The Most Deadly Craft: Fractal Wood Burning | Fascinating Horror

[@FascinatingHorror]

I've covered a few other stories about a dangerous trend spread by social media. Here's one of them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGrKnZ6vlrCXi7s. Thanks for watching!

[@86BarbOmega]

I was wincing throughout. Ooof

[@LaurieValdez-zk3dy]

I would never open up a microwave oven What?

[@Caffeine_Addict_2020]

So, really big miss here - rubber gloves are not valid protection for fractal wood burning. If you don't know enough about electricity to know why, you shouldn't try to fractal burn, and you shouldn't be giving people advice on the "safe" way to fractal burn. Why: There is a concept called "dielectric breakdown" - long story short - everything conducts electricity at a certain voltage. Fractal burning has such high voltage that touching the RUBBER OUTSIDE of a wire will still electrocute you, and even touching the wires with RUBBER GLOVES will still electrocute you. One fractal burner, who believed gloves protected you, grabbed a wire and was electrocuted through his glove, causing massive nerve damage and burning the glove to his hand You need specialty wire (it's as much as $50, and you can't buy it in any stores) even if wearing gloves. If you don't have an electrical engineering degree, don't try this

[@chioj36]

Fantastic and informative work as always sir

[@dougaltolan3017]

@@FascinatingHorror A couple of points... Microwave oven transformers can produce more voltage than an electric chair OR more current than an electric chair (uses), they can not do BOTH at once. So, the assertion that they can deliver more electricity than an electric chair is wrong. Electric chairs notoriously dim the lights in the neighbourhood when used (historically) a microwave oven won't and can't.

[@emmmkay9041]

A few years ago, the KZbin channel "How to Cook That" made a video about the dangers of fractal wood burning, in response to the content farm videos. KZbin took the video down because it was "dangerous". It left up all the videos churned out by the content farms encouraging viewers to do fractal wood burning. It was only after an outcry from fans of HTCT that the video was reinstated. Thanks for taking on this important topic and explaining to people how dangerous it is.

[@leandervr]

I remember that, one of the most baffling things that happened on this platform and that's saying something.

[@sapphirejade5029]

OMG! I remember that! I follow HTCT on KZbin and definitely agree that this craft is extremely dangerous. I remembered being extremely furious that KZbin was blocking the video a few days after I watched it. The channel's video probably stopped so many people from trying it and saving their lives.

[@peckishpagan]

How, exactly, do fans outcry on KZbin? I’ve seen really good content demonetized or removed, but could not find a means to contact KZbin about it.

[@polygonvvitch]

Wouldn't doubt it if KZbin's brainless AI bots just saw the words "danger" in the transcript of his video and went "OH NO MUST REMOVE"

[@c0mpu73rguy]

The same way any mention of a certain period of history is censored while actual content promoting this ideology is left alone.

[@spazzypengin]

What I'm getting from this is: if something on the internet says "Hey you can make this yourself, just bust open a microwave!" you shouldn't do it.

[@llamatronian101]

This. No user serviceable parts inside.

[@ianmacfarlane1241]

Very true. Microwave ovens also contain capacitors, which are difficult to identify to the uninitiated.

[@annakatebertolet2703]

Ive taken at least a minors worth of electrical engineering classes and I still won't fk around with huge capacitors or high voltages.

[@Junbav]

funnily enough there's another project that uses a microwave transformer but you change the secondary from having thousands of windings to just 2, which means it outputs a very low voltage but ridiculously high (~800A) current. This one is actually *relatively* 'safe' as it won't kill you with a shock but it can melt metal due to joule heating.

[@Ann-sj4pt]

Thinking of learning macrame hopefully that’s safr 😩😳

[@bogwife7942]

just reminds me of when ann reardon, who normally makes videos about baking, made a video warning people about the dangers of fractal wood burning in the hopes that her large following would make it come up high in the results when you search for fractal wood burning on youtube, and the the video got demonitized. youtube really has their priorities straight

[@Darkfyyre]

it didn't just get demonetized, it was REMOVED. it wasn't without a lot of pressure from fans and anyone with common sense that the video got reinstated. they'd managed to get the video to the top search results, only for youtube to strike it down for "promoting dangerous content"... all while leaving up the videos hers called out. it was a truly backwards situation and i'm just glad it was resolved. i think the most chilling part about that whole debacle was all the comments from people talking about how the video saved them or a loved one from attempting the craft - some of them had gone so far as to obtain a microwave, ready to disassemble it as per the instructions available in all those youtube DIY tutorials. absolutely harrowing

[@christopherdunn3094]

KZbin is a trash company

[@Ixarus6713]

Ann is great because she's onto trends and isn't afraid to debunk the dangerous or fake ones. So many tiktok trends are more dangerous (or completely fake) than the kids trying them even know.

[@standdownrobots_ihaveoldglory]

It’s back up & even though the #1 video is a DIY, the #2 is Ann’s.

[@johntucci8826]

KZbin really sucks now, I hope something similar but not as backwards comes along

[@TechOne7671]

As an electrical engineer the thought of people uneducated of the dangers while doing this terrifies me. That setup will easily provide a fault current of 10+ amps at 4000v, this will devastate the central nervous system and cause severe tissue burns. The wood is normally wetted with salt water solution to increase the conductivity of the wood, when they touch a live part with wet hands it’s all over. Madness.

[@Scavenger82]

Unfortunately, even knowing the risks, a lot of people have an invincibility mentality and don't think it will happen to them. 😔

[@TechOne7671]

They are in for a shock. 😂

[@jimjamauto]

I thought it was just people touching the electrode but that makes sense they are getting it from touching the wood. On a side note I have an old 5kV insulation tester and 7.5kV gloves at work, I wonder if this setup would suffice for fractal burning 😬

[@TechOne7671]

@@jimjamauto they will be fine, just keep your hands in your pockets. 🤣

[@Scavenger82]

@@jimjamauto Only one way to find out. /s

[@matthewgillies7509]

As a kid, I remember hearing an electrician (who was marveling at someone's moronic DYI wiring) express the following sentiment: "electricity is both easy and hard, as an amateur can figure it out just enough to make something work, but not enough to stop them from killing themselves or burning down their house."

[@0saintsfan0]

Yeah the fractal patterns look sort of nice, but nice as in "I might pay a few quid at a craft fair for a coaster" not nice enough to rig up a homemade electric chair to achieve

[@hellomark1]

Yeah the fact that he says in the video that even experienced electricians who thought they were doing it safely still died, you basically have to leave a high voltage circuit wide open with no ground for it to work properly.

[@Gitbizy]

Facts.

[@dawnstorm9768]

​@@hellomark1 That should tell you all you need to know.

[@jenniferryersejones9876]

They're pretty friggin' tacky, far as I'm concerned.

[@toidIllorTAmI]

Actually these tables used to go for $300 if you bought nice wood. It was technically a get rich quick scheme when Etsy stores were popular. I remember warning people in those videos about how dangerous it is and sadly the majority didn't know how dangerous it really is. (Somehow)

[@kats9755]

2:21 I had to pause the video here because the image of a microwave that's been popped open and is attached to a piece of wood by some screws and alligator clips is INSAAAAAANE

[@Varangian_af_Scaniae]

Not really. Nothing unsafe about it if you know what you are doing and in this day and age there is no excuse for being ignorant. Knowledge is just a search away.

[@musicobsessive123]

​@@Varangian_af_Scaniae absolutely not. it's incredibly risky and even if you've read all the articles in the world, accidents and mistakes are bound to happen

[@madtrucker0983]

Naw, what could possibly go wrong there? 😂

[@snickerdoooodle]

​@@Varangian_af_Scaniae"nothing unsafe about it" Absolutely regarded.

[@toidIllorTAmI]

​@@Varangian_af_Scaniaebro? Are you still alive with that logic?

[@royalmichaels1289]

I understand these folks used diy tools but a guy I grew up with had done wood burning for many years. He was quite careful and had tons of experience. He passed away a couple years ago in his early 40s when he was electrocuted while fractal wood burning.

[@vladimirenlow4388]

My condolences on the loss of your friend.

