Screwdriver with neon electricity tester

[Mike Clarke]

Not so - I once saw someone "demonstrating" how fuses worked with 3 screwdrivers and a live plug socket. It was many years ago and I don't remember if it was a 5A or 15A socket.

He used the first screwdriver in the earth socket to open the shutters, inserted a screwdriver in each of line and neutral then removed the first one from the earth and laid it across the other two. There was a God Almighty bang and flash and each screwdriver blade had a notch burnt halfway through it. The screwdriver blades were a similar diameter to the plug pins, i.e. "THICKER than the fuse" and suffered plenty of vapourisation before the fuse blew.

BTW don't try this at home. Or anywhere else even.

[Lieutenant Scott]

Yes there will be a flash. But the screwdriver won't disappear, neither would the 30A cable we were discussing.

I admit it shouldn't be done with your face in the immediate area of the the wires you're touching together though! A little flash won't melt your hands, you might get a burn similar too touching something hot on a stove, but it's not the end of the world. You've got more than 1 layer of skin.

Also, if you brush the wires quickly, then you will get a little spark as they touch momentarily. You won't blow the fuse, but you'll know you didn't actually switch off the circuit like you thought you did.

It's a good way to do a final test to convince yourself you haven't made a mistake, before you accidentally touch them together without warning, possibly with your face closer, later on, or give yourself a shock if you touch them.

[ARWadsworth]

Are you suggeting that Alan is part of the Borg collective?

[Bill Wright]

As I said, it's foresight you need.

Bill

[Bill Wright]

I was thinking you might join a group of like-minded people.

Bill

[Lieutenant Scott]

Of a very remote possibility of getting a sore finger? Who cares?

[Mike Clarke]

Well, as I said, there were notches bitten out half way through the blades, that's a fair amount of steel that disappeared.

[Lieutenant Scott]

Vapourised steel will condense pretty quick, before it gets to your face.

[ARWadsworth]

That is remarkable when you think about it.

[Lieutenant Scott]

I have eyelids which tend to close when something flies towards me. Although I've never made vapourised steel go further than my wrist.

[ARWadsworth]

But possibly a little longer than yours.

[Lieutenant Scott]

Stop being such a pussy and worrying about everything that MIGHT happen. Do you ever cross the road?

[ARWadsworth]

I live life much closer to the edge than you do.

Why do you not just go and talk to your your parrots?

In fact, why not let your parrots make your posts? They would ask more intelligent questions than you.

[Lieutenant Scott]

But not with electricity?

Because you are stupider and more amusing.

They eat the keyboard.

[ARWadsworth]

Not if it means using a neon screwdriver. I do however take lots of calculated risks when working with electricity

"more stupid" would be better English than "stupider".

Bonus. It would stop you posting shit.

[brass monkey]

He has a degree you know.

[ARWadsworth]

In talking s**te and trolling.

[Lieutenant Scott]

I don't see yours.

[Tim Streater]

Course it is, dope. What d'ye think bookies and insurance companies do, if they're not calculating risk, eh?

[Lieutenant Scott]

Nonsense. If you've done the calculations, you know the answer. A risk is when you're not sure what might happen.

Ripping you off.