Metal Work and Flying Sparks

[Tony_SS]

I'm sorry if this sounds ignorant... but I've been getting into doing a lot of metal work, and I'm concerned about fire safety. Sparks shooting across the bench sort of give me that 'something going to catch on fire' feeling.

Am I worrying for no reason?

 

[dittle fart around]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

Not really. I've set my workbench on fire from welding directly on it. Had sparks start the frayed sections of my Carharts on fire. Whenever your working with sparks from grinding or welding you've got to be concerned with fire. Make sure you store flammables away from the work space, You know like oily rags, piles of paper, gas... Have a working fire extinguisher handy. Should all be common sense stuff.

 

[Mat Mobile]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

Yes, you have to be careful.

The worst is rags with solvent. I always keep a rag on my bench to clean-up tools, the bench and such with WD-40. When sparks get into that it lights up. And usually I have a welding mask on so I don't see it before the flames are 4 - 5 inches.

Also, if you use a grinder for a long time and the sparks keep going on your clothes well your sweater my start burning up.

And I don't think insurance companies like this type of hobby...

So you should:

- Have a fire extinguisher in the garage.
- Wear fire retardent clothes for welding (I have a leather jacket)
- Clean up your area before the sparks start flying.

 

[Zrexxer]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

I set my buddy's shop on fire with some prolonged work in the vise with a 7" angle grinder. Grabbed the fire extinguisher, pull, aim, squeeze, sweep... Whew! That was lucky.

Sat down to catch my breath and saw the smoldering start again. Whoosh! flames start up the wall again. Only now I don't have another fire extinguisher, and there's no water in the shop. You never saw anybody do the fifty yard dash from the house carrying a five gallon bucket of water as fast as me, and it took two more trips.

So yeah... be careful about that ****.

 

[Tony_SS]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

I've been setting up a make shift bench with saw horses and just pointing the sparks out the garage door on the concrete.. I'm just too paranoid to do that inside on the work bench anymore..

 

[K13]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

I always try and plan to remain in the garage for a while after I am done any grinding just to make sure nothing is smoldering and may fire up. By far the worst problems are not cleaning up on a regular basis and having flammable materials around. If you keep up with both of those you shouldn't run into any problems.

 

[Altec]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

I work in areas. Flammables are on one side of the shop, and stuff that make sparks are on the other side... I'm not really concerned about wood, or steel bursting into flames...

Currently there are four fire extinguishers in the shop though, and a garden hose right outside. I could also use the bag of stay dry (Kitty Litter) if needed... An ounce of prevention, and all that...

Also, I consider sparks the least of my concerns. Open flames, and slag are what I concern myself with... The only thing I've had sparks light up is a bag of fireworks. Which was funny as hell... So, if you have a paper bag full of explosives, then I'd be worried about sparks...

 

[csp]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

Not having anything to do with sparks or flames, but be careful what those sparks are aimed at. Your grinder gives off lots of particles that will pit glass badly, as well as paint. If the sparks are hitting a window or mirror, the particles are too.

 

[darkk]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

Get a fire extinguisher and build a small fire shield for your work area...

 

[1320stang]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

move your vehicle away.

 

[jkeyser14]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

• don't grind near anything you don't want small molten shards of metal to embed themselves into
• don't grind or weld near flammable materials or fluids
• always wear goggles when grinding and a welding helmet when welding
• if grinding something for more than 5-10 minutes a day wear a welding helmet, I know someone who woke up with burning and blinded eyes the night after grinding something for several hours in one day.
• When grinding don't wear gloves (don't want to get a finger/hand sucked in if the glove catches)
• When welding always wear gloves
• When welding or grinding wear a welding jacket and jeans. Make sure the jeans don't have any frays. I've set myself on fire before .
• Always keep a fire extinguisher handy

 

[evintho]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

I've been doing a lot of welding and metalwork lately and besides flying sparks, it makes a heckuva mess! I picked up a couple of 6' x 8' HF welding blankets when they had a 90% off closeout sale ($5.67 each out the door!) and hung one on cup holders from my shelves and cabinets. It keeps the sparks and all the grinding debris contained in one spot. Makes for a super easy cleanup! Also, 2 fire extinguishers are at the ready at all times.

 

[ZRX61]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

Set a lump of steelwool on fire in the garage a while back...

