A lesson learned on oil-based finish rag disposal

[Alpha-Dave]

So this got me thinking... not that the original poster would have been able to use a small fire extinguisher, but what do people have at home? We have nothing! We have hardwired smoke alarms but i did start to think about a pan fire, or a small electrical fire... a fire extinguisher could be the difference between a total house fire and some messed up curtains!

UK based people what have you and what do you recomend?

Thank you

I have a small powder extinguisher and fireblanket in the kitchen; a CO2 extinguisher in the garage. These are on the walls on opposite sides of the same door, so I should get either quickly.

We have 2x smoke alarms in the house, but not in the garage as the fine wood dust would clog it up over time.

 

[baldkev]

Ive got a couple of powder ones

I had an old dry powder extinguisher 15 years past its use by date so I let it off to see what happened and was amazed by how the powder spread through the room even though I was pointing it into a box. I guess it would still have been effective if there had been a fire. Worth bearing in mind - by all means buy new ones but keep the old ones on hand they might still be useful.

Thanks jacob, now i dont feel the urge to test mine

 

[TRITON]

I believe the fire brigade will recharge your extinguisher if you take it to them. But I have only heard this, i've never actually asked nor had one done.
There is a new type that requires no charge, lights like a road flare
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/354007508579?hash=item526c7de663:g:nikAAOSw~IBiVu~S



The antiques warehouse in Glasgow many years ago burnt down, and nobody in the fire brigade gave a reason to the source.
I know of one maker who displayed there and used oil and kept the oil,rags etc in a cupboard on his stand.
Im not saying it was the cause, but it certainly seemed like it given what we know.

When im using oil, I put the rags, or usually kitchen towel used to wipe off the excess, into the sink and soak them thoroughly before disposing them in the bin outside.

 

[drobinson87]

Just for the new people to woodworking (me), does this happen with oil applied with brushes? Or rags only? Thanks.

 

[TominDales]

Just for the new people to woodworking (me), does this happen with oil applied with brushes? Or rags only? Thanks.

If you clean the brush and wash it with soap and water it will be harmless. Recommended as leaving these finishing oils on the bristles, the oil will harden and damage the brush.

Even then if left, its less likely to be a hazard, less surface area on a brush, although a very large brush would be a hazard. The bristles are less flammable than most cloths, ie nylon or bristle.

But, I recommend cleaning the brush, even cheap ones can be re-used. I use a very simple procedure:

Put a large squirt of neat (concentrated) fairy liquid (US dish soap?) in a jar and coat the brittles in the fairy work in well, and then add a small amount of water and work the brush around and then rinse several times. This works for paint as well. For oil based varnish and gloss paint I rinse with white spirit first and pour that away (into a jar for later disposal) and then add the fairy liquid.
For the white spirit, I either dispose of that (not down the drain) into a piece of rough ground (if just a few ml) , or take to the local recycler or use it to start bonfires etc.

 

[TRITON]

Just for the new people to woodworking (me), does this happen with oil applied with brushes? Or rags only? Thanks.

Not really,it's just rags.
You bundle/scrunch the rags up, and as it dries it heats up inside. So any fire starts, it starts from the center of the rag out.
A rag laid flat wont catch fire, only if its in a scrunched up ball.

 

[niemeyjt]

One other thing to add - both CO and smoke alarms have a lifespan also.

Sod's law, our mains powered linked ones are EOL in July and the supplier has gone - so it means new bases as well as new detector heads.

Extinguishers - I have a mix of water (scrounged) and powder in the garage and powder and blanket in the car.

I was taught the triangle of fire - heat, fuel and air - remove one and you have no triangle and no fire.

 

[Misterdog]

Don't toast your hot cross buns in a toaster either

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2022/0...ot-cross-bun-could-actually-be-a-fire-hazard/

 

[Stevekane]

Keep an eye out when at lidls as they sometimes have small Fire Extinguishers, good make and all certified etc, very modest price, but maybe better to just buy one if youve got the idea fresh in your mind!
Rags, Im wary about rags that have white spirit or turps on and I have a feeling that they shouldnt be just scrunched up and left, so I will open them out and hang them over something like the vice,,,but is this the right thing to do?
Steve.

 

[kinverkid]

I'm one for putting rags and button cloths into a glass jar with metal screw lid. It's not a preference over a metal screw lid tin, it's just that glass jars are more readily available. I put the rag in while the job I'm on is still needing more coats then the rag goes on the fire. Leaving the rag opened out is great to dry them out before disposal which includes rags soaked in inflammable liquids like white spirit. But, if it is for disposal anyway (not by incineration) you mays as well hang it on the washing line rather than laid out in the workshop.
I think it's great that this thread has discussed so much on fire extinguishers and has reminded us to get new ones or maybe check the one we have. Or even to go and dig the one out that has been kept under that pile of off-cuts in the corner and put it in a more prominent position.