[@whiteyfisk9769]

The art doesnt even look that cool. Its just a hunk of wood with webbing tendrils...i dont get why anybody would wanna die for this

[@DaddyCaldwell]

@@whiteyfisk9769the death aspect makes it intriguing?

[@brianmurphy250]

I’m not sure if this is real or the writer is being funny. The message is still the same: just don’t

[@poindextertunes]

@@whiteyfisk9769I’m 100% with you. My first thought after seeing it was “Alright. Cool I guess?”

[@S_Carol]

As someone who works with electricity, do not, and really mean DON'T EVER mess with the innards of a microwave. And old tube TVs. They could stop your heart even while unplugged.

[@JoeCahill-iz2ud]

I remember that old color TV sets had a 2nd anode voltage in the area of 22, 000 VDC. Picture tubes could stay charged for days. Even some of the old audio amps I worked on had 1500 volts on the plates of the output tubes!

[@michaels.3709]

4:17 - It should also be noted that using _undamaged_ rubber gloves and mats are still likely not sufficient, as the voltages used are sufficient to overcome the electrical resistance introduced by standard rubber gloves/mats. If your rubber glove doesn't come with a voltage rating (AC or DC), then likely it's not designed for electricity work. Even _with_ proper equipment, improper usage of that equipment can be just as, if not more, fatal.

[@kcgunesq]

Amen. These tools can exceed 15kV. Linemen wear rated rubber gloves that are frequently inspected under leather gloves to protect the rated gloves. They also take other precautions such as not being grounded or being in an equipotential zone. All that in addition to other PPE such as FR clothing rated for the potential fault limits. And linemen are often working at voltages that are less than 15kV (though some lines can be much much higher voltages).

[@michaelmartin8422]

I got a voice mail once from my grandfather once...all he said was if my microwave broke don't try to fix it....that was it. I'm glad I took his advice..

[@MoominDoogie]

I'm guessing he'd just tried to fix his microwave and found out why it's a bad idea 😂😂😂

[@michaelmartin8422]

@@MoominDoogie I found out later a neighbor had tried to fix his and died, it was one of 2 times he ever called me.

[@MoominDoogie]

@@michaelmartin8422 Oof, RIP to the neighbour. It must have shook your grandfather up badly for him to call you like that.

[@cherriberri8373]

You can, you just need to learn how to safely. Just never mess with the transformer. But yes, there's always the risk you didn't understand something or forget to do something.

[@michaelmartin8422]

@@MoominDoogie it did, it was just so random

[@carrierussell9224]

I saw the videos and thought it would be neat to try. Then I spoke to my husband, and electrician, who looked terrified at one of the videos and said, "NO! NONONONO!!!" 'nuff said.

[@drunkpaulocosta]

You gender are so sad. Only knows not to die because of her husbands skills. Thank god I'm gay

[@whiteyfisk9769]

You married your electrician???

[@carrierussell9224]

@@whiteyfisk9769 LOL I married him 11 years before he became an electrician.

[@pickles3128]

​@@carrierussell9224Well I still hope he gives you a decent discount! ;-P

[@soundspark]

@@tin2001 KZbin took down that video and left up his newer video that didn't bring up the transformer. You might find the original video on some of the more sketchy hosts.

[@easy_eight2810]

You'd think that people would think twice before making a DIY contraption that produces more electricity than electric chairs, but no

[@naluzoniro]

the tutorials don't mention that part, oddly enough

[@weightedtraininggear]

most people don't think twice about it because the guides showing this rarely (if ever) mention just how much electricity they're handling, and the average person vastly overestimates the safety of things like this

[@change_your_oil_regularly4287]

If you have at least a basic grasp of what you are dealing with it can be done safely The problem is people confusing their ambitious and abilities

[@dieSchreckschraube]

@@naluzoniro They dont when they absolutely should, but you'd think people watching have enough common sense to not play around with electricity without any knowledge of the field. It's not exactly news that electricity can kill you.

[@CT-vm4gf]

They know just enough to be dangerous.

[@StaveMasterBranBran]

I like how this video still reports on the danger but doesn't talk down to the audience. It is refreshing to see a PSA that *doesn't* talk down to its audience.

[@Orquet-qj2nf]

I love it, too. Calmly reporting horrific injury/death and trusting the nature of the content to be the biggest turn off ever. I'm a huge fan of trees. I'm a huge fan of burning things. I'm a huge fan of DIY. Yet despite the crossover perfection, I'm not even considering trying it.

[@JaneAustenAteMyCat]

He's English 🤷

[@ornamentalhermit333]

I feel like if you're willing to risk your life for a diy art project you deserve to be talked down to

[@StaveMasterBranBran]

@@ornamentalhermit333 I like to give people the benefit of a doubt if they just see the pattern and be like ooh that's neat, but as soon as people see that part of it is disassembling a microwave....yeah

[@KingfishStevens-di9ji]

Lol

[@mr.pavone9719]

I often look at my coffee table and say to myself, "You know what this table needs? Varicose veins."

[@YOUR-LOCAL13]

👍

[@aceofdatabase]

Bwahahahahahaha ... I don't find this look appealing at all.

[@Dj.MODÆO]

Do not open up a microwave guys, the capacitor inside can hold a fatal charge for months and even years and could kill you easily.

[@judgenutmeg6935]

Really? Do any other common items carry this hazard?

[@gaiuszeno1331]

​@@judgenutmeg6935 Yes. A/C, Refrigerators, and CRT Monitors / TV can kill or maim.

[@Sam-ob4of]

If it doesn't have a discharging resistor, that is. EVERY SINGLE microwave I ripped apart (at least 10) had a discharging resistor inside the capacitor

[@judgenutmeg6935]

@@gaiuszeno1331 ok thanks for the information. Feel sort of daft for not knowing this.

[@ct6502c]

Of all careless things for them to play around with, they chose a microwave oven transformer...the absolute worst. Those transformers supply both high voltage AND high current. It's pretty much just the next thing from touching a pole transformer.

[@Roobitz]

This wasn't mentioned in the video, but the loss of the ability to dislike videos on KZbin as contributed to this problem significantly, hiding one of the main ways of expressing how dangerous this activity is.

[@littlebear274]

Dislikes actually didn't necessarily help because the KZbin algorithm promotes videos based on engagement. Disliking is engaging. A few big creators did experiments where they posted videos telling people to dislike and got massive amounts of views, the reason was because most videos only a small percentage of the viewers do any kind of engagement (liking, disliking, leaving a comment, sharing) but on videos with a high number of dislikes it's a much bigger percentage of viewers and the algorithm weights that percentage of engagement as more important than the fact that the engagement is specifically disliking the video. It's something that's exploited by content farms by posting things that anyone vaguely knowledgeable will know are incorrect, which gets them annoyed enough to dislike and/or leave a comment saying so, which spikes engagement and gets the video promoted more.

[@Ixarus6713]

​​​​​@@littlebear274 Yeah, but previously you could check a video underneath and see "Oh, that's a lot of dislikes. Yeah I'm not watching this then." Whereas now you might go "Oh, this has almost no likes or dislikes, it's so underrated!" Disliking in that way is thus emotional and spontaneous and thus will not be affected by whether or not the number can be seen. Instead it will only be affected by if they know they are contributing to it being spread. Dislikes are an important factor in being properly informed which KZbin has unjustly taken away solely to attract advertisers, and they definitely shouldn't give engagement imo. In fact I think they should make the video get promoted less. That's how most of social media works.

[@angelbear_og]

Almost like it was a design choice!

[@TheeKittyPie]

Id have to do some research to see what was going on at the time but I recall just before KZbin removed the dislike button there was some controversy with a large creator which of course resulted in the usual disliking and commenting on their video. Im not the only person who has always felt those two events were always related I just can’t remember who it was

[@CaptainPupu]

Stupid argument. Don't matter what gets recommended, dislikes are a main clue if a video is bad or not. People usually conform to groups. So if they see more dislikes than likes, most people psychologically joins that side. ​@@littlebear274

[@ashley487323]

I'm so programming my CAD lasercutter to emulate a fractal pattern in wood. This looks cool but I'm not dying for it.

