen anything without any visible signs of heat whatsoever. 

My initial thoughts..............BS.......

But why make up the story?........  ;-)


----------



## Eatonpcat (Jan 10, 2012)

woodchip said:
			
		

> Must admit, if an explosion enough to rip side panels off really were to occur, I would have expected the wind shield to blow out completely rather than shatter.
> 
> The lack of any burn marks or scorch marks also seems to point to something other than an explosion.
> 
> ...



That's a good point, Why make up a story, No matter what happened, it had to be a good story!! Probably the truth!


----------



## Jags (Jan 10, 2012)

cozy heat said:
			
		

> Ahhh, the good ole days!



Oxy/act in a tater gun is downright wicked...or so I hear. :red:


----------



## ironpony (Jan 12, 2012)

i am calling total bs
if there was enough force to blow all the panels off
the concusion would of crushed him alive (dead)
it was an enclosed space with no escape 
flash that large he would have to be burned
then again he is really stupid if he was tranporting a welding cylinder
inside that closed car, suprised no one pointed that out
also people that stupid tend to live when things like this happen


----------



## tfdchief (Jan 13, 2012)

madrone said:
			
		

> inevitabLEE said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


madrone, Isn't an acetylene bottle laid horizontal dangerous by itself?  I seem to remember that from somewhere.  Can you enlighten?


----------



## tfdchief (Jan 13, 2012)

tfdchief said:
			
		

> madrone said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Never mind and sorry, I found it:
Special Effects
The acetylene is actually dissolved in the liquid acetone which is held in porous material. This can have some strange effects:
â€¢    When the cylinder is transported horizontally, the acetone will slowly redistribute in a horizontal manner.  If the cylinder is placed vertically again, it will take a long time before the acetone is back in its original position. The result is that liquid acetone comes out with the gas-flow of acetylene in the torch. This can have a dramatic influence on the torch flame; it becomes very unstable. This is often referred to as â€œspittingâ€ as it looks like spitting. If a cylinder has been transported or stored horizontally, you should wait at least 2 days after placing the cylinders in its normal vertical position before using them.
â€¢    Always transport and store the acetylene cylinders vertically and ensure that the safety cap is placed correctly over the top valve of the cylinder.  Vertical racks should be used during transport and special wall-mounted brackets should be used for storage onboard not only ensuring vertical storage but also quick removal in case of a fire.


----------



## ash-man (Jan 18, 2012)

I can easily buy the explosion part, the force of the expansion can force the heat out and away very fast preventing any burn.  The blast destruction itself is evidence of this.  Having a hard time seeing the guy in the pics being inside the FJ at the time though.


----------



## Dune (Jan 18, 2012)

I totaly buy this, I have been seeing similar pictures at welding suppliers my whole life.


----------



## ironpony (Jan 18, 2012)

Dune said:
			
		

> I totaly buy this, I have been seeing similar pictures at welding suppliers my whole life.





the explosion yes
him sitting in the truck
nope


----------



## Dune (Jan 18, 2012)

Is there any doubt that the force of the explosion opened the airbags? That the vehicle disintegrating absorbed a lot of energy? 
I agree it seems a stretch, but I think it is possible.


----------



## begreen (Jan 18, 2012)

Can't say for sure, but it looks like an explosion to me. But never having seen one like this I dunno. Here are some others for comparison. Seems like the most important warning is don't ever lay an acetylene tank on its side. 

http://www.msha.gov/alerts/acetylenenearmiss/acetylenetruckexplosion.htm
http://www.esdjournal.com/static/Kansas/dauer truck.htm
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f37/oxygen-acetylene-tanks-860096/#post7948880

and maybe the websource of the OP?
http://www.wheelsnews.com/galleries...ne-explosion-inside-inside-fj-cruiser-photos/


----------

