So yeah... I'm an idiot...
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To read the rest of this blog entry from The Garage Journal, click here.
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- Thread starter Ryan
- Start date
Strouty
Well-known member
I can vouch for that!
OP
hahaha.
LB-1911
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Lesson learned, Your not the 1st & won't be the last.
Justrite
http://www.justritemfg.com/products/safety-cans-and-containers/
Justrite
http://www.justritemfg.com/products/safety-cans-and-containers/
Easyjet98
Well-known member
Wow, I'd say you're very lucky.....that everything didn't burn down!
Rewind97
Well-known member
Thanks for the reminder...........unfortunately at your expense.
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
Wow!!!!I'm surprised that the complete garage wasn't engulfed. Someone was looking out for someone that day.
bczygan
Well-known member
Join the club.
It has a large and varied membership!
Bill
It has a large and varied membership!
Bill
OP
It literally makes no sense. None at all...
Heel2toe
Well-known member
Crazy indeed and also very lucky. I swear I saw a thread on used oil rag disposal last week...any idea what the source of ignition was?
LB-1911
ALLIANCE MEMBER
How much other combustible material was contained within the waste container?
OP
According to the fire marshal, chemistry.
The Linseed oil was on two rags - both were wrinkled up and thrown away. Linseed oil builds heat, mixes with oxygen, and combusts on its own.
OP
I don't remember having anything else combustible. There might have been a used up bottle of brake cleaner, but I'm not 100% sure. I took out the trash the day before.
I do know there were some amazon boxes and some packaging inside... as well as a bunch of paper towels with windex on them.
sberry
Banned
I can see how that can happen, I have a long list of **** I did dumber than that.
Heel2toe
Well-known member
Holy **** I had no idea. I guess that's the part in your video where the instructions recommend used rags to be submersed in water. I thought that was overkill but now that you mention that apparently not.
I suppose a proper metal waste disposal with lid would be a good pickup but even then O2 could get in. This idea of spontaneous combustion is a freaky thing to think about...***** what happened but certainly a good wake up call and thanks for sharing. I know I certainly learned something today.
I suppose a proper metal waste disposal with lid would be a good pickup but even then O2 could get in. This idea of spontaneous combustion is a freaky thing to think about...***** what happened but certainly a good wake up call and thanks for sharing. I know I certainly learned something today.
SuperCat
Well-known member
Wow, you sure dodged a bullet there, that is as close to total disaster as you can get. I am glad you are okay, in the end, it is all stuff, and unlike people, stuff is replaceable. Maybe it is time for a thread on metal trash cans for flammable stuff. I know I have oily and greasy paper towels and rags in my garage, too. That is the usual by-product of working on things in the garage. I am removing that trash right now. Thanks for the video and the heads up. 
The Tool Tyrant
ALLIANCE MEMBER
You my friend are one lucky SOB! That got me to thinking...I'm installing a smoke detector this weekend. 
The Tool Tyrant
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I believe I heard 'said' bottle of brake cleaner exploding at one point.
OP
Yep, I could have sworn it went out with the trash earlier, but it's the only thing I can imagine exploding like that.
coljar
Well-known member
You must be living right. If it has anything but water or glass cleaner on it, it goes to the stand alone trash can outside.
tombell572
Well-known member
As said above, you will indeed not be the last. As a long-time member of the fire service I have seen this too many times and often in shops run by people who were veterans dealing with combustable materials.
As to the loft and wood rack not igniting, wood and wood products need a temperature of about 460f to ignite. Unless they were treated with a fire retardant, they did not reach that critical temperature to combust. Given the small distance involved and apparent duration of the fire, that was certainly an extreme stroke of luck.
An excellent video with a very real and scary message--thank you.
Tom B.
As to the loft and wood rack not igniting, wood and wood products need a temperature of about 460f to ignite. Unless they were treated with a fire retardant, they did not reach that critical temperature to combust. Given the small distance involved and apparent duration of the fire, that was certainly an extreme stroke of luck.
An excellent video with a very real and scary message--thank you.
Tom B.
mygarageone
Well-known member
You are very fortunate to have missed that bullet.
Now for a true story.
We were working on a new building and that week they were putting the final touches on all the trim and such with stain. Well that Friday everyone was in a hurry to get out of there and threw all there wet oil stained rags in a can in the men's bathrm .
This new building was being dedicated the following week . Well before the next week came , the dam building burnt down , guess what ? The fire started in the bathroom and consumed the whole building. The fire suppression system had not been hooked up yet either that was going to happen that week also .