[@Ryan_Thompson]

Oh dang, that's a fun idea!! Do you use Lightburn? I'm a software developer and would love to help (and try the result on my maker space's 130W laser) -- it would be easy enough to output grayscale engrave images (for Lightburn's power scaling) plus a vector "cut" pattern for a crisp outline. The hard part would be procedurally generating believable patterns (including variable width and burn depth). Would you accept some help/collaboration with this?

[@jeepliving1]

@@Ryan_Thompson I'm trying out a project that could use some collaboration. Here, hold this end while I turn it on. 😅

[@TVindustries5000]

see, i was watching and was wondering if that was just possible lol. i bet if you use a dremel as well and some stain you could emulate the effect pretty faithfully without yknow high risk of death

[@Kellethorn]

This is the way.

[@tin2001]

It's not quite the same. The wood grain itself interferes with the flow of electricity, so the fractal pattern is not just mathematical like a mathematical fractal. It takes some more randomised turns as it flows. That said, it's millions of times safer that way.

[@Devil-Made]

Wow. I’m a woodworker and I’ve been meaning to try this - it’s on my (very long) list of ToDo’s, so I admittedly had no idea what was involved in creating this look. Chances are I wouldn’t have ever tried it even after learning how it’s done, but I’m still very grateful for your video. I had no idea this was as dangerous as it is. Thank you!!

[@CharlieApples]

Craftsperson here, with good news. There’s a technique that can very closely mimic the end result with almost no safety concerns, and that is using a dremel tool with a very fine bit attachment to carve thin, shallow “rivers” into wood by hand. I recommend lightly soaking the wood in water to minimize risk of a friction fire, then letting the wood dry _completely_ before using dark brown sepia ink and a thin paintbrush to trace the lines you carved, then wiping the ink off, reapplying, wiping, repeat until it’s stained to your liking. Obviously this takes a bit more effort and skill to mimic the fractal patterns that appear on their own with burning, but it’s very possible to do and won’t burn your house down with you inside it. And you can always use free fractal art software to help with the design process. Another great art technique that looks similar but is completely safe is horsehair pottery and ceramics. Basically, when you’ve got something made of clay that’s been glazed and ready to be fired in the kiln, the artist scatters individual horse (or other kinds of) hair onto the still wet glaze at random. When the pottery is fired, the horse hair burns up and scorches the glaze in very cool and unpredictable ways, leaving a spiderweb of black “cracks” on the surface.

[@kurtstory9466]

good of you to take the time sharing options. Nobody should craft at the risk of their life.

[@KingfishStevens-di9ji]

Get a cnc table with a capacitance laser.

[@NokandFen]

​@@KingfishStevens-di9ji ah yes the good ol' "spend several thousand dollars" solution. WHY DIDNT I THINK OF THAT

[@afunkymonke]

But that requires actually doing work, most people are lazy and also dumb, so they take the shortcut

[@KingfishStevens-di9ji]

@@NokandFen because you're not too bright. That few thousand dollar investment can make many thousands in profit. Good luck with your soldering iron there cub scout.

[@Lanathepenguin]

as my dad had lots of experience with electricals, he was always very careful to make sure we knew the dangers of electricity. never in a million years would i think of taking apart a microwave to make a piece of art! how terrifying

[@frostystoneman3273]

He's a good Dad

[@Lanathepenguin]

@@frostystoneman3273 he was, unfortunately he passed away last year, im sure he had so much more knowledge to impart, i miss him 😢

[@Lanathepenguin]

@@frostystoneman3273 yes he was, unfortunately passed on last year, I miss him 😢

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Rule #1, always assume it was done WAY more wrong than you thought.

[@sidserv1978]

As a retired welder that has welded in the rain, puddles, and many many other wet situations, this is one thing I would never attempt. I have been shocked enough times in my life.

[@MalinDixon]

Arc welding uses voltages around 60 V or less. That's not normally enough to give a bad electric shock, so most shocks from welders just hurt and don't cause serious injuries. The fact that you have survived a few shocks proves that they are usually survivable. Fractal burning uses 3000 V, so there is enough voltage to kill someone. Also, the transformer that isolates the mains from the electrodes also isolates the GFCI (RCD or ELCB in England) from the electrodes, so if there is a short between the electrodes and ground, the GFCI won't trip, and so it doesn't contribute to safety at all for fractal burning. GFCIs trip when there is a fault that does connect to the mains.

[@frostystoneman3273]

Survivable yes, they sure do wake you up eh

[@233kosta]

​@@MalinDixonThis is also the reason you shouldn't go near the gubbins of anything with a CRT unless you know EXACTLY what you're doing. My scope charges the anode to 7kV (helpfully written in big red text right on the tube 😅), big old TVs go up as high as 20 or 30 (or more!). Needless to say you really shouldn't be poking around anywhere near that. IIRC, the rule of thumb is 1kV per mm of air gap or something along those lines. So the B+ on a 30kV CRT will quite easily arc across if your skin gets within 1" and you have a ground reference. If that happens to be from one arm to the other, it's lights out before you can say "lethal capacitor discharge". Hence isolation transformers.

[@Beeza2996]

@@MalinDixon I learned in my US Navy Electrician’s Mate training that as little as 30 V can kill a person. (Granted, that is based on a calculation which assumes a worst-case scenario, but I still think it’s helpful knowledge if one wants to be extra cautious.)

[@hingeslevers]

​@@Beeza2996yes, don't leave out the Amps part of the equation

[@bobblebardsley]

I find this one way more creepy than the usual health & safety mishaps (not a criticism of those, I love those videos) but there's just something really disturbing about how relatively common this is, and how it stems from a garden shed craft/hobby. As noted, some victims are experienced and take safety precautions, others are really naive, some are killed instantly, others are badly injured with nerve damage, I find it haunting how fast and severe these incidents are. They should honestly put this video embedded on ANY page warning about the dangers of fractal woodburning.

[@hellomark1]

Yeah that he mentions experienced electricians died doing this while thinking they were being safe... if I were to ever attempt this (I would NOT attempt this!) I would need a separate shed (I don't have a shed) and to also not be in the shed when it's activated.

[@bobblebardsley]

@@hellomark1 Definitely hasn't helped with my ever-increasing fear of microwave ovens. There's just so much in them that seems completely murderous. (I still use mine regularly though!)

[@reneedennis2011]

Yup.

[@ashotofmercury]

@@bobblebardsley I'm sure you're fine - unless you start sticking forks in the back of it! 👍🏻😆

[@gcolombelli]

A little bit of knowledge can make you complacent, and complacency can be fatal when dealing with high voltage.

[@mlp_firewind8129]

I am reminded of how styropyro talks about the dangers of hobbyist electronics. How microwave transformers are so dangerous. How so many of his nightmare contraptions “will kill you before you hit the ground”

[@TheThrillerkid]

It’s amazing that you’re talking about this, I was just talking to my family about how crazy dangerous this is. Not only does the AWW strongly advise against it, even small woodworking hobby groups prohibit the mention and posts about fractal burning. This is one of those things where it really is that dangerous.

[@_PL_]

Once in my early twenties I opened up an unplugged microwave oven and touched one of the wire connectors. I got the shock of my life. I'd assumed the device being unplugged would prevent that from happening, but didn't know that powerful appliances like these can store an electrical charge. I feel fortunate I didn't get injured or worse from this.

[@rawveganterra]

Wow I never knew electricity could be stored inside of unplugged wires. Good to know, thank you, and so glad it wasn't serious!🙌🙏👍

[@bubba99009]

​@@rawveganterra It's not the wires... it's an electronic component called a capacitor - they store power over some period of time and will deliver it instantly when you short them out (like by touching the terminals). Beware large capacitors, especially.

[@shannon-852]

Yep, capacitors can store a charge for up to 2 days after being unplugged. If your unsure how to safely discharge them then let the unit sit so it can slowly discharge itself. I'd also add to anyone recycling or scrapping microwaves - don't disassemble the magnetrons, crush them or interfere with them in any way. They are another little realised but potentially deadly component.

[@-xirx-]

Dear God. Thank you for this piece of information, i had no idea.

[@coffin7904]

You're so lucky to be alive lol.

[@VI-rt7sh]

Thank you for highlighting this. For a different perspective, the Big Clive KZbin channel has a video on this. He's an electrician, and talks through the science behind it in a very clear and entertaining way. The photos of the hands of the victims are some of the most disturbing injuries imaginable.

