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Recent short trip to the old paper mill! I'm in need of some new spots in the NW area. Gone to a bunch of place in portland. Recently went to an abandoned house by clackamas and when i was in the back yard there was some construction crew and I was spooked they were going to call the cops but they were chill and let me stay and take some pics.
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I worked in a paper mill for 11 years... be careful. They are not places to be taken lightly.
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What do you mean? Like be cautious of stability?
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Posted by ORexplORegon
What do you mean? Like be cautious of stability?
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you have any idea what kind of chemicals are involved in making paper, especially of it is a Kraft process mill? what kind of high strength caustics and acids? On top of that, when a mill is shut down, sometimes things aren't shut down as proper as they could be. That dust you're breathing in could be crystalized sodium hydroxide. That white dust you ran your hand into his lime dust... wait til that slakes on your skin. Or, better yet, going into a low spot on the floor and walking into a pocket of hydrogen sulfide...
gloves and boots are a must as are safety glasses... don't ever look up if something drips on you.
I worked in the pulp mill for 4 years, the recaust plant for five years, paper machines for six months and the finishing room for 14 months. I got around. Worst parts are the back end of a paper mill because its nothing more than a chemical plant. I worked with 56% hydrogen peroxide, methanol, sodium hydroxide, sodium chlorate, 93% sulfuric acid, chlorine dioxide, and lime, not to mention bunker fuel #6, propane and high-pressure steam. Believe me, shut down a paper mill can be dangerous.
just use your head and touch nothing and if you do... DON'T RUB YOUR EYES!
*EDIT- not trying to be an asshole, just trying to keep you from getting hurt. I hope you understand.
[last edit 3/18/2019 8:15 PM by Samurai - edited 1 times]
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Totally understand! THat's good advice! I'll definitely keep that in mind! There's an underground labyrinth that is rumored to have an abandoned train but apparently its far underground and hard to find, I'm going to get some gas masks for that.
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Neat looking place, paper mills are fascinating!
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Posted by Samurai
I worked with 56% hydrogen peroxide, methanol, sodium hydroxide, sodium chlorate, 93% sulfuric acid, chlorine dioxide, and lime, not to mention bunker fuel #6, propane and high-pressure steam. Believe me, shut down a paper mill can be dangerous.
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Holy shit, that's so metal. Never would have thought that about paper production. How many days was the record without an accident? Those fuckers better have payed you well lol.
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Posted by ORexplORegon
Totally understand! THat's good advice! I'll definitely keep that in mind! There's an underground labyrinth that is rumored to have an abandoned train but apparently its far underground and hard to find, I'm going to get some gas masks for that.
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no need to get a gas mask... just find an H2S cricket. It's a device that clips to your shirt. It's basically a sniffer... if it detects H2S (that hydrogen sulfide to you and I, Russ) over a certain threshold, it starts screaming bloody murder and a red light starts flashing. Why? In low concentrations, H2S smells like rotten eggs or a stale fart. In high, fatal concentrations, you don't smell it and one whiff of it does you in... instantly. International Paper lost twelve people in a mill in Alabama because no one was wearing their crickets and a chain reaction of people trying to help died. As I said, I do not know what kind of process this mill was or what their shutdown was like, I am merely erring on the side of caution. Oh, hydrogen sulfide is generally formed when an acid meets caustic in the u-drain (floor sewer). We had alarms all over the place for the stuff... Ironically, we got so blasé about things the H2S alarms would sound when we were cleaning the chip bin, we'd pay it no mind.
paper manufacture is a pretty complex chemical process... for a Kraft process mill, you generally need a pulp mill, powerhouse (recover boiler) and a recausting plant. These three areas all have their dangers and yes, we've had people killed at that mill, the last one being one of the mechanics who had a flyash bin explode in his face. It's not a place to take lightly for sure. I've had chemical sample lines blow off in my face, had 900F lime blow out of the shaker at me, had severely corroded stairs collapse under me... had two holes eaten in two fingers from caustic grit that got into my gloves... my forearms are scarred from caustic burns... you get the idea?
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Cool explore 😎
Samurai, thanks for the insider info this was perfect timing as I was considering a wholly unprepared visit to a paper mill in a foreign location. I now will drastically reconsider my approach to this
Stealth: adj. designed in accordance with technology that makes detection difficult. Wraith: n. A wisp or faint trace of something | |
Posted by stealthwraith
Cool explore 😎
Samurai, thanks for the insider info this was perfect timing as I was considering a wholly unprepared visit to a paper mill in a foreign location. I now will drastically reconsider my approach to this
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they are locations that demand respect, even abandoned. Good luck, have fun and use your head. You'll be ok. 
I didn't post this stuff to be a douche or a fear mongering know-it-all... I just wanted you guys to not get hurt or injured. Sorry if I came off like an asshole. Be careful while having fun.
happy explories
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Posted by Samurai
they are locations that demand respect, even abandoned. Good luck, have fun and use your head. You'll be ok.
I didn't post this stuff to be a douche or a fear mongering know-it-all... I just wanted you guys to not get hurt or injured. Sorry if I came off like an asshole. Be careful while having fun.
happy explories
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I agree with stealth, seriously great information that I will remember if I ever find a paper mill to explore! Really cool to hear more about something I never really thought much about.
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Posted by Samurai
they are locations that demand respect, even abandoned. Good luck, have fun and use your head. You'll be ok.
I didn't post this stuff to be a douche or a fear mongering know-it-all... I just wanted you guys to not get hurt or injured. Sorry if I came off like an asshole. Be careful while having fun.
happy explories
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Not an asshole at all! I genuinely appreciate the industry insider info! I’m headed on a trip to a country with questionable cleanup standards so I’m pretty happy to learn about risks before I asphyxiate or something by going in blind. I was foolishly thinking it’s just paper and prepping for the chemical factory next door. Now I can be prepared for both
Stealth: adj. designed in accordance with technology that makes detection difficult. Wraith: n. A wisp or faint trace of something |
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