AAW Policy on Fractal Burning

Re: I Wonder if AAW Insurance would cover club?

Joe Fleming

I agree with that. Here is the AAW's full statement:

The American Association of Woodturners has come out with a policy regarding "Fractal (Lichtenberg) Burning", acknowledging the significant risk this technique has because of the use of high voltages. Two documented fatalities due to electrocution have occurred over the past year that are attributable to this technique. The policy adopted by the AAW is as follows:

"POLICY ON FRACTAL BURNING

The AAW has always been a faithful advocate for woodturning safety. Recently, the subject of fractal burning has been in the news because of another tragic death.

The AAW Safety Committee has studied the issue and concluded there may be a distinct influencing benefit in adopting a policy against the use of Fractal Burning and publicizing it immediately to chapters and members. As a result, it was recommended that the AAW Board adopt a new policy against the practice, which was unanimously approved on May 17, 2017. The new policy is as follows:

It is the policy of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW) that the process known as Fractal Burning is prohibited from being used in any AAW-sponsored events, including regional and national symposia, and that AAW-chartered chapters are strongly urged to refrain from demonstrating or featuring the process in chapter events. Further, the process of Fractal Burning shall not be featured in any written or online AAW publication, except for within articles that warn against its use. AAW publications will not accept advertisements for any products or supplies directly related to the process.

Additionally, the Safety Committee recommended that an article be published in the August 2017 issue of American Woodturner to highlight the dangers of the practice and publicize the new AAW policy. "

Re: AAW Policy on Fractal Burning

John C Lucas

I think this is a good move by the AAW. Fractal burning can be very dangerous. We are already reviewing videos for safety to try and keep turners as safe as we can. To purposely teach a a technique that is inherently deadly would be crazy. I wouldnt produce a video showing someone how to wire a breaker box. I know the videos are out there if you really want to learn but i dont think an organization that promotes safety should promote them.

With a wood burner or high speed grinder you can produce a look very similar and it wont kill you.

Re: AAW Policy on Fractal Burning

John K Jordan

>>>With a wood burner or high speed grinder you can produce a look very similar and it wont kill you.

And you can control exactly where the pattern goes.

For some reason the method never appealed to me. It was interesting the first time I saw it, after that, not so much.

JKJ

Re: I Wonder if AAW Insurance would cover club?

Donna Banfield

"There are many things that demonstrators do at demos that are patently unsafe. Turning bowls at thousands of RPMs without a safety shield or a face shield in a packed room, for example. The AAW does try to tell people why this is not recommended. It stops short of saying that the demonstrator should not have a stage at the next symposium. "

I disagree with this statement. I've attended the AAW Symposiums since 2010 in Hartford, missing only one in San Jose (2012). I have seen a transformation in the way that demos are done at the AAW Symposium. I recall a few years ago when the AAW announced that anyone who wished to demonstrate at their Symposium would be required to wear a faceshield when turning. And they all do now.

All lathe demonstrations are performed behind very large lexan or plexiglass walls to protect members of the audience watching the demo. To me, it appears that the AAW has taken a very proactive role in not just talking the talk, but walking the walk. And maybe because of their stance, the smaller regional and local Symposiums are beginning to follow their lead. I see a lot more of these changes on the local level, too.

Re: AAW Policy on Fractal Burning

Stuart Johnson

When after a review it is determined what is being shown will an AAW representative post a warning comment on the video?

Re: AAW Policy on Fractal Burning

mikeee12345

Speaking from experience, I have been making fractal pattern wood items for several years.

I provide a number of these items to electrical engineers as conversation pieces and teaching

aids to train electrical interns as to what to look for on high voltage systems when the cables

and insulators are breaking down from insulation failure. After reviewing OSHA accident numbers,

I would assume with the number of deaths involved with lathes over the years that we should also

be considering the same issue with promoting the use of these dangerous machines. :-(

Re: I Wonder if AAW Insurance would cover club?

Ivan Clark

Joe,

Thank you.

I very much hope that the magazine editor will comply with the wishes of the safety committee and publish that article.

Ivan

Re: I Wonder if AAW Insurance would cover club?

Ivan Clark

I agree that things have improved on the safety issues and that, for the most part, the AAW symposia have either lead or closely followed efforts to improve safety. I did not recall all of the demonstrators wearing face shields in Atlanta or Pittsburgh. I do seem to recall some lip service by demonstrators saying that they were supposed to be wearing the face shield. Some of them seemed to have to make a choice between microphone and shield.

The lessons-learned in some of the smaller symposia have been challenging. Doing demonstrations of epoxy casting in a small hotel ballroom that did not have an exhaust system was a rough one. The fumes permeated multiple demo rooms in that part of the hotel.

It has been 4 or 6 years since the high-speed bowl demo that I referenced. It was at a state-level symposium. Being packed like sardines into bleachers with no way to move out of the danger plane, no safety barrier in front of the lathe, no safety guard on the lathe, and the demonstrator happily pointing out the thousands of RPM that he turned bowls at (including at that moment) is not an experience that I care to ever repeat. I will never attend a demo by that person ever again.

Re: AAW Policy on Fractal Burning

Bob Anderson

The problem comes when folks come in contact with the hot ends. I have been doing this for about six months and developed a technique with multiple, redundant safeguards, one of which is that everything is unplugged if I'm closer than six feet from the transformer. With a lamp that is on when current is flowing, an on-off foot switch (dead man's switch) and multiple layers of insulation, the worst that can happen is if I over a power cord. Also, it is absolutely stupid to use a microwave oven transformer, which delivers around 4 to 5 times the amps to kill you. A neon sign transformer is much less powerful and delivers a finer figure.

My wife, when first viewing the Internet videos, was scared to death, but with my set up she has no concerns.

Some folks in this thread say that the burning is too random and/or they don't like the patterns. There can be some control (but a certain amount of serendipity) to the pattern, just like when ceramic pots are fired. Like shiny or matt finishes, coloring, texturing, natural edges, etc., are all preferences.

Couple thoughts Bob

Dick Coers

"dead man's switch", an appropriate name!

Maybe your wife talked to the life insurance salesman to take off some stress of you working with that much electricity! LOL

Unusual Fractal Burning

Mike Hunter

StoneBrooke Golf Course, Shakopee, MN Hole # 13

So what caused this pattern Mike, .....

JamieDonaldson

.....could it have been a lightning strike on the pin, which appears to be fiberglass?

Re: So what caused this pattern Mike, .....

mikeee12345

Lightning strikes are attracted to any point on a plane within proximity to the electrostatic

charge finding its way to ground. The pin may be fiberglass and may have been wet from

rain which would increase the potential path for the charge to follow, but the other major

draw for the lightning strike would be the metallic cup in the ground. Most golf greens are

also on an elevation to provide good drainage for the turf, this would also provide another

source of attraction for the lightning strike.

Re: So what caused this pattern Mike, .....

Mike Stafford

I wonder if a fulgurite was formed from this strike?

I bet the golf course would not be happy if you dug up the green to find out.

Re: So what caused this pattern Mike, .....

Mike Hunter

Jamie ... good question, but I do not have the knowledge to correctly answer your question. Mike

Re: So what caused this pattern Mike, .....

Lan Brady

I am guessing you got a hole in one. Zeus was not happy that he was going to loose the round!

Re: So what caused this pattern Mike, .....

Mike Hunter

You are partially right. The hole-in-one was out of the question, but I did make it over the water. Zeus saw a potential challenge.