Pete.
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I once set something on fire with sparks from an angle grinder, so its not just welding that can be the issue
Yeah I did that today
I once set something on fire with sparks from an angle grinder, so its not just welding that can be the issue
Did the same years ago. Outside. 9'' old school grinder. smelled burning and looked down an my groin area was well alight. Funny enough it didn't hurt. That was until I smacked the flames, really hard to put them out!Guilty as charged.
I set myself on fire, I was cutting a piece of sheet steel, all the grinder sparks hit my overalls, the burning smell, gave it away I was on fire.
Probably my first few months with an angle grinder, many years ago.
Live and learn, etc.
oh yes! done that more times than im proud of!Did the same years ago. Outside. 9'' old school grinder. smelled burning and looked down an my groin area was well alight. Funny enough it didn't hurt. That was until I smacked the flames, really hard to put them out!
Tig needs yo be clean. I set fire to plenty of kitchen towels/rags soaked in brake cleaner with tig.Well, if your tig welding I'd close the garage door, wind etc.
Tig welding, the heat is so localised there's literally no chance of fire.
A fire extinguisher and a smoke alarm is never a bad idea.
Welcome to the forum.
I soon learned the lesson not to get Acetone on my gloves when Tigging. Amazing how difficult the are to take of when alight.Tig needs yo be clean. I set fire to plenty of kitchen towels/rags soaked in brake cleaner with tig.
Grinder, burnt a big hole in the crotch area of my cotton apron, but generally my clothes have survived.
Remember CO2 is pretty useless on wood type fires. They just reignite. Plain old water is your best bet. Just keep a bucket handy.Anything hot enough can ignite combustible materials. Combustible materials could be rags, clothing, paper and boxes, solvents, dust, fluff, sawdust etc. You can guess most things by thinking "could I set lite to it with a match", but other things you wouldn't think of such as dust. Also thinkbof things you have on your shelves. Waste bins are notorious for setting on fire and never throw solvent laden or oily rags in a bin.
The next thing to think about is the source of ignition. Sparks are notorious as a source of ignition as they travel, including deflecting off things. Some Sparks, especially from mig welding, roll over surfaces and also under things. I have seen the ends of welding rods (gas and tig) flick off the end if it and it roll fir a bit.
There can be other ignition sources that you wouldn't expect. I was once altering a spraybooth and I was drilling into the sheet metal roof. The drill was going a bit blunt and the swarf coming off was starting to go straw coloured. It fell on the floor and a little wisp of smoke started. I thought nothing of it but the smoke kept coming. I put my foot over it to put it out but it didn't. Grabbed a CO2 extinguisher and it had no effect. By now smoke was streaming from the floor like would come from a large smoke pellet.
By this time four of us were running around trying to find a solution. Cutting a longer story short, we stopped it by chipping around it with a spade and piled it together to burn itself out. We didn't realise but the floor had a thin layer of varnish/lacquer that had built up over years of spraying furniture.
So, expect the unexpected. I would say you need a 30 minute fire break using plasterboard and a good fire door. Also the smoke alarm mentioned above and perhaps a security camera to keep an extra eye on it.
Have fire fighting equipment readily to hand and keep it in the same place so you always know where it is. Go through the motions of firefighting as "fire drills" will help you remember what to do when you are in a panic!
I don't weld in my garage as I mig weld and I wouldn't grind in there either, especially as my garage is an untidy tip and I have solvents and paint in there too. If I had a tidy and solvent free garage I would consider doing tig. Perhaps consider a power file rather than a grinder?
Sorry for waffling on!!
Yes....."Me"......lit my pant leg right up....I once set something on fire with sparks from an angle grinder, so its not just welding that can be the issue
Linseed oil on a rag, plus some metal in there as a catalyst, is what seems to set these fires off. Here's a research article that goes into some detail about linseed oil and the chemistry involved:A spark is not necessary to initiate combustion with some materials. A factory, I worked at, burned down due to spontaneous combustion. The day before the fire, a smouldering waste bin was carried out of the area; on arrival for work the next morning the whole factory was burning to the ground.
Unlikely to occur, but raw linseed oil on rags is one definite hazard…
I know about linseed. What about other oils? Always worried when I chuck oil soaked rags away. Or when I use sawdust to clean up an oil spill.Linseed oil on a rag, plus some metal in there as a catalyst, is what seems to set these fires off. Here's a research article that goes into some detail about linseed oil and the chemistry involved:
I'm always a bit paranoid about solvents etc in rags so always dunk rags in a bucket of water before disposal....I know about linseed. What about other oils? Always worried when I chuck oil soaked rags away. Or when I use sawdust to clean up an oil spill.
I switched to using cheap cat litter for oil spills....a lot less mess...I leave it down a while and seems to just soak up everything.Or when I use sawdust to clean up an oil spill.
Or when I use sawdust to clean up an oil spill.
...Or you could just buy the proper "oil dry" sold for use in machine shops and automotive repair garages.I switched to using cheap cat litter for oil spills....a lot less mess...I leave it down a while and seems to just soak up everything.
Cat litter was very handy as I had a cat...so if a spill happened you can guess the rest...Or you could just buy the proper "oil dry" sold for use in machine shops and automotive repair garages.
It get's all mushy and slimy with water.Cat litter was very handy as I had a cat...so if a spill happened you can guess the rest