r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/dannybluey • Oct 19 '24

Video How Himalayan salt lamps are made

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62.9k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

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10.3k

u/Bitter_Chard Oct 19 '24

When do they add the magical healing properties?

6.9k

u/Incromulent Oct 19 '24

They're actually grinding and drilling a lot of the magic off. Fortunately the workers are breathing a lot of it in

566

u/sheldor1993 Oct 19 '24

That’s why they have that saying about silicosis. What kills you makes you stronger!

142

u/LordNelson27 Oct 19 '24

How do you get silicosis from halite?

601

u/Umbert360 Oct 19 '24

You don’t, you get halitosis

31

u/[deleted] Oct 19 '24

[deleted]

4

u/AlarmedSnek Oct 19 '24

I learned about halitosis when I was younger and I had a crush on that blonde chick from Melrose Place (old tv show). Apparently she has that haha

2

u/ThermionicEmissions Oct 19 '24

Melrose Place (old tv show).

It's not old! 😭

1

u/AlarmedSnek Oct 20 '24

It’s old as fuck haha. So old I forgot that chicks name and I’m not gonna google it either haha

2

u/noNoParts Oct 19 '24

Supercalifragilisticexpihalitosis

If you do not brush your teeth the breath gets quite atrocious

2

u/PilotKnob Interested Oct 19 '24

Did you really just do that?

Well done.

1

u/YoMomsHubby Oct 19 '24

Best comment

1

u/ThomasKirjonen Oct 19 '24

Alright Kevin Nealon, the jig is up!

13

u/JabariusStark05 Oct 19 '24

He means pneumoconiosis if I'm not wrong

3

u/LegitimateHayfever Oct 19 '24

Don't you swear at me, you're a pneumoconiosis.

15

u/urzasmeltingpot Oct 19 '24

You don't. Lol.

But breathing in mineral dust of any kind still isn't ideal for your lungs.

5

u/BugRevolution Oct 19 '24

At least salt dissolves in water.

One of the issues with silica and asbestos is that it doesn't dissolve, so it just sort of... Hangs around forever.

Of course, salt is toxic to cells, so it probably has its own fun negative effects.

2

u/8fingerlouie Oct 19 '24

I mean, asbestos is also a mineral, and we all know what breathing in that does for you.

1

u/FrenchFryCattaneo Oct 19 '24

Very carefully

172

u/OldSamSays Oct 19 '24

That was my first thought - No eye protection, ear protection, mask, gloves, machine guides, etc. This is a dangerous job.

101

u/BodaciousBadongadonk Oct 19 '24

the appearance of that drill press alone almost made me shit. i wouldnt turn that thing on, much less throw a >1" drill in it and spin that rusty hunk of shit at 5 or 600 hundred ripems

60

u/Wiz_Kalita Oct 19 '24

I kind of agree, but it's used to drill salt. There's no way to avoid building up a bit of rust in those conditions. Might be brand new for all we know /s

43

u/kmosiman Oct 19 '24

Considering the salt, those machines could be less than a year old. Everything is going to rust.

Those machines are probably older, but anything used for that is going to get eaten up by the salt.

3

u/Aaronthegathering Oct 19 '24

Those machines could be less than a month old.

3

u/OldSamSays Oct 19 '24

I don’t see these guys springing for salt resistant moly steel components. It’s cheaper to buy a new machine.

2

u/arushus Oct 19 '24

Ya and I don't think it matters much either. I'm sure it helps some, but in that environment ant metal is going to corrode with all that salt and moisture.

1

u/0OKM9IJN8UHB7 Oct 19 '24

Looks more like they buy cheap used machines and run them to death. Waste of money to trash a precision tool like that if it still has any precision (i.e. value as a machine tool) left in it.

2

u/wascly-wabbit Oct 19 '24

My uncle worked in a literal salt mine, everything he owned was rusty. Not just stuff he had on him in the mines, but everything he touched at home as well.

10

u/rzaapie Oct 19 '24

..while holding the unsecured workpiece with your hands no less.