[@Menoetia]

Fourth (and fifth 🤢) degree electrical burns are ghastly, and unlikely thermal burns, electrical burns can happen deep internally. It's... not a pretty thing to see.

[@humbledaoist]

I distinctly remember that Big Clive's video on this subject was the one that well and truly buried any lingering curiosity I had towards this kind of stuff. After his video I decided that electricity isn't a hobby, it's a force of nature, so don't go burning wood or melting copper with microwaves just for the hell of it... you can die opening the microwave, let alone using the transformer :(

[@Sashazur]

Big Clive’s channel is great! He mostly features sketchy or weird electronics from eBay etc. His content isn’t just interesting and instructive but he’s also just really funny in a deadpan kind of way.

[@ashotofmercury]

@@Menoetia Interesting. 🤔The difference in burns is something I've never considered before. Not that I have any inkling to toast myself or start shoving forks into the lively parts of microwaves....... 😆

[@OmegaPaladin144]

What sets BIgClive's video apart is that he goes into just what level of precautions you would need. It's much more effective than the typical lines of "don't do this"

[@molybdomancer195]

Everyone should like this video to get this up the search results when people search for fractal burning. It could save lives

[@Mrsjam96]

💯 agree

[@yeeyeeyeeye]

Also, get How to Cook That's video on fractal wood burning on the top of the search results as well. She goes further into the dangers of fractal wood burning, and it was demonetized by KZbin originally for being too "dangerous." The videos promoting fractal wood burning were still monetized btw.

[@alison4316]

I had never considered how dangerous this hobby can be! So glad you covered this, as I, literally, JUST suggested my 67yo mother try it!! 🤦🏼‍♀️ Thank you!

[@CharlesWhite-j4f]

🤦‍♂️ indeed😂 Do you want to receive your inheritance early?

[@thatderangedbunny]

@@CharlesWhite-j4f🤣🤣

[@susanowen1709]

It's easy to see how someone could be tempted to try this. The effect is amazingly beautiful. Most folks are so accustomed to using electricity that they forget how dangerous it actually is. Combine those with the common beliefs that "it won't happen to ME" and "if it were dangerous, it wouldn't be allowed on the Internet," and you've got one heck of a lethal cocktail.

[@NarrativeBlob]

It has the same natural beauty of a coil of dog shit.

[@Absolutely_Nobody]

Absolutely terrifying process that numerous scammy content-farm youtube channels portray as an easy DIY project. They are likely complicit to many of these deaths.

[@elizahamilton5599]

Right they should really put a disclaimer saying that only professionals need to handle these tools!

[@ORLY911]

I was about to comment the same. The casual nature of those videos masked how dangerous it is. Im already cautious around electronics in general for their intended function, rigging a death trap with exposed current with your hands in close proximity is beyond stupid.

[@leandervr]

100%. Anyone who made a video promoting this making it look even remotely safe is guilty of manslaughter.

[@absurdist5134]

@@elizahamilton5599 A disclaimer isn't enough. You need to explain that it's dangerous and why. At minimum. Or, if you're actually responsible, not encourage it at all.

[@samuelfellows6923]

You mean fraudulent-money suckers, the type that only want you to watch the adverts [cashcows] and ignore the content/subject 😠

[@LilyBannel]

Dear Lord, this was sad. I used to live in a tightknit community so seeing these people hurt/dead from good intentions just struck a cord in me, especially the couple who wanted to make homemade gifts. Sure many can call them stupid for doing such a dangerous activity but many things in life are presumed okay when one assumes they followed the instructions. It's a relatable stupid that frightens me because it can happen to anyone. Do It Yourself kits are common where I live now. Thank you for this video and rest in peace to those who lost their lives doing this. At least the lady who survived didn't lose her passion for crafting. I wish her well.

[@mattieglover2356]

That's the genuine tragedy, isn't it. These people made mistakes, but they didn't deserve what happened to them

[@MusicoftheDamned]

​@@mattieglover2356Eh, you can feel bad for these people, but quite a few "simple mistakes" are rather fatal with no room for error. So many people make the additional mistake of thinking it can never happen to them or just not thinking of the possible dangers at all. Compared to most of this channel's other videos, this may be one of the few where the only people who got hurt or killed were for once the people who actually did the deed rather than people who just were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[@dyamonde9555]

"many things in life are presumed okay when one assumes they followed the instructions" - how many of these things have the words 'Danger! High Voltage!' associated with them?

[@interruptingPreempt]

Was scouring the comments for one like yours. Exactly this. Normal people were led into a false sense of security by the proliferation of videos that made no mention of safety requirements. It happens when people believe they are being safe. It's a tragedy. It's so relatable, and human and saddening.

[@JaneAustenAteMyCat]

@@interruptingPreempt Reminds me of the backlash against vaccines and masks during the pandemic not so long ago. All these people somehow turning science into an ideology that they would refuse to allow into their lives - and some of them died from it. Some of them caused other people to die, which is even worse

[@emmett4733]

The fact that almost any tiny mistake or slip-up is likely to result in grave injury or death is what scares me most about fractal woodburning. And that previous successful attempts won’t make future ones any safer; it will most likely only make you become more complacent over time (overconfident in one’s skill, leading to carelessness/laxed safety precautions).

[@corvinredacted]

The first time you do it is the safest you're ever going to be. Every time you get away with it, you lose a bit of the well-deserved fear. You'll only get less cautious with time. This isn't the kind of activity where you can learn from your mistakes and improve.

[@Nefville]

Exactly. The margin of error is vanishingly tiny and the consequences are straight death. Its like driving 150 MPH in traffic without even being aware you're doing it.

[@Stevo_1998]

I saw a small bit of an interview a while back about a guy that does fractal burning on skateboards (if I remember correctly) and he'd gotten so used to doing it and knew the dangers etc. but still slipped up one time and very nearly died from doing it I think he escaped with (relatively) minor injuries from it, but still has to get checks to make sure his heart isn't going to explode or anything, because he ended up with arrhythmia after the accident

[@CharlesWhite-j4f]

Maybe some people who buy this stuff like the thought that it is dangerous to produce?

[@johnsrabe]

7:17 Mr Timothy, thankfully, was not “electrocuted,” which means killed by electricity. He was almost or nearly electrocuted. What scares me is that his 12-year-old son was the one who saved him. Had the son touched him, he’d be dead or severely injured, too. Multiple family members have died in this way.

[@realwiggles]

Electrocution means death "or severe injury" caused by electric shock. Regardless, try telling someone that a person was "almost electrocuted" and i guarantee they'll think you mean that person narrowly avoided getting shocked at all as opposed to them essentially absorbing a lightning bolt and barely surviving. But damn, the absolute audacity to confidently tell someone they're wrong when a 15 second google search would've avoided you the embarrasment.

[@vickyc2573]

@@realwiggles "electrocution" may have come to mean death OR severe injury in casual speech but it is literally a portmanteau of "electricity" and "execution" coined to describe the first execution by electric chair and as such should really just mean death. The absolute audacity to read only one dictionary definition (when many other reputable ones such as Cambridge don't include injury in their definition) and insist someone else is embarrassing themselves when a little more than a 15 second google search would have given you further information.

[@johnsrabe]

@@realwiggles I just looked it up, and most of the sources now say you are right. However, I swear that 20 years ago, all the sources said it meant death. (There was case where a reporter here in LA was almost electrocuted, and I was corrected when I said she was electrocuted.) I think enough people started using it to also mean injured that they changed the meaning. I’m gonna have to go look at some old dictionaries! Thanks for the response.

[@johnsrabe]

@@realwiggles And an update … I just had a long conversation with an attorney who only handles electrocution and electric injury cases. Like me, he is adamant that it only means death and in his legal cases, differentiates between electrocution and electric injury. But he says pretty much everybody - other attorneys, ER docs, etc - now uses it to mean both death and injury. So, language being the ever changing thing that it is, I guess it now means both. You have to love how language barges ahead without ever being concerned about experts or the peanut gallery. It is what it is. By the way, audacity is the mother of KZbin comments.

