Fire Hazards

[Anonymous]

I seem destined to burn my workshop down this weekend!

I just thought I'd share a couple of experiences which may serve as a warning to others.

The first is a fairly obvious one but easy to forget about. I was ripping some 2" maple yesterday and my table saw blade was not as sharp as it could be. However, I persevered and with some difficulty and not a little smoke I got the job done.

Immediately afterwards I had to tilt my saw. On my model you have to remove the plate surrounding the blade to do this and it was at this point I noticed that I had smouldering sawdust inside the saw cabinet. A wet rag soon sorted things out but the potential danger is clear. I won't be forcing wood though a blunt blade again in a hurry!


My second brush with disaster was this afternoon. I was assembling some furniture in in my finishing shop which I have to deliver tomorrow. I put a spare battery for my cordless drill down on the bench while I got to work.

A few minutes later I smelt burning. It turns out that I had inadvertantly put the battery down next to a wad of steel wool which had shorted across the terminals.
Another couple of minutes and it would have caught fire. (If you didn't think that steel wool burns then just try it. It's even better if you've been waxing with it!)

I've got around 300 litres of assorted lacquers, thinners, stains, waxes, oil and paints in that room. Some fireworks display that would have been!

Phew! I think I'll call it a day now!

 

[Anonymous]

Speaking as someone who has experienced losing everything in a workshop fire I would not wish this on my worst enemy.

Just shows how careful you've got to be dunc, mine was caused by a wood burner in an engineering shop next door.

 

[JFC]

I agree you can never be to careful but you cant teach your idiot neighbours to be careful ! Mine chucked a lit cigarette into a pile of leaves and set my workshop on fire . :evil:

 

[houtslager]

Which is why in MY FINAL workshop, I will be installing a pressurized
SPRINKLER system , which will also be connected to my house.

As I am in the middle of nowhere , and the Fire brigade is a volunteer service, I am taking no chances with my investments ie; timber,tools and machinery.

The sprinkler heads are only £ 15 each so for a £ 100 and pipework I am pretty sure NO fire will damage me too seseverely fingers AND TOES crossed)

HS

 

[Losos]

Dunc,
That's two very good warnings. I've noticed small bits flying down below my saw table top. So far I haven't worked out how to get to them (The saw is fairly new) I think I had better do that soon 'cos there's bound to be some sawdust as well

Likewise the wire wool 'tho I was aware that it conducts elektrikery

HS
I would like to install some sprinklers also but CZ is such an underdeveloped country there's nowhere to buy them here

 

[wrightclan]

My second brush with disaster was this afternoon. I was assembling some furniture in in my finishing shop which I have to deliver tomorrow. I put a spare battery for my cordless drill down on the bench while I got to work.

A few minutes later I smelt burning. It turns out that I had inadvertantly put the battery down next to a wad of steel wool which had shorted across the terminals.
Another couple of minutes and it would have caught fire. (If you didn't think that steel wool burns then just try it. It's even better if you've been waxing with it!)

Been there, done that! :shock: :roll: Even fresh, oil-free steel wool will burn, the finer the grade, the easier it burns.

Brad

 

[houtslager]

http://www.angussprinkler.co.uk/pages/productdatasheet/sprinklerheadssr/productheaddatas0set.htm

here you go simple to install and fairly cheap to do too 8)

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Another risk area not mentioned is routers, on several occasions using old blunt cutters I've had smoldering chippings disappear up the vacuum pipe, I will leave the rest to your imagination :shock: :?

 

[spadge]

This is not a workshop story but another warning about shorting battery terminals.
Was carrying an (uncovered) spare motorbike battery in the boot of my car. Went round a corner and a loose bracket slide accross and shorted the terminals. I got all the burning stuff out pretty quickly so a £500 insurance claim later for bits of boot lining and everything was OK.
Pretty lucky really because whilst the fire managed to burn a hole in the empty plastic gerry can, the two that were full of petrol remained intact.
So whether it's workshop or car there are no exposed battery terminals for me and any flamable solvents are always in metal cans.

 

[NickWelford]

A few minutes later I smelt burning. It turns out that I had inadvertantly put the battery down next to a wad of steel wool which had shorted across the terminals.

Even a spark from the grinder will ignite a carelessly placed chunk of wire wool. DAMHIK - easily extinguished at the time, but if I hadn't noticed it......

 

[Losos]

HS
Thanks, I had a look at their site & will start to make a list to buy on next UK trip.

Have today gathered up all the odd bits of wire wool around the place & sorted them into grades and found some old biscuit tins to put them in. Was a bit of a pain to do but I feel better now

 

[George_N]

Another risk area not mentioned is routers, on several occasions using old blunt cutters I've had smoldering chippings disappear up the vacuum pipe, I will leave the rest to your imagination :shock: :?

I'd also mention the router table as a real fire hazard. I've had the dust port of the router clog with chippings and very quickly start to smoulder. As soon as I turned off the router the glowing cinder, fanned by the draft from the vac, shot down the pipe. As his lordship says, you can imagine the panic trying to get the dust bucket out of the shop. Fortunately it only cost me a new filter for the vac.