Difference between revisions of "Assumptions We Make - both right and dead wrong"
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Dirknerkle (talk | contribs) (Created page with "In the DIY world, users solve problems in sometimes truly creative and ingenious ways, all in an effort to "make it work." It's important to know, and EXTREMELY important to k...") |
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| − | ::'''Hmmmm...maybe I'll try this wire... | + | ::'''Hmmmm...maybe I'll try this wire...''' Electricity is not very forgiving; you often only get ONE chance to get it right and if you're wrong, that may be the last chance you'll ever get unless you're lucky enough to have paramedics standing by to revive you. Don't just touch things with your fingers or with electrical testing equipment without knowing what the heck you're doing. |
Revision as of 08:08, 11 May 2020
In the DIY world, users solve problems in sometimes truly creative and ingenious ways, all in an effort to "make it work." It's important to know, and EXTREMELY important to know in some cases, that not everything a DIY'er does is done according the the book of established practices. And some of it is just plain dangerous. The thoughts expressed below highlight just a few of them...
- It's just a little voltage -- it won't hurt. Famous last words. You don't need to see a spark to witness harmful electricity. Look it up sometime. "How much voltage does it take to hurt someone" is a good place to start. You'll find that it doesn't take very much at all. The 12-volt battery in your car has enough energy in it to weld metal! Be safe. Don't just "touch" things to see if they're carrying any electricity.
- Hmmmm...maybe I'll try this wire... Electricity is not very forgiving; you often only get ONE chance to get it right and if you're wrong, that may be the last chance you'll ever get unless you're lucky enough to have paramedics standing by to revive you. Don't just touch things with your fingers or with electrical testing equipment without knowing what the heck you're doing.
- CAT-5 plugs and jacks Just because a cat-5 network cable plug "fits" into a jack, don't automatically assume that the jack is a network jack. In the DIY world you can seriously damage equipment by assuming that a jack is actually for a network cable! DIY hobbyists use common network wire in lots of ways and sometimes they use it to carry electricity while other times, the cable may even be used as a rope tie. But here's the bottom line: FIND OUT WHAT THE JACK IS BEFORE YOU PLUG ANYTHING INTO IT!!!
- It's just a little spray paint. Inhaling permanent, potentially carcinogenic particles isn't good. The human body doesn't do well with paint inside the lungs and it's cumulative throughout your life. Use appropriate protection gear when working with spray paint and even better, do it outside where you have plenty of fresh air.
- It's sawdust -- the particles are too big to inhale. That's bull. Protect yourself. You only get one pair of lungs.