[@SilverForMonsters1]

@@johnsrabe I work in the electricity industry and agree entirely with you and the attorney (not that I believe it should even be up for debate). The term "electrocution" refers explicitly to someone who has received a fatal electric shock. For the people I work with there is an incredibly important distinction between the two terms as one will provoke an entirely different response to the other. This is not a case of language evolving, it's more devolving through repeated misuse by the ill-informed and it's purely down to laziness or a lack of education on the subject. I would never accept that the two are interchangeable, nor should anyone else. You were right to correct him! As you can see I'm quite passionate about this! Side effect of the industry I guess...

[@witchhoggle8704]

Some folks weren't taught a healthy fear of electricity and it shows.

[@fiona8230]

I don’t think anyone should be doing a “diy craft” that involves taking apart a microwave oven in order to do, that mimics a lightning strike, but I digress!!

[@vipvip-tf9rw]

If you are knowledgeable in electricity, why not

[@ds7900]

​@vipvip-tf9rw I agree. There are a lot of dangerous trades, jobs, and activities out there. People will not be dissuaded despite the warnings. However, there are those who are precautious. Therefore, artisans should be able to practice the craft, and we as consumers should be able to benefit from their artistic talent.

[@foximacentauri7891]

@@vipvip-tf9rwbecause normal electricity and high voltage do not play by the same rules. If you think your 5-220V experience is enough to do anything with HV safely, you are setting yourself up to be the next tragical headline. It’s vicious, takes ways you don’t expect, welds and melts things together and instantly makes you completely helpless.

[@TRUMP_WAS_RIGHT_ABOUT_EVRYTHNG]

Hahaha then you wouldn't enjoy styropyro's video where he uses 100 car batteries to mimic lightning strikes😂

[@ChaosCat79]

@@ds7900 Watch the video. Learn from it. Fractal woodburning is not only dangerous, its threshold for safety is so narrow that even experience artisans and electricians familiar with the dangers posed by electricity, have died or been seriously injured. You have warnings to not partake in it from the official woodburners association and other organisations.

[@pocketslushy]

EDIT: something i forgot to add, during our highschools craft fair, fractal wood burning was also banned and anyone caught trying to sell it would no longer be allowed to sell at the fair. Wisconsinite here, I remember this case just before I graduated highschool and it made big news because Day was apart of the city/county I grew up in. I think it went on for months of schools and the news heavily advising against fractal wood burning and disassembling microwaves. (Though that didn't stop kids my age from doing the latter sadly)

[@haileybalmer9722]

I wouldn't bust open a microwave, but I've seen fractal wood burning kits online. I had no idea they were so deadly. This is honestly a huge public service you've done today, I know people are already speaking out, but more people need to.

[@UU320WN]

An old friend of mine died doing fractal wood burning. He was only in his early 30’s. If you’re thinking about getting into this, don’t.

[@a-goblin]

this is an important PSA. it's grim, but life saving and educational. thank you.

[@vectorwolf]

I built a Tesla coil back in junior high. And, probably unsurprisingly, at one point while using it, I got a little too close to the primary coil and caught an arc. It was a FRACTION of the power put out by a woodburning rig, and it still gave me a nasty burn along with a solid reminder about the dangers of electricity. Accidents WILL happen... you shouldn't be doing anything where they can only end in maiming or death...

[@cascadianrangers728]

Haha I built a van graph generator that I later learned put out enough juice to f****** totally flatline me

[@vectorwolf]

Mine ran on four lantern batteries in series, so it was comparatively small in output. But the jolt still totally locked my hand up for several seconds, and it probably would have hurt me worse if the current hadn't continued through my hand and back into the on switch and not through my body.

[@volvo09]

I burned my finger on a flyback transformer as a kid, it cooked a spot into my finger that hurt for a week. I won't play around with high voltage, there is just no room for mistakes.

[@isabellavalencia8026]

But that was not an accident per say it was negligence that caused that

[@clairenewberry9957]

You guys are so smart I never could’ve built a Tesla Coil or Van Graph Generator in junior high 😂

[@Sikizu]

I was so pleasantly surprised to see you cover this! I'm a wood burner/woodworker myself and I hate how popular fractal burning still is. I cheered when the AAW fully condemned it, which ended up making a huge difference in accident numbers. Incredible video ✌️

[@realwiggles]

"Association of All Woods", correct? yes ive heard of them. big fan of elm these days

[@guillemsaldo]

The biggest reason using a transformer at home is so deadly is that if you electrocute yourself with the mains, you will get hurt but the breakers tripping might save you. With a transformer like a microwave's has, you get electrocuted in a way that is invisible to the breakers. This is because the transformer works by inducing an electric current in the output cable via the magnetic field from a coil of the input current. So since there is no direct electrical connection between input and output cables you can stay there being electrocuted for long enough to burn the house down without ever tripping the breakers.

[@nickm9123]

The breakers wouldn't trip here in the states, unless they are Arc fault. Our "mains" are only protected from overcurrent and dead shorts. Transformer or no, you're still zapped.

[@-Tris-]

That is not entirely correct. The normal breaker won't trip if you touch the mains. The tiny current is nothing for the breaker. But if you touch the ~2000-2500 volt MOT output a lot more current will flow through you, and therefore through the breaker.

[@227BlackAce]

Dude i've literally blown breakers at my house as a teen using an MOT. I used to shock fruits, hotdogs and even those sticky eyeballs you throw at the wall. I ran that thing so hard its own insulation started to melt

[@Kerama3dDesigns]

​@@227BlackAceyou were an extremely dumb teen

[@paulsto6516]

What you described applies to GFI's/GFCI's, not breaker or fuses.

[@saga2964]

Thank you for your channel. It isn't ever sensational or gratuitous, but always educational and sensitive to the victims. It not only summarizes the dangerous incident but clearly identifies the dangerous elements and teaches the lessons learned.

[@Patricia-kl8yw]

I'm wondering if there could be a safe way for it to work in a professional set-up. Something like a completely closed, fully isolated box where you place your item that can only be activated if fully closed and with multiple safety-checks. Where there is no way for you to come into contact with the current or open it. But the homemade setups scare me. Its screaming "Thats super unsafe" at you hard. I'm glad that the woodturners association is campaigning against it. I also watched Ann Reardons video before it was taken down. Super informative and crazy that youtube flagged the warning-videos but left the others free to continue.

[@kcgunesq]

Sure. If there was a commercial demand for these products it would be absolutely possible to do it safely on an industrial scale. But such machinery would cost at least tens of thousands of dollars. And it wouldn't involve appliance scraps.

[@tinymetaltrees]

Absolutley. This was my first thought. I haven't drawn up any plans but it could be done. Everybody complaining forgets that the microwave has a system to make it's use safe without any kind of safety precautions. Nobody's afraid to make popcorn, right?

[@lordbarristertimsh8050]

I had never heard of fractal wood burning before I watched this video. So I was only expecting a video on so-called run-of-the-mill wood burning. Now that I've watched the video, I have just one thing to say : "DO NOT DO THIS! : IT ISN'T WORTH THE RISK!"

[@dawnstorm9768]

I hadn't either. How dangerous is this when even professional electricians won't touch it??

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

​@@dawnstorm9768 as an electrician I just want to say, we have a guy at work that does this. I don't know when the last time he used it was, but he's the only one I've met that will. The rest of us think it's neat stuff but aren't willing to play with neon sign transformers like that. I even have a few, was going to look into it, and decided against it. I have made the right decision 😂

[@lordbarristertimsh8050]

@@dawnstorm9768 Extremely dangerous

[@soundspark]

@@goosenotmaverick1156 Aren't all the deaths from substituting microwave oven transformers? Neon sign transformers are typically limited to under 30mA s they are intended to be connected to a gas discharge tube, which acts as a "negative resistance" load when the discharge is ignited.

[@MattSipka]

I can’t imagine how many harmful DIY projects are floating around online. Once I heard of a project that was a homemade lava lamp that involved mixing a bunch of ingredients, like water, vegetable oil, but in the mix were two ingredients that when combined, creates mustard gas.

[@mattieglover2356]

I remember this being a common 'prank' to post on certain forums. Make up some DIY craft, sneak in ammonia and bleach as ingredients, presumably kill someone. bad times

[@raeoverhere923]

Back in my day, the "prank" was "grow your own crystals". Definitely plenty of people injured by things like that.

