I was stripping down a leaky hydraulic cylinder from a sail boat boom vang. These things are single acting but the back end is filled with 120 PSI of gas pressure to push the ram out and ya shorten it by pumping oil into the other end of the piston. This thing had a leak and was peeing hydraulic oil on the teak deck of the boat. Its about 7 foot long and 3 inches in diameter with a one inch rod sticking out. So muggins here opens the pressure relief valve on the back end to get rid of the gas pressure. ....... zip , nada nothing. So I assume the thing is empty. ( Never assume anything ) So Now I start to unscrew the side where the rod sticks out and get to within a couple of threads when BANG the whole assembly shoots out of it like a whalers harpoon and exits the stage ( workbench ) left. Now there is that nice new steel tool chest in the way of that rod would have gone through the trailer door into the blue yonder and I would have had to spend time tracking it down in the botanicals. But the brave husky tool chest stoped the little bugger right there and then.




Moral of the story ... wear ear protection as a big bang like that in an enclosed space like a trailer really makes yer ears ring.
Or just don't assume anything. In this case the valve was clogged with a bit of corroded material.

ATB

Michael

that's kinda making me nervous just looking at the picture

WOW!

Glad you're okay!

Glad the tool chest took the brunt and not you.

X2 Andrew

Yeppers its not the sort of thing ya want to stand in front of while undoing the bits that keep it together. I just thought I'll put this up so that someone may learn from my mistake.

that tool box don't mind wearing that mark, but ole buddy you would have minded it alot for a bit anyhow.

Please be careful, I know you got lucky this time.

I repair hydraulics for a living and HATE anything with nitrogen in it! Some of the accumulators that I work on are charged to 1200 psi - lots of pucker going on around them! Glad you were out of the way.

That thing would have gone straight through a couple of fellers!

Right on oneeyedtrapper. I always hated working on the spring canisters for brakes as well for the same reason. I remember the training film quite well of one taking out the back window of a truck.

Thought your momma was moving you inland Scuba!

I am moving inland in August if things go as planned. I'll still come down here once a month to fix boats for a week or so. Got to feed momma and the cats somehow.

And hang out with Newton! I doubt he will follow you inland very far!! lol

Nelson will just have to look after himself. He is quite good at catching stuff. He is just a freeloader that has the missus wrapped around his little feather. When she has her coffee in the morning he stands on the chair opposite from her and has his shrimp. Then makes quiet honking noises as if to starting a chat with her. Sometimes he comes inside to watch TV .... you know .. things that birds do.

I'm sorry, Nelson.....I was thinking it was newton! lol

I bet that shrimp splat is fun to clean up!

Glad your OK Mr. Scuba!