 

[TominDales]

I'm one for putting rags and button cloths into a glass jar with metal screw lid. It's not a preference over a metal screw lid tin, it's just that glass jars are more readily available. I put the rag in while the job I'm on is still needing more coats then the rag goes on the fire. Leaving the rag opened out is great to dry them out before disposal which includes rags soaked in inflammable liquids like white spirit. But, if it is for disposal anyway (not by incineration) you mays as well hang it on the washing line rather than laid out in the workshop.
I think it's great that this thread has discussed so much on fire extinguishers and has reminded us to get new ones or maybe check the one we have. Or even to go and dig the one out that has been kept under that pile of off-cuts in the corner and put it in a more prominent position.

Guilty of laving the old one in a pile when we moved house for um rather a long time......

 

[TominDales]

Don't toast your hot cross buns in a toaster either

my first thought was WHAT..

but a class mate of my 14 year old burnt his parents house down attempting to cook Cherios (a breakfast cereal) in the toaster. What my son finds funny, is his mate got a medal from the scouts for alerting the fire brigade and saving his family.

I suppose with so many Hot cross buns sold someone is bound to burn their kitchen down. These luxury brands have stuff that melts. Its like melting butter toast - done in the grill not the toaster (at least one son guilty of the later!).

 

[TominDales]

Keep an eye out when at lidls as they sometimes have small Fire Extinguishers, good make and all certified etc, very modest price, but maybe better to just buy one if youve got the idea fresh in your mind!
Rags, Im wary about rags that have white spirit or turps on and I have a feeling that they shouldnt be just scrunched up and left, so I will open them out and hang them over something like the vice,,,but is this the right thing to do?
Steve.

seems low risk to me. Vice will be a heat sink so should prevent auto combustion. As long as not in contact with flammable stuff such or a flammable floor below, then if it did go up in smoke nothing to spread the fire. Nearly all the reported fires happen overnight when things are left unattended.

 

[Jacob]

Ive got a couple of powder ones

Thanks jacob, now i dont feel the urge to test mine

Well I only did it once!

 

[Stevekane]

seems low risk to me. Vice will be a heat sink so should prevent auto combustion. As long as not in contact with flammable stuff such or a flammable floor below, then if it did go up in smoke nothing to spread the fire. Nearly all the reported fires happen overnight when things are left unattended.

Its got me worrying now,,,I think I will find somewhere outside the shed to hang them,,
Steve.

 

[TominDales]

Its got me worrying now,,,I think I will find somewhere outside the shed to hang them,,
Steve.

oops.
I'd hate to say it will go swimmingly and be proved disastrously wrong. As Jacob says these events are rare - they do happen occasionally. someone talked about the fire triangle. Your vice should remove the heat and if there is no other combustible material then the rags would just smoulder away. But I do hang mine outside under an awning.

My son got me to come into my study on Sunday morning (last year) as he saw smoke. My magnifying glass that I use to read the small print (print seems to get smaller as I get older) the night before had set fire to the bank statement on my desk in the early morning sun. Easily dealt with, but five minutes later could have been a different story.

 

[MikeJhn]

If anyone is interested I have three brand new IACO Ei3028 Co/heat alarms, still within the ten year span, one at nine years, one Ei3024 within ten years, all four fitted with radio links, I also have one Ei2110e and one Ei603TYC also fitted with radio links, these where bought for my holiday home, but sold it before I could change them. These are without fear of contradiction the best alarms you can buy, for the specification see here: Products | Aico

 

[Spectric]

but suitable for all fire types

contradiction here

For Most Types of Fire

I would think most of us know not to spray water onto electrical equipment!

Another specialised extinguisher is for oil based fires, ie chip pans but I would suspect these days many people are more health conscious and use oven chips or one of those air friers.

 

[TominDales]

Another specialised extinguisher is for oil based fires, ie chip pans but I would suspect these days many people are more health conscious and use oven chips or one of those air friers.

Four teenage boys in North Yorkshire, we get through bags of potatoes, mash, roast, wedges and refried chips in a deep fryer?- it has a thermostat? . I'm probably heading for a coronary but they have hollow legs.
I'd probably tackle a fire with a blanket in the first instance, as I'm not sure of my ability to squirt anything at hot oil.

 

[Stevekane]

Just in case anyone is intrested, I see that Aldi are doing their Fire Extinughers again, £11.99 and whilst I haven't read the spec the previous ones were suitable for most fire types.
Steve.