The worst thing , we hadn't even received our first draw pymt request yet and we had to start all over .
Now for a true story.
We were working on a new building and that week they were putting the final touches on all the trim and such with stain. Well that Friday everyone was in a hurry to get out of there and threw all there wet oil stained rags in a can in the men's bathrm .
This new building was being dedicated the following week . Well before the next week came , the dam building burnt down , guess what ? The fire started in the bathroom and consumed the whole building. The fire suppression system had not been hooked up yet either that was going to happen that week also .
The worst thing , we hadn't even received our first draw pymt request yet and we had to start all over .
Shady Oaks Garage
Well-known member
I am glad it was no worse I have been concerned with the trash can in my shop and being in the fire service I am changing to a metal can with a lid an hope if this happens it will contain it I just need to make sure they who use it or me puts the top back on
JCQuick
Well-known member
you had a garage angle looking over you
Jesus, Ryan! I have a shop rag can in the shop and I often wonder how well it would contain a fire if I ever mistakenly put something that could combust in it. I doubt it'd be much better than the garbage can, although it does have a lid.
I don't mess with BLO even though there are advocates of it around here. And, like you, I probably would've tossed a paper towel in the trash, not thinking.
Glad it wasn't as devastating as Tuck's.
I don't mess with BLO even though there are advocates of it around here. And, like you, I probably would've tossed a paper towel in the trash, not thinking.
Glad it wasn't as devastating as Tuck's.
Strouty
Well-known member
That is weird, I couldn't see the link on Tapatalk? I would have made a much better comment if I had seen the link.
All in good fun and glad to see it didn't do anymore damage than it did.
I too would have never thought that the linseed oil would do that.
All in good fun and glad to see it didn't do anymore damage than it did.
I too would have never thought that the linseed oil would do that.
Pathfinders
Well-known member
You Dodged that bullet. Glad all is well. Thanks for the heads up.
Free Willie
Well-known member
That definitely would have taken out my shop with all the bare wood. I always put things like that outside in the firepit. Glad it turned out OK.
Garage_Admirer
Well-known member
So did you buy a lottery ticket?? Inquiring minds want to know 
Dodged a bullet right there.
I have a approved rag can in the shop and use it for all my shop towels, any thing with stain, BLO etc... I use paper towels and they go in a metal can outside away from everything.
At home I lay them out flat on the concrete outside to dry then toss them in the outside trash can.
I have a approved rag can in the shop and use it for all my shop towels, any thing with stain, BLO etc... I use paper towels and they go in a metal can outside away from everything.
At home I lay them out flat on the concrete outside to dry then toss them in the outside trash can.
tatra
Well-known member
Just saw the vid while perusing YouTube. We have a filtration system for our paint booths at work and sop is after the filters are changed out the bin goes directly outside. If job can't be completed in a shift and carried on by next, bin goes outside. I myself have been a little relaxed lately throwing brakekleen and other soiled rags in the trash. Will definetly use your experience to shape up on that . Hopefully some fire restoration guys can give ya some tips on cleanup.
PassnThru
Well-known member
If it's going in the trash then I'm not using it again - so it goes outside and gets torched.
It can't burn twice.
It can't burn twice.
killahog
Well-known member
Thanks for posting, I throw my oily rags in my wood stove all year around. In your defense I probably wouldn't have read the instructions either.
txvwnut
Well-known member
Wow! As stated you were very lucky in your unlucky moment.
Rickster55
Well-known member
And that's the important thing....that you learned from it. To everyone else, here is a free lesson. Learn from it. The next lesson will cost you!
Years ago was staining some cabinet doors, & noticed that when the rag saturated with stain was wadded up, it got very warm fast, & when opened up it cooled down just as fast, ever since then have been freaky about rags. I always leave stain rags flat until they dry out & toss them out.
A co-workers dad lost his shop because cut some metal & the hot metal went into some sawdust & smoldered until the fire started. Good news is it has since been rebuilt.
A co-workers dad lost his shop because cut some metal & the hot metal went into some sawdust & smoldered until the fire started. Good news is it has since been rebuilt.
Ipassgas
Well-known member
I'm going to pay a lot more attention to labels. It's frightening how bad that could have been.
Watco danish oil - at least the "old" original formula was infamous for the spontaneous combustion of used rags. I always lay out any rags used to apply stain or finishes across a metal rack (think cheap metal closet shelving) in order to the product to flash/cure, then through the rags away.