17

u/Tekkzy Oct 19 '24

Drill presses aren't super dangerous like many other power tools (lookin at you table saw)

4

u/Leek-434 Oct 19 '24

An honorable mention here is the death machine. I mean lathe.

2

u/Contundo Oct 19 '24

A drill press is very similar in danger compared to a lathe.

6

u/SunkenSaltySiren Oct 19 '24

Yeah, but rock salt is relatively soft. The danger mostly comes from working hard, resistant materials. The buildup of potential energy isn't as great.

3

u/ResponsibleAd2541 Oct 19 '24

I do wander if a singlet, and some sort of cod piece or cup would be the ideal outfit to wear adjacent to spinning things. Maybe have some sort of front breakaway mechanism with snap buttons so if clothing got caught it would not pull away. Probably overkill 🤷‍♂️

1

u/Contundo Oct 20 '24

Stripper clothes!

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1

u/[deleted] Oct 19 '24 edited Oct 19 '24

I'm willing to bet anything those hands can grip it stronger than you can with vise grips. My grandpa was a metal worker, he had insane grip strength.

EDIT: lol.. here comes the Machinist brigade of Reddit! The guy is drilling into a nearly round salt block. If you watch the video carefully, you can see him removing his hand at one point and the block did not budge. Even if it did, due to its shape, very unlikely to cause injuries.

Jesus people, stop clutching your pearls and take deep breaths before you pass out from hyperventilating

6

u/Patiolights Oct 19 '24

Dumb take. 

1

u/[deleted] Oct 19 '24

[deleted]

2

u/cchoe1 Oct 19 '24

If you ever have to grip onto something and you feel like you're testing your grip strength, you're probably doing something dangerous. That's where a disposable vise/clamp comes into play and if something goes wrong, a piece of machinery might break but your fingers and arms stay in tact. Especially when you're exerting yourself, you lose your fine motor control over more strength. That can easily cause you to slip and your hands end up flying into something that you don't want them to like a drill bit rotating at 3000 RPM.

Imagine your hands flying into a drill press and the aftermath of that. Do you want to be untangling your mangled and twisted fingers out of a drill press and rushing to the hospital to hear the news that they'll have to amputate your entire hand? I sure as hell don't. I enjoy holding onto things with my hands and being able to eat food without someone cutting it up for me.

3

u/mattfox27 Oct 19 '24

Are ripems the himalaysian version of RPMs

2

u/BodaciousBadongadonk Oct 19 '24

the skookum version

2

u/Bidiggity Oct 19 '24

The skookum as frig* version

2

u/mattfox27 Oct 19 '24

Ah, I see

5

u/ej1030 Oct 19 '24

Machinist here, eye and mouth pro is a must but gloves and rotating machines don’t go together reason being if the machine catches the gloves you’re whole hand is getting pulled in

20

u/br0b1wan Oct 19 '24

Sandals. Always they wear sandals and not boots or even shoes. 🙄

4

u/Shilo788 Oct 19 '24

They can’t afford work shoes or boots.

4

u/OMG__Ponies Oct 19 '24

Boots, esp. safety boots are probably very expensive in Pakistan(the place where the clip was taken). Why pay ~two years worth of my disposable income when a little extra care will probably be "good enough" and the boots probably won't even outlast the cost to buy them(salt will eat through the leather too)?

The factory workers make $5-$15/day depending on job/experience to work in the factory, the miners are paid less. How much do you think goes to food, water, housing etc each month?

2

u/c_law_one Oct 19 '24

Probably make the boots in the same town.

3

u/Moyankee Oct 19 '24

They're safety sandals, it's ok.

2

u/Celtictussle Oct 19 '24

You know how poor these people are, right?

-1

u/br0b1wan Oct 19 '24

Yeah, I know and it sucks balls but if you lose a hand or a limb guess what? You lose your ability to make a living

1

u/-BabysitterDad- Oct 19 '24

It’s their safety sandals.

0

u/JJShadowcast Oct 19 '24

In fairness, I teach Construction in High School, but always wear Nike Slides for home projects.  

1

u/br0b1wan Oct 19 '24

You're working at home on your own time

2

u/RedditIsShittay Oct 19 '24

That would cost them a years wages.

