I tried using 3% H2O2 in my carbide generator for a while, thinking a
little oxygen might make the light a little brighter.
-WaV
On Fri, Aug 24, 2012 at 5:36 PM, Amy Jasek <amylouis...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I love the smell of carbide because it reminds me of my dad & my awesome
> caving childhood : )
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Aug 24, 2012, at 5:08 PM, Andy Gluesenkamp <andrew_gluesenk...@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
> I recall the distinctive odor emitted by one caver buddy who used a CB and
> peed in his generator, solving two problems at once. It creating another for
> those on his survey team. Carbide stinks but burning urine+carbide will
> etch the inside of your skull. I even carried spare water for him at one
> point but matter of pride/convenience kept him from accepting it.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Aug 24, 2012, at 12:14 PM, Frank Binney <fr...@frankbinney.com> wrote:
>
> Ahh, I loved the smell of carbide in the morning! Smelled like....victory.
>
> Another fond memory of carbide caving was the need to constantly clean the
> tip with a tip reamer. Some cavers kept a tip reamer on a lanyard around
> their necks. Others were always asking to borrow yours.
> When I started caving with the British I learned they call a tip reamer a
> “pricker” and I was somewhat startled the first time a British caver turned
> to me in a tight crawlway with his lamp held out in his hand and asked, “Can
> you give me a prick?”
> ~Frank Binney
>
>
> On 8/24/12 9:37 AM, "Carl Kunath" <carl.kun...@suddenlink.net> wrote:
>
> The care, feeding, and management of carbide lamps is a micro-culture in
> itself. We're now a couple of generations beyond that (except for those who
> cling to things like the so-called "ceiling burners," a photo of which
> started this whole thread).
>
> Carbide lamps were cheap at the time ('50s -'70s) and carbide was also cheap
> and plentiful. Individual users bought 2-pound cans for $2 while groups
> often invested in 100-pound drums available from welding supply stores for
> about 50¢ a pound in the large drums. Carbide was often made available free
> to grotto members as benefit of membership.
>
> Disposal of spent carbide slowly evolved from dump it wherever, to dump it
> in a crevice, to bury it in the dirt, to pack it out in a bottle or bag.
> Smart cavers soon realized that the better solution was to carry spare
> pre-charged lamp bottoms. With a total of four bottoms, it was rare to need
> more on a typical caving trip.
>
> For most beginning cavers, the management of a carbide lamp was a mystery
> and a bit of a challenge. Nearly everyone carried small repair kits that
> usually included a tip, felt, gasket, flint, and tip reamer. Neophytes
> were tutored and it became a matter of pride and prestige to troubleshoot,
> recharge, or repair your lamp in the dark. In the early days of the Texas
> Old Timers Reunion, there were carbide lamp contests with blindfolded
> competitors.
>
> With experience, cavers became expert in firing a lamp by beginning a flow
> of water, sniffing the tip for the tell-tale odor of acetylene, trapping
> just the right mixture of air and acetylene within the reflector and
> igniting the lamp with a satisfyingly loud "pop" when the proportions were
> correct. Often the built-in sparking device was not working properly, lamps
> were ignited flame-to-tip, and the phrase "give me a kiss" had a whole
> different meaning.
>
> Carbide lamps were (and are) multi-purpose devices. Besides providing
> illumination, they acted as stoves to heat your lunch, a little spot of soot
> made a nice survey marker, and when hunkered over, they provided a
> surprising amount of heat. If you cut a hole in the top of a garbage bag
> and used it like a poncho, things could get quite toasty. They also work
> wonderfully for melting nylon ropes, especially when the ropes are
> tensioned. 8-(
>
> The appearance of a cave lit by carbide flame is wonderful. The warmer
> color temperature and diffuse pattern of light cannot be duplicated by any
> electric lamp I have seen. If you have never been "carbide caving" try it
> sometime just for fun to see what I mean.
>
> Carbide caving didn't end instantly. For several years, I was using an
> incandescent head lamp with a shirt pocket battery pack. When we stopped
> for any reason, I would turn off my light to conserve battery power and
> instantly draw "mooch and letch" comments from my carbide companions who
> then spitefully refused to allow me to heat my boned chicken with their
> carbide lamps.
>
> Electric lights have come a long way. We are far beyond the days when a
> Wheat Lamp was considered a state of the art caving light. Carbide is gone
> and incandescent is all but gone. LED enhancements, micro circuitry, and
> advancing battery technology provide us with powerful, lightweight devices
> we never dreamed of in the past. I certainly don’t miss all that weight on
> the front of my helmet, but I do miss some of the other things about carbide
> caving.
>
> ===Carl Kunath
>
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