David Oswald wrote:

Also sounds like he's lucky he didn't end up on www.darwinawards.com


Yes indeed! The practice was SOP before the average intellegence level
dropped, but *NOT* using a torch. Hardware stores used to sell dynamite
too, back when common sense was, well, "common" and JC Whitney and
others sold what was essentially a knife-tipped soldering iron for
cutting thru the tar. The gas BTW is Hydrogen - no Chlorine in lead-acid
batteries.

Regards,
Howard