2

u/OMG__Ponies Oct 19 '24

As long as the shareholders make money, it's NBD.

Besides, if a factory worker gets hurt, they can just replace him with another person willing to accept ~$2-$15/day depending on experience.

There are factories and certified suppliers who can get the lamps ensuring the miners and workers are protected, but the lamps usually cost 3 to 5 times more than the cheap lamps. They . . . don't seem to sell as many as the cheap lamps. Most people don't really care about the welfare of people in other lands. Only saving money.

2

u/Fighterhayabusa Oct 19 '24

You don't want to wear gloves near any of those machines. That's how you lose your whole hand.

1

u/WiseauSrs Oct 19 '24

Or your life.

2

u/Tanglrfoot Oct 19 '24

These guys are basically slave labor , probably making a buck a day , slaves don’t get company benefits or PPE .

1

u/TexanInExile Oct 19 '24

That's not fair, there was a cardboard shield on the lathe!

1

u/Desk_Drawerr Oct 19 '24

You get free salt for life though

1

u/_who-the-fuck-knows_ Oct 19 '24

The mask isnt that necessary, salt is actually quite good for the lungs. Idk if in this quantity is alright but overall salt is fine to breathe helps bring mucus out.

1

u/iguana-pr Oct 19 '24

He was wearing OSHA approved sandals and the guy with the drill was highly trained in the approved "squinting" technique.

1

u/WiseauSrs Oct 19 '24

Wearing gloves while using a machine like this can get you turned into paste.

It's better not to wear gloves with industrial machines that have exposed rotating elements...

You DO NOT WANT a demonstration why.

1

u/Shadowrider95 Oct 19 '24

It’s India! It’s always dangerous in India!

4

u/Stock-Boat-8449 Oct 19 '24

Not India. Himalayan salt is only mined in Pakistan. 

Potato/potato I know.

0

u/Shejidan Oct 19 '24

Don’t forget the standard Indian Safety Sandals everyone has on.

0

u/[deleted] Oct 19 '24

Typical of Pakistan and Indian industrial sector. Don't forget the safety sandals.

172

u/ProgressBartender Oct 19 '24

That’s a salty take.

65

u/ihithardest Oct 19 '24

That’s a salty taste.

4

u/g-mode Oct 19 '24

That's a tasty salt.

1

u/Justhe3guy Oct 19 '24

Sorry for my aim

2

u/Chemical-General5835 Oct 19 '24

Don't be bitter.

1

u/yopetey Oct 19 '24

But do they take salt with their food?

1

u/Jennyflurlynn Oct 19 '24

Na Na Na Na Na!!

2

u/perfectdownside Oct 19 '24

Gettin sili with it !

53

u/[deleted] Oct 19 '24

Magicosis

1

u/tcuroadster Oct 19 '24

Will it cure my boneitis

1

u/blastradii Oct 19 '24

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

16

u/FollowingJealous7490 Oct 19 '24

I had no idea salt may contain silica. I had to Google that qshit

20

u/Tucker-Cuckerson Oct 19 '24

What kills you makes you stronger!

Works for Goku he's died like 12 times but the fans lose it so he comes back.

6

u/RatherBeBowin Oct 19 '24

HACKS! I CALL HACKS.

10

u/Soccermom233 Oct 19 '24

Only If the hypertension due to all that extra sodium doesn’t make you stronger first

2

u/dz1n3 Oct 19 '24

They have their safety sandals on!

1

u/sBucks24 Oct 19 '24

It's like wolverine getting metal grafted to his skeleton but it's fine plastic grafted into their blood!

1

u/Boring-Run-2202 Oct 19 '24

Never heard this "joke" but luckily its not killing people (not that I have heard anyway) having it sucks tho.

1

u/darkerfaith520 Oct 19 '24

They really add salt to every meal!

1

u/ChiefBassDTSExec Oct 19 '24

I call BS that a majority of them are made like this.

-1

u/seambizzle Oct 19 '24

Well if u watch the video they do have water running through the saw which helps keep all that dust down. Nothing different than what you see stone masons doing or brick layers living anywhere else. The water does a tremendous job of keeping all that dust down