The Whitlow

A Come On Baby Light My Fire – Igniter

Why I Use and Sell The Whitlow

Not to long ago, I was setting up a smoke generator for an EPA Method 9 Visible Emissions Workshop (Smoke School). I was using a hand held portable propane torch to ignite a toluene flame, when I heard a big bang. Fire shot out of the opening in the black firebox and I immediately smelled burning hair. I said, "Oh my gosh, that hurt. The hair on my head, beard, and both arms was singed. My right arm was numb and I noticed that my pants were singed over my private parts.

I took the time to shut down the smoke generator, secure the equipment, and clean up the area. By then my right hand and lower arm were really hurting. Blisters had begun to form. I packed my arm in ice and headed for my doctor’s office.

I was very lucky. I ended up with a few hundred dollars worth of doctor bills, a hundred dollars worth of non-stick dressings, about a hundred bucks worth of antibiotics and pain medications, and a sore blistered, pink, hairless arm for a few weeks. Had I been bending over looking down into the firebox, I would be writing this in Braille.

I decided that there must be a better monkey wrench to use to ignite the toluene flame required for smoke school. It did not take but about a month to develop The Whitlow.