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 <[email protected]> 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 <[email protected]> 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" <[email protected]> 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 >>