[@korbetthein3072]

You mean chlorine gas. Mixing chlorinated cleaners and ammonia makes chlorine gas, not mustard gas.

[@CharlesWhite-j4f]

@@mattieglover2356 Probably best not to publish the ingredients for mustard gas on the internet dude🤦‍♂️

[@stephaniethebatter7975]

@@CharlesWhite-j4f At the same time, (for *some* people), it'd be better for them to know that chemicals that they absolutely shouldn't mix together.

[@seandelap8587]

Using electrical equipment near water in a wooden building is one of the most risky things you could do because once it ignites it's extremely difficult to prevent from spreading

[@diegomontoya796]

Explain.

[@1000PaperBunnies]

You're making the right point, but the way you've said it makes it sound like you've never put soup in the microwave.

[@jstewlly4747]

If it's distilled water then it's ok I don't know what you mean either......you mean tap water

[@nomoretwitterhandles]

@@diegomontoya796 Babe in what world would OP need to explain something as basic as that. Use your brain or click off of this channel. Clearly its warnings are missing you by miles.

[@Sashazur]

Water conducts electricity, maybe that’s the point OP is trying to make? Obviously if you’re playing with high voltage, you don’t want water or flammable things anywhere near you.

[@KaiyaCorrbin]

I'm not an electrician, but I know enough about voltages that when I heard how much it takes to even cause wood to reach the point of fractal burning, it terrified me (2000-15000V with a lethal exposure generally around 100-250V on a good day, for reference). What terrified me even more was the knowledge that people were dealing so carelessly with that amount of electricity. My mind was blown. Thank you for covering this topic!

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

I remember getting called out to an electricity substation on the railway. Some idiot had been stripping copper out of it. It won't ever do that again, or pretty much anything, he died. He was still in the circuit, we got there the same time as the electrical engineer.

[@JillC2]

I was called to one like that. The victim was still in the "clench" phase and his body was shaking and you could hear his teeth rattling/grinding/clacking even though he was most definitely dead.

[@taraelizabethdensley9475]

Oof! Nasty way to go

[@twistedyogert]

Was he smoldering?

[@sprybug]

It?

[@Phreno_Xeno]

@@twistedyogert And crispy on the outside.

[@ckilbarger01]

It's so crazy that people with no experience working with electricity thought "This craft seems like something I can do" after watching a poorly made DIY video.

[@starmantheta2028]

It's even crazier that people with lots of experience still got got trying to make these. Experience runs the risk of complacency.

[@MusicoftheDamned]

It's another example of how human stupidity is infinite.

[@nomoretwitterhandles]

@@starmantheta2028 This is why I slap the phones out of people's hands while I'm the passenger in their car. I don't give a fuck if they "got it" because "it only takes a second," DYING ALSO F*CKING TAKES A SECOND. It's gotten to the point where I quit accepting rides from people who I know use their phones while driving, and I've even quit talking to some of those people entirely. I am NOT going to entertain someone's complacency when it comes to SAFETY.

[@ashotofmercury]

@@nomoretwitterhandles THIS!! Good on you for taking a stand! 🙏🏻People blow my mind! 🤷🏻‍♀🤦🏻‍♀

[@isaiahromero9861]

Victim blaming isn't cool. The responsibility is on those content creators.

[@TrineDaely]

I recall seeing some vids warning against doing this kind of work after people died. YT took down those vids but left up the vids of people doing it. WTF YT. Thank you for highlighting this FH.

[@planescaped]

Sounds like youtube alright.

[@LuC-k777]

Sadly ya

[@smadge1]

Yeah, one of them was How To Cook That by Ann Reardon kzbin.info/www/bejne/ravSpHeBmL2EZqs

[@foo219]

Money talks, I guess

[@sherylcascadden4988]

Kinda like keeping the videos of how to make dry ice bombs, but removing the videos of dry ice bombs gone wrong. They did that, too.

[@monsoonthagoon]

I've seen some fractal wood crafts before, then heard about the dangers and left it at that. Seriously thanks for this video, this needs to be a top result any time it's searched. When I saw the video of somebody using a microwave I laughed until I realized it was a demonstration and not pretend. Minor nit pick too, electrocution means that you die from it, so those survivors were shocked and not electrocuted.

[@lorihallas]

My uncle did this for a living for many years. It was well before the internet. My first thought was that he had an engineering degree before he designed his set-up, but I suspect the main reason he never had a catastrophe was because he never stopped being very conscious of how dangerous his craft was. It’s not a casual hobbiest activity to be sure.

[@M.TTT.]

Exactly, smart people with common sense are fine.

[@BradGryphonn]

'How To Cook That' did an excellent PSA about this some time ago. Home made fractal burners are deadly tools if not treated with the greatest respect. Water and high voltage electricity are a dangerous combination.

[@JamesFluker]

She also had real trouble with the video as KZbin kept taking it down for 'dangerous acts' but left actual videos of people telling you how to make fractal wood burning equipment online.

[@gerardacronin334]

@@JamesFlukerKZbin is crazy sometimes. There is a great aviation channel called Blancolirio and some of the videos he posts on analyzing aviation accidents have been removed or demonitized because they mention that people were killed.

[@aliceDarts]

I stopped following them after they made the few lies about other youtubers (other channels that are scientific and sweet) and they did not apologize even after many commenter told them of the untruth. I couldn't believe it and stopped watching their videos. That was a few years ago now and I hope that they are more honest now than they were back then.

[@mikaross4671]

@@aliceDarts I unfollowed for that reason too. I know what you're talking about. She used to be okay, but with fame she genuinely became nasty. Especially lying about stuff and not owning up for her own mistakes.

[@lordarthur2165]

​@@aliceDarts I didn't know that! Who were the KZbinrs she told lies about?

[@QueenAmara69420]

Also love a dead man switch for electrocution which famously causes you to grip the electrifying object super hard as your muscles contract

[@BrapBrapDorito]

TBF a dead man’s switch can be used with electricity, it just can’t be a design that you hold onto. A foot pedal or something would be a better choice.

[@jimmyc7269]

A proper grip style dead man switch has 3 positions. It only closes the circuit when you grip it with a moderate amount of force, and not too much or too little. In that case it could've been another style of switch entirely

[@arceliarae5379]

Was friends with a master carpenter that did this. He stopped after a 'minor' accident. The burns on his hands were truly terrifying.

[@UN33kWabb1T]

Thank you for this video! I hope anyone who had ever considered doing this sees this video and makes an informed decision to not try it. I had never heard of this sort of thing before (I'm not much of an artsy kind of person). I'm glad that my first exposure to Fractal Burning was this video. Again, Thank You!!!

[@alemontreemydearwatson9775]

I didn’t realise this was happening until I saw this video. Like the advice given here says ,don’t even think about it.. it’s not worth potentially dying for.

[@smadge1]

I think it’s probably safer to generate the pattern on a computer, then use a laser to etch it into some wood.

[@Ninatic]

or just draw and carve

[@shamancredible8632]

Safety is relative. If you don't know how to work with electricity, then it probably is safer. That doesn't mean there's no way to do it safely, and you can't replicate a real Lichtenberg pattern with a computer and laser since it won't have as fine or as random qualities.

[@anonymous-hf6oo]

​@@shamancredible8632 did you watch the vid? Because they said that even experienced electricians have died

[@jessemcdonald5124]

Where's the fun in that?😂

[@mirrage42]

@@Ninatic Now that’s a thought!

[@retrogeometro]

I have been watching your documentaries for a few years now and I am always impressed with how much care and quality goes into these videos, as well as the special care to tell the victim's stories with respect and kindness.

[@Drew-bc7zj]

Not mentioned in this video: *Taking apart a microwave is very DANGEROUS.* Even unplugged.

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

even weeks after it's unplugged

[@heatherdepasquale9803]

Wow! Never knew about fractal burning. Some people want to try the latest and most adventurous thing. So sad. Our next door neighbor burned half his house down by using a blowtorch to strip paint. He was in the basement and fire went up through the laundry chute…hitting every floor. Fire and electricity are serious elements. Can’t get enough of your videos. Keep them coming. I love how you honor the victims.

