Fire! Phew, that could have been nasty....

[AJB Temple]

There was recently a thread about workshop fires. By some twist of fate I had a fire last weekend. I happened to be working in our yard at home, where we have bins, building materials etc, and saw flames coming from the general rubbish wheelie bin.

The previous day I had been making a spindle to replace a chair leg brace. I am not a lathe expert and have only had mine a couple of weeks from a member here. I was smoothing the work with wire wool (probably not what I should be doing but I have had no lathe training since I was 14, which is x decades ago). I had also been grinding some edges on my wife's abused garden tools and cleaning them up with oily rags.

My practice for years has been to clean out my workshop (amateur) at the end of the day when it is used, and not keep rubbish in there. Hence the wire wool etc were in the wheelie bin. I don't really know what caused the fire but I am guessing that warm wire wool, some kitchen cloths fairly well impregnated with WD40 were just warm enough to ignite several hours later. The wheelie bin melted a 6" wide hole by the time I realised. If this had happened in my workshop it would be an ex-workshop by now. Salutary lesson!

 

[CHJ]

The wire wool rags soaked in oil etc. do not need to be hot.

The reaction process as oil on wirewool or rags oxidises can (always assume will) result in enough heat to combust.

 

[Bm101]

Wire wool and batteries is also a sure way to start a fire. Glad you and the workshop are ok.

 

[Tetsuaiga]

Its lucky when you get a good shock and learn something without any permament damage being done.

I cut my thumb on the bandsaw a while ago which was my worst injury so far, steangely my hand was under the table at the time, probably a few 10ths of a millimeter and perhaps i might of had some permanent damage.

 

[paulm]

Glad there wasn't any serious damage, scary !

Wire wool is very dangerous on the lathe, it can snag and unravel or wrap itself around the workpiece at high speed including your fingers, scotchbrite type pads are much safer once you have been through the usual abrasive grits.

Cheers, Paul

 

[DTR]

The wire wool rags soaked in oil etc. do not need to be hot.

The reaction process as oil on wirewool or rags oxidises can (always assume will) result in enough heat to combust.

I think this only applies to linseed oil and the like? WD40 and other mineral oils are endothermic i.e. they don't generate heat as they oxidise. Still wise to take precautions with any oily rag, though.

 

[AJB Temple]

Paul, thanks for the note re wire wool: I had not considered that. I had in fact cut small chunks off the roll and was using it in the final stages of finish, nut I fully take the point. I do intend to go on a turning course when I get chance. I don't know for sure what started the fire, but the wire wool probably was quite warm at some point, I was handling it with thin cotton gloves as I routinely do when doing most woodwork.

 

[mickthetree]

well done for sharing and letting others know the risk.

Glad everything is ok.

 

[ED65]

I was handling it with thin cotton gloves as I routinely do when doing most woodwork.

Glad your fire wasn't worse! Just a quick thing on lathe safety, I believe you should never wear cloth gloves when working on the lathe (all spinning power tools in fact). Same risk with loose jumper sleeves or similar.

 

[AJB Temple]

ED 65. Thanks for that advice, I do agree and I am very careful but it is a choice between take a degree of risk or do no woodwork at all I have eczema which is quite dramatically triggered by contact with wood tar among other things. Gloves make it tolerable. Sometimes I wear latex but the perspiration in them is a pain. Like many I also get asthma (dust exacerbated) and hay fever (the triumvirate) and have learnt to compromise. I don't use machine tools that much and when I do I try hard to keep my hands clear. I realise that what I do may not be good practice and I don't advocate it for others. But thanks for your concern anyway.