Fire risk in woodworking shop

[minilathe22]

Hello everyone,

I do alot of woodturning and as a result end up with alot of wood dust/shavings all over the floor. I tend to scoop it up and store it in airtight plastic containers, before giving it away for chicken/pet bedding or putting it on the garden. I also use it to slowly dry roughly cut bowls in cardboard boxes. I have a dust extractor which grabs most of the fine dust, but if there was a fire in the workshop I am sure it would spread quickly with all this dry wood and dust everywhere. The dust extractor itself being the most likely culprit.

As it is slightly separate from the house, I don't think I would hear a smoke alarm even if it went off. I have been looking for a remote smoke alarm, so I can have the sensor in the workshop and the sounder in the house. The only thing I have been able to find is a wifi enabled one linked to a phone app, this feels like an overly complicated setup, and means I must always make sure the phone is charged. Another alternative is a cable based "fire system" which you see in offices but that feels a bit over the top.

Anyone got a better idea for a simple "remote" smoke alarm?

 

[pcb1962]

You don't need a whole 'fire system', any pair of linked alarms will do the job if you are able to run a single cable between the two, such as a pair of these, many others are available. In this case if either unit is triggered then both would sound the alarm.

 

[minilathe22]

thank you, that is a good solution, albeit with the hassle of putting a cable from the "sensor" alarm to the "sounder" alarm. And I get prewarning if the house sets on fire while I am in the workshop

 

[Fitzroy]

I have no DX (yes I should I know, instead I wear a mask for everything) so end up with dust/shavings everywhere. I have often found myself thinking about about a fire alarm. Where I got to was, what would I do if it went off? The whole thing is made of wood and even when clear of dust/shavings is full of pieces of wood, if there is a fire I'm sure it would be outside my abilities to do anything about it before I could do anything about it, and I expect the shop would be destroyed in less time than it would take to get the fire service out. As such a fire alarm would only serve to alert me to come watch the shop burn to the ground, sorry melodramatic!

My prime focus has thus been on preventing fires. The only sources of fire I have identified are electrical and autoignition of finishing rags/wipes. So I only have the power on to the workshop when I am there, it is isolated in the hose when I leave, and I empty the bins at the end of every session, and clear away any rags/wipes used for finish etc.

My shop is also far enough from the house, and other houses not to threaten a fire spreading, else a fire alarm would serve a useful purpose.

Fitz.

 

[minilathe22]

Further research actually shows that many of the "wireless" ones use their own little wireless network, and are not dependent on a wifi router or mobile app. Example: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product...title_huc_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3IJAR138CEFO3 Although I suspect the cable wired ones are more reliable as you won't get any signal issues.

Fitz, obviously prevention is better than cure, I have a fire extinguisher so perhaps if a small fire started I would be able to deal with a burning rag before it took over.

My main concern is the motor in the dust extractor, its got heat and dry wood dust settling on it in the roof space, so its also difficult to notice a fire, or reach it if I need to.

 

[RobinBHM]

I had a fire in a joinery shop.

The panel saw must've got a bit of wood stuck and the blade rubbed on it....which then dropped off and the extraction air acted like bellows.

Anyway the 4 bag dust extractor sucked up embers and flames started inside the plastic extraction bags.

A fire started inside the extraction ducting and smoke started pouring out of all the machines.

Luckily It was during the day and fire extringuishers put it out.

 

[Sandyn]

I have heat and smoke detectors throughout the house. It was a requirement of building control when I added an extension. They are connected by cable. I don't trust any wireless systems for critical alarms. Just a personal thing, based on no real evidence. The alarms just use 4 wire. 3 mains + a common alarm wire. Very simple to install. They have battery backup for mains failures. I think it's a good idea to have connected fire alarms. It will be compulsory in Scotland from either this year or next.

 

[Fitzroy]

Was to be Feb ‘21 in Scotland now to be a year delayed due to the ‘Rona. My earlier post sounded very dismissive, sorry not the idea, was just reflecting on my mental journey. I do have an extinguisher on hand though as if a fire were to start it’d likely have been due to something daft I had done.

 

[Sandyn]

I think the introduction is delayed now, but it's one of those laws that will just sit in the background with not many people actually doing it. Then there will be line of people at the door telling me I'm breaking the law if I don't have alarms and their system is only £1000 to fit.

I followed your thinking. Mine is the same, prevention of fires. Scared of spontaneous combustion of rags. I have all my power tools on one circuit, so I can turn everything off from one place at night. I have dust and sawdust as well, but no direct sources of sparks. I give all my machinery/motors a clean with compressed air about every two weeks as part of a clean up of dust on shelves.
My indoor workshop was built as a garage, so had to be fire proof. 2 layers of 12mm plaster board on the ceiling, fire doors and fire hatch to the loft. It should give 30min before spreading.
My workshop is also full of flammable things. My plan if anything should go wrong is to haul in the garden hose. I have a fire extinguisher somewhere. lol. The fire hose idea is no use just now, the hose is frozen . I have a spare cold water feed above the workshop, so I am considering bringing the water into the garage and having a firehose.

You can do all the sensible stuff, but sometimes fires are just an accident, an unexpected machine failure or something else going wrong. Then you are stuffed!!! That's when I rely on the alarm system.

 

[AJB Temple]

It's difficult. My main workshop is 200m from the house. Key things for me:

Metal linisher does not go to wood extractor.
Workshop cleaned up and swept whenever used.
Vast majority of wood stock is in a separate building.
Shavings tipped into leaf mould pile.
Single very obvious switch kills all workshop power.
Oily rags, used wire wool etc are put outside - always.
Overhead dust extractor vents outside
Fire extinguisher and fire blanket and first aid to hand
Water supply inside workshop and hose immediately outside
Alarmed
Insured

You can only do so much.

 

[pe2dave]

The Google Nest smoke alarm.
Wifi connected, sounds on your mobile if set up to do so (mark 'away' from home).
Mains or battery.

 

[Sheptonphil]

I have two Aico dual sensor smoke alarms in the house, linked by cable, and in the new workshop I have an Aico heat alarm (sawdust would set off a standard alarm). This has a radio link in the base and connects wirelessly to the pair in the house (one of which also has the radio link installed). If any is triggered, all of them sound.

Even at night, the one outside the bedroom would sound if the workshop one was triggered.

 

[Spectric]

Prevention is better than cure, don't just stop what you are doing and leave the workshop. Ensure everything is turned off and you have left no sources of ignition. Good practice is to always clean down machinery following use and remove flamable waste from the area.

 

[minilathe22]

thanks for all the replies, I will probably get a set of the wireless linked ones to avoid another cable to the workshop. And continue to collect the dust in airtight containers.

 

[JonG]

Thanks for the post. I hadn’t given enough thought to this but will bow get some linked WiFi alarms.