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

2:46 In these old pictures, the subject generaly isn't smiling... However this guy is!

[@some-replies]

And this is why you don't follow dumb trends you see online.

[@Kanbei11]

I fear that many who try don't have the critical thinking to know what is or isn't dumb. It's something that should be taught in schools - I know people clown on media studies but it would be a great thing to cover there alongside issues such as a lack of plurality in ownership

[@pepeepupoo]

Pfft, whatever. I followed the infinite money glitch from chase bank, now I'm like 30,000 richer

[@matthew2478]

To be fair if you're stupid enough to do so then you clearly weren't ever going to reinvent the wheel to begin with lol.

[@TRUMP_WAS_RIGHT_ABOUT_EVRYTHNG]

Maybe these are the same people who did the tide pod challenge when they were younger.

[@joanfrellburg4901]

Attention whores and the lure of financial compensation for the number of views has made the internet hold an endless collection of dumb trends. What's with the glasses ?

[@Goabnb94]

Even the high voltage gloves electricians use, which aren't cheap themselves, are only rated up to 1000V, when the transformers can output 2000V. And no amount of protection on the primary side will protect you from the secondary side, as the nature of a transformer means it can't tell the difference being normal current and a person being shocked. In short, most people do not have adequate tools necessary for working with such voltages.

[@Haarschmuckfachgeschafttadpole]

This is why I use linework gloves rated to 12kV. Fractal burning can be done safely, but the issue is your average person has no understanding of electronics to do it safely. You also need to isolate your body from any part of the circuit and I do that with a pvc stick and insulation blocks that I stand on. What you're talking about where the circuit cannot tell if someone is being shocked is a GFCI/RCD not tripping because of galvanic isolation of the transformer. A GFCI only trips when it detects leakage current flowing from the hot leg to ground and not back through neutral. When the transformer shorts to ground on the secondary, the primary side of the transformer is still returning current from the hot leg to the neutral which will never trip the GFCI/RCD.

[@tin2001]

Don't ghetto it. Don't just use random junk from home. Don't use a microwave transformer. They're designed for high currents. Neon sign transformers are designed to milliamps of high voltage. They're also designed to handle situations where a meatball might get into the electrics, and have protection in place for that.

[@user-ow1bc4sx2r]

@@Haarschmuckfachgeschafttadpolebasically the issue is that doing it safely is considerably harder than doing nearly any other DIY craft. Even people who think they know what they are doing because they have a little knowledge of the dangers are still not taking the proper precautions because they underestimate the specific dangers of unprotected secondary voltage. Like pretty much anything, it can be done safely with enough knowledge and enough safety conscious design of your setup, but it’s a hell of a lot easier and more common to do it in a way that’s a minor slip up away from death

[@SolaScientia]

Electricity making your hands contract and hold onto whatever you touched (or were holding) is why firefighters touch doors and such with the backs of their hands. My dad was at a fire some years ago and while one meter had been disabled (take a hammer or something and smack down on the top of it to force it to detach from the building) there had been a second meter than no one knew about. My dad got shocked by it and the current was strong enough to keep his hand stuck to the door even though he'd used the back of his hand (and all while wearing gloves) and his colleagues had to pull him free. He was fine and got checked out by the EMTs. But yeah, electricity is scary stuff and my dad hates having to deal with it when it comes to fires.

[@realwiggles]

What? electricity doesn't make things stick to eachother like this. it causes your muscles (all of them, not just the ones in your hands) to conract so if you're holding the thing that's shocking you than you're not going to be able to let go of it. You use the back of your hand so you don't accidentally grab hold of whatever your testing. If electricity caused your skin or body parts to stick to stuff than there wouldn't be any point in touching things with the back of your hand because it would still get stuck as well. I think your dad just forgot he wasn;t supposed to grab stuff and was too embarrassed to admit it lol.

[@empireoflizards]

@@realwiggles It is possible that enough muscles were effected so that he could still not remove his hand because the whole body was 'frozen' by contracted muscles. Using the back of your hand to contact a live surface is no guarantee it will save you. At all.

[@-xirx-]

7:17 You can notice in the video that he is only using 1 completely rubber glove. The other glove is only partly rubberised and not very thickly. A pair of properly insulated gloves would have only cost him only $5!!

[@asterism343]

Rubber gloves, no matter how well insulated, wouldn't protect you against something like this.

[@kcgunesq]

@@asterism343 That's not exactly true. Linemen routinely glove distribution voltage in this range. But they are rated gloves, worn under leather gloves and they are tested by people that have that as a full time job. And those gloves don't cost $5. But to the extent you mean that nothing you get at a local hardware store is rated for 15kV, you are correct.

[@jeepliving1]

I'm so happy I have lived long enough to hear, "laser wood burning is a much safer alternative". Feels like I've made it to the future.

[@gaiuszeno1331]

Disassembling and modifying a microwave transformer is wild.

[@EXROBOWIDOW]

My dad loved working with wood, and in his later years became involved with a wood carvers guild. He showed me a chart explaining the levels of toxicity in different species of wood. If you use those toxic species of wood, you must avoid breathing the sawdust. My dad had a big dust collection system in his garage for that purpose. Wood toxicity may not be a risk that most people are aware of, but surely crafters would understand the dangers of using jury rigged electrical equipment!

[@alisonwilson9749]

​@devanov3103 That clock sounds like a beauty.

[@XXSkunkWorksXX]

Medium Density Fibreboard for one ... evil dust!

[@javindo]

The main thing people don't seem to understand is that the risk is so much higher with this stuff because you're using a secondary winding to power the thing. There is an air gap between the output and the mains - which means if you short it to ground it will not trip any sort of circuit breaker. People assume that plugged in = safety of circuit breaker, but that becomes null as soon as you induce a secondary winding.

[@birdsarecool6448]

I keep being reminded of that Australian PSA (Metro Trains Melbourne) called "Dumb Ways to Die". This qualifies, I think. It's almost mentioned in the song, "Get your toast out with a fork, Do your own electrical work." And yeah, I just went to watch it again! It's a catchy little song.

[@Detector2002]

Right.. adding fractal burning to the "Never do" list.

[@taylororourke2525]

Sooo nice, new video @ 5:15am just as I awake from my out-of-control rollercoaster nightmare.. A wood-burning video is *just* the calming video I need to let my guard down… 👀

[@tyrannosauruslex6226]

im also in that timezone, just waiting to see the sun come up and feel a lil better (':

[@hellomark1]

Sorry to hear about the nightmare, hope you're alright now and also NOT thinking about attempting fractal woodburning :)

[@carlstenger5893]

As a licensed electrician, I'm constantly amazed at the stupid stunts that people pull. The amount of power needed to kill you surprisingly small--especially if it's alternating current. Thanks for another great video.

[@NBSV1]

High voltage with current behind it is wild. Most people experiences are with either voltage or current that isn’t enough to kill them. With setups like this people don’t realize it’s producing high voltage and potential high current. They expect to be able to feel a shock if anything is wrong since that’s many people experience. Not realizing what they’re dealing with.

[@1pcfred]

Thomas Edison, is that you? I'd think you'd be done fear mongering about AC by now. Face it, you lost the current war!

[@cathulhu3772]

30-50mA and you are done. Fortunately in my country it is all covered in physics lessons by the age of 13-15 during primary education, so you need to be some homeschooled dork to f around and find out. XD

[@poindextertunes]

man just once i wanna read “as an unlicensed electrician” 🤣

[@1pcfred]

@@poindextertunes I already have my next unlicensed electrician job booked. It's only changing out some outdoor lights. I've done it plenty of times so I can handle it. Just connect the white lead to the black wire! hehe. I've actually seen that when I used to do electrical work professionally.

[@gwiyomikim5988]

Approximately 12,000 fatalities per year involve drunk driving. And fractal wood burning while driving drunk is even worse.😮

[@OncleClara]

I saw on a podcast recently where Alex from I Did a Thing said electricity is the one thing he won’t mess with because he doesn’t understand it enough and it’s so dangerous. He said he once set up to do fractal wood burning (before Ann Reardon’s video about it came out) but never went through with it because he found out how dangerous it was and didn’t want to die.