 

[tcianci]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

Had an experience just the other day, however I knew to look out for it:

I have a 9" disk grinder/sander in my shop. It uses 9" PSA disks and I usually keep like an 80 grit disk on it and I use the machine to remove wood, plastics, steel and aluminum. I was grinding a round over on some steel parts I was making. When I finished, I checked the pile of waste material under the machine... smoldering sawdust. I scooped it up to put it on the concrete floor and douse it. Then I re-checked the work area...more glowing sawdust. Everything got a good soaking and a double check. So, although rags, solvents and the like can catch on fire from grinding sparks...other materials can just sit and simmer for a while before they combust. In industry, we have a system of flame permits to be issued before open flames, grinding or welding are started and then the "fire watch" is continued for a period of hours after the completion of the job for situations just like this. It's one thing to catch something on fire and either take care of it or bail and call the fire department. But it's another situation completely when you think all is well and let your guard down around combustables.

 

[Mike662]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

The thing that scares me the most is sawdust. I try to keep metal work and wood work in separate areas, but sawdust seems to get everywhere in the garage. I am pretty **** about cleaning up all the sawdust I can find before I do anything that produces sparks.

Evintho, I like the hanging blanket idea.

 

[Sureshot]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

I like to empty the garbages before leaving the shop after doing any welding. The shop always needs cleaning anyway and this gets flammables out and gives you some time incase anything is smoldering.

 

[Agent1320]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

Welding Blankets or Transparent Shields will really help control the sparks. Keeping the sparks in one area is important. Keep that area clean of anything flammable. Get yourself a good fire extinguisher to have nearby in the shop at all times. Also a smoke alarm, you don't have to mount it just put it outside the garage or inside the house when you're making smoke, and place it up high in the garage when you're going back in the house.

I live inside my warehouse, so it's like having an attached garage. I always do my welding in one area of the shop. Even still, I wait around for an hour or so before I go in, just to make sure nothing is smoldering that can flare up. It's happened a few times where I smell smoke, go out and see something burning, but never anything to freak out about, so I've just been lucky.

 

[A1an]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

You could setup a track on the ceiling for a welding curtain similar to how they have tracks for curtains at the hospital. Makes it quick and easy to block off a section to protect the rest of the garage from sparks, sawdust, overspray, or whatever it is you are doing. I think Ikea has a track system that can be mounted on the walls or ceiling. Obviously you wouldn't want to use their curtain material, but I think the track and hardware could be beefy enough to support a welding curtain.

 

[bad_idea]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

i work in ship repair, so i am surrounded by hot work on a regular basis. we set a bail of rags on fire 25' away with a plasma cutter. dry, clean rags btw.

biggest thing - 30 minute cool down after hot work is complete. take a half hour after you are done working to clean up and square away the garage. you will have a clean garage to work in the next time you go out there. then step back out into the garage about an hour later to check on things. once you are more acclimated to the rosy smelling house, you will be able to notice the subtle smell of stuff smoldering/burning.

then i would suggest keeping flammable liquids in a seperate shed.

be vigilant in fire prevention in the garage. be paranoid. do a quick search of this site and you will find several guys' garages burnt to the ground.

 

[larry_g]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

And during clean up be careful what you **** up in the vacuum cleaner. I started one on fire by sucking up a hot ***********. Dry stuff in the canisiter and a lot of wind to blow on the fire.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Ign]

Re: Metal Works and Flying Sparks

And during clean up be careful what you **** up in the vacuum cleaner. I started one on fire by sucking up a hot ***********. Dry stuff in the canisiter and a lot of wind to blow on the fire.

lg
no neat sig line

Agreed. Likewise don't throw drops in the trash can until they've cooled overnight. Here is where a bare concrete floor is beautiful. I just push hot drops to an open part of the floor and let them sit overnight. Concrete = heat sink

 

[6768rogues]

I always hang around for a hour afterward on "fire watch".

 

[Blk63Vette]

I'm sorry if this sounds ignorant... but I've been getting into doing a lot of metal work, and I'm concerned about fire safety. Sparks shooting across the bench sort of give me that 'something going to catch on fire' feeling.

Am I worrying for no reason?

Dude buy a fire blanket...

 

[SWT Racing]

Be careful shooting heavy sparks on the welding blankets. . .they will start to smolder. It usually happens when you are grinding very close to the blanket.

They also smell terrible once they start smoldering.

 

[Falcon67]

I had a small 2x3 bench where I did most grinding. I picked up a couple of stray gray steel 2'x4' shelves at a junk dealer for $1 each. I used one for the back wall and the other for a side wall. A small snip with tin snips on the back and a hole with a 16 penny nail on the side made the side panel easy on, easy off.

 

[Cryo Gal]

One thing people dont think about most times is to make a fire and practice using the extinguisher. If you dont do a wide sweep staring in front of the fire and work into it, you can easily just blow the fire all over and then you will be in trouble. Also, take you extinguisher to the fire dept (or wherever) and have them inspected, I think it's once a year.