[@KnightOfTheWired]

So I share a workshop with fractal wood burning set up. The way we have reminds me of a dentist office, we have a multi step processes that uses an arm controlled behind a pane of glass, a surge protector, and complete off and no switch and a physical Killswitch that is connected to the half door. So when the power is on the half door is locked and we cannot enter the area. Electricity is no joke.

[@user-ow1bc4sx2r]

Exactly. The difference between what a safe setup looks like and a dangerous setup is wild, where for most hobbywork the difference is like… “they use a blade guard and a follower”

[@arturoaguilar6002]

I heard about this from the channel How To Cook That (a channel dedicated to debunking false cooking crafts videos) where she raised concerns about how the DIY videos never mentioned the high-voltage nor warned about any risk of instant death.

[@Paul-uj8bk]

Exceptional video. This is the best and most complete understanding of fractal burning that I have ever had. This is a video I can send to anybody.

[@StoneInMySandal]

Woodworking groups, craft shows, and retailers have done a pretty good job of restricting the sale of fractal burning products. It’s a rare example in the USA of safety being considered.

[@SamanthaEatsCookies]

I really applaud you of doing this video just in case someone is scouring KZbin not knowing what they're getting into. The impact of this video could potentially save someone's life.

[@saladbreath607]

I was an EMT in my early years, then studied to be a Commercial Building Inspector, with certifications in Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing. Even though i was certified to inspect high voltage applications, i never once did. From a young age, i've had a fear of electricity. I didn't trust myself to not make a mistake, and having seen electrical burn injuries, i left the task to others.

[@CharlesWhite-j4f]

We are lucky to have men who do such dangerous but essential work

[@seandelap8587]

This only happened 2 years ago I wasn't expecting to see a tragedy that happened so recent being covered on this channel

[@elizahamilton5599]

I feel like this type of wood burning has only recently gotten popular. Mostly on those TikTok Reddit story videos

[@BuddyLee23]

Are you from the 1800s? News no longer travels by way of steamboats and the pony express.

[@hellomark1]

He mentions several deaths in the video that have happened 5+ years out, I think it's an important video because there's too many "Look at this neat DIY you should try!" videos and not enough "Do. Not. Attempt. EVER." videos.

[@Arkylie]

Seems like the only way to reduce the number of times this tragedy continues into the future. Kudos to Fascinating Horror for recognizing the need and informing the public this way; I'd never heard of this before.

[@jpa145]

@@BuddyLee23😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@danbrit9848]

Thank you for doing a video on this..I'm an electrician and artist...this form of art though I'd never try ...the risk is just way to high

[@jacekatalakis8316]

I've been warned off this numerous, numerous times by a licensed electrician over here and been told, in graphic detail why this is so dangerous. There are safe ways to do wood burning, don't get me wrong. I've been to safely run, differently done styles of wood burning, as mentioned lasers and other methods. When done safely and correctly, wood burning is a great hobby. But fractal wood burning, oh, no. I am not going near that thing, not happening, no.

[@itsnotthesamething]

I purchased a piece of Fractal Wood Burning art several years ago. After watching this, I will not buy anymore, and will discourage anyone else from doing so. My piece is in storage right now, but I'll put it in my bedroom once we get our house built, rather than a more public area of the house. And I will explain why it should be discouraged if anyone sees it. I probably wouldn't have bought it had I known it was so dangerous for people to make. My prayers are with those who passed or suffered horrible injuries trying to make this art. It isn't worth your life.

[@chincemagnet]

A guy I work with does this. He mentioned to me he was doing it, and I said, wow, that’s crazy dangerous. I explained to him what I have seen online and he said he might quit doing it, but I’m not sure if he did. Hopefully he at least is more careful now.

[@jmap]

“I’ll never use it again, but I’ll keep it around so that someday my grandchildren can plug it in without knowing what it is and die instantly”

[@mandywalkden-brown7250]

My thoughts exactly. It appears she’s not renowned for her great intellect.

[@Homodemon]

"I shall become the bloodline cleanser from the grave!"

[@wagonstation3709]

If you quit drinking, would you keep a bottle around to remind you not to drink? (Maybe the shock she received altered her thinking processes.)

[@justandy333]

Yea, I've done something similar, I used a microwave transformer to make a Jacobs ladder. Took insane safety precautions (In my opinion) and it worked really well, very spectacular! However it wasn't until after the fact I realised actually just how dangerous it was. In my limited knowledge at the time I thought, it wont be that bad, if something does go wrong, the power supply is fused so I might get a bit of a belt, but the fuse will blow and cut the power. Oh how naive I was. What I didn't realise was that the earthing and fuse protection would only apply to the primary coil side of the transformer. The jacobs ladder was on the secondary coil side of the transformer. No physical link between the 2. So if things did go south and I got eletrocuted, the fuse would not have blown and I would have continued to have current running through me indefinitely. So anything to do with high voltages, I steer well away from. I just didn't realise just how much danger I was putting myself in. Which I think is sadly how alot of these unfortunate people's story went. There are plenty of lovely crafts out there, just leave this one well alone, it just isn't worth the risk.

[@lasennui]

I love wood burning and lichtenberg figures. I was very interested in this until I did basic research and realized I like being alive more. A few years later I found out my craftsman ex was making and selling these. I was curious about his set up and how he, a former boy scout, made it safe...the answer was nope, not any safer. I'm still torn when I see these at craft fairs and festivals. I hope the craft makers are staying safe and keeping their equipment far from others

[@ShenDoodles]

To scare people less in cases where they survived, try saying “electrified”, as “electrocuted” means executed by electricity.

[@45proteinconsumer]

as an artist who makes drawings, wood burning by hand sounds really fun! you have inspired me

[@naluzoniro]

Excellent video topic ! The channel How to Cook That also has a video on the danger of fractal wood burning, and we need many more. This should NEVER be practiced at home, it's so goddamn dangerous. "As much electrical current as in an electric chair" really drives the point home.

[@DeadShoes]

If the electricity is high enough to burn lightning patterns into pieces of wood, you also have to think about what it can do to your body if you become the piece of wood.

[@doggonemess1]

This video is vastly different from most of the other topics you cover, but I think that it's great that you made it. People don't realize how dangerous some of the things we use every day actually are. Especially if you use them improperly.

[@MsRexsmurphy]

I have one of these. The fella that made it informed me how fantastically dangerous it was!! I really appreciate the piece 💞

[@Real_Tim_S]

I've worked with industrial power (600VAC > 1200Amps), and hi-pot testers for EVs - I gotta say, I wanna try this. Pretty sure the risks can be mitigated the same way they are when these components don't leave the microwave. What is missing in these DIY videos is obviously any safety engineering (something I have personal experience with). Dead man's switches don't make these safe for the operator, just the rescuers (it's in the name, you stop actuating the switch when you're the dead man) - what's needed is a true safety interlock system. Consider that if you press the open button on a microwave it immediately kills the microwave to prevent exposure to the high power RF - that is a safety interlock. The microwave cabinet isolates the operator from the hazard, and it must be closed and latched before it is allowed to create the hazard inside the box. Insulated fiberglass poles running the electrodes, that cannot be withdrawn from the holder unless the safety enclosure is closed, and the interlock ensuring that the proper safety sequence is not possible to skip. Door closed, door locked, probes ungrounded, probes unlocked from fully insulated holders, transformer enabled - then transformer disabled, probes inserted into fully insulated holders and locked, probes electrically grounded, door unlocked, door can be opened. Probes don't need to be directly handled - they can be controlled with non-conductive cable or linkage manipulators from outside the safety enclosure.

[@ryano.5149]

That's what I was thinking. You could probably keep the electrodes and work piece in an isolated room with a safety interlock on the door. Have the only way to "fire" the electrodes being a momentary switch only accessible outside the room, made inoperable with the safety interlock on the door...and I'd imagine some kind of keyed switch to "arm" the system. Then, once outside the room, use remote control robots to place the electrodes on the work piece, and then hit the button from the safety of a control room. Also, you could also have a lock-out/tag-out system, so nobody can close the door with somebody in the room with the electrodes. There likely is a way to make it safe but...just not just randomly in someone's garden shed.

[@SteelyBud]

She kept the kit as a reminder "not to do anything stupid"... don't her mutilated hands and compromised sight/hearing remind her?