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Surviving My Own Stupidity...

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NORTON'S SHOP

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Dec 30, 2010
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Upper Midwest
Maybe pvfjr will read this thread and think again about saying $47.00 is too much to pay for "a container for oily rags."

The garage gods were looking down on you Ryan. You are extremely lucky!!! Gives me shivers to even think about losing my garage.
 
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zak77

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Sep 18, 2014
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Monson, MA
Locate people hired a contractor to add an addition to their house and renovate the interior. The contractor's son was staining/sealing some wood and must've left some rags in a pile instead of throwing them in a proper container. House was almost a total loss. Fire started in the living room on the first floor, burned through and dropped into the basement. Thankfully a neighbor called it in before it was totally engulfed but the heat/smoke/water damage was pretty heavy. There was a nicely stacked pile of charred hardwood flooring about 8 feet away from the where the fire originated. Even pros mess up sometimes.
 
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kenners

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Aug 16, 2009
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SE Wa State
I've been lucky enough to acquire several items from previous work environment. First is one of those triangular safety cans with spring loaded lid. Second is a rather large fire cabinet with spring loaded doors to store gas/diesel cans. Purchasing new would be a rather large investment but I've acquired both for free from the parking lot disposal system.
Thanks for posting the information/video as it is a wake up call for others !
 
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Gerald O

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NC
It used to be common knowledge among woodworkers that linseed oil soaked rags were a fire waiting to happen. It used to be taught as a matter of course. This 'lore' is becoming forgotten by a younger generation of woodworkers with the many other modern wood finishes now in use, most of which are not self combustible. Its now more important than ever to read the label and the MSDS for products like this, and heed the warnings.
 
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James E

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Jun 21, 2010
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Raleigh, NC
Just as labels are now filled with nonsensical legalese due to regulations, there ought to be a regulation that the important safety warnings should be called out in a larger font and/or color.

When you fill up a label with ****, even the few people who read labels will be dissuaded from reading them.
 
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rlitman

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Oct 18, 2010
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Long Island
James E said:
Just as labels are now filled with nonsensical legalese due to regulations, there ought to be a regulation that the important safety warnings should be called out in a larger font and/or color.

When you fill up a label with ****, even the few people who read labels will be dissuaded from reading them.
Click to expand...

I'm all for that, so long as you add a warning that reading the label may cause cancer in California.

NFPA 704 diamond labels are the closest thing in use I can think of that approaches your intention. At no more than a glance, they classify the type of dangers from a product, as well as the hazard level posed. But that's not something you see on most consumer commodities marked for individual sale. And they're not designed to be interpreted by the general public.
 
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Moose97

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Jul 11, 2013
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North Central Texas
As you and your fire marshal buddy both said you are extremely lucky you didn't lose the whole place! It is a small scale miracle really.

Thanks for posting this. I am probably too flippant with my disposal practices at times. I'll take better precautions.

Again, this might be the time to fly off to Vegas and place some bets. Really lucky!:lol_hitti
 
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Nighttrain

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Dripping Springs, Tx
Wow thanks for sharing, I'll show this to my son. He always thinks I get carried away by putting the garbage cans outside at night if we have oily paper towels in them. V
 
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wrench409

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Oct 14, 2006
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Over here....
09500_md.jpg
Click to expand...

I have that same one in my garage.

Ryan, nice to meet you, but it's great the event didn't go any further! Kudos on the heads up for all GJers!
 
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bucktruck

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Mar 29, 2016
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NorCal
1: Glad that you're okay and the damage was limited to a bit of cleanup.
2: Thanks for the heads up, as I use linseed oil sometimes when building bicycle wheels.
3: Tell us more about the 911 in the garage.
4: What's the band playing at the end of the video?
 
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Apache3057

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May 20, 2016
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South Jersey
It happens more than you think. Be thankful that is all that burned. I ve seen it a couple of times during the coarse of my job. The garage gods were looking out for you.
 
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Strouty

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Mar 21, 2010
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Southern Maine
At least I am not crazy, Tapatalk does not show the link. I wasn't sure what Ryan was up to, so I thought I would have some fun.
 
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rmalkow2

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Brighton, MI
So more than enough people who must be perfect in their garage have commented in every usual way.
But, my question is why didn't your security camera system alert you immediately? If it were sending you immediate alerts of movement or sound caused by the light of that fire you could have gotten there a lot quicker. I use a very simple system by re-dedicating and old iPhone and a cheap or free app to turn the phone into a security camera. It alerts for movement or sound and changing of light intensity is treated like movement.
I even had it alert me to potential movement while out of town because it saw lightning flashes out the window during a thunderstorm.
Check out the app "Manything" and similar ones which tie into your smart phone and alert you immediately.
Thanks for being human and humble enough to admit a mistake so others can learn.
 
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srr

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Jul 10, 2015
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Location
San Diego
Thank you for the info. No more plastic trash cans for me! I have one of those red cans and have "clean" rags in it. Oops... I had a small garage fire a few weeks ago while cleaning an aluminum intake with electronic cleaner (thought it was carb spray...didn't read the label first) The bench had a piece of oily cardboard on it and "****" the intake, bench and my arm were on fire. I grabbed an extinguisher and put it out. More WTF than scared because I couldn't understand how it happened, no power cords nearby, no movement except for the can I was spraying, no heat source.
 
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mcmlvif100

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May 2, 2010
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Northern Indiana
Mpower5266 said:
09500_md.jpg


I think I will find one for my basement soon
Click to expand...

Just ordered two of the Just Rite 6 gallon oily waste cans, one for the garage and one for the basement workshop ( Zoro - free shipping, $89 total after 15% discount). Also ordered an Edsal flammable liquid safety cabinet ( 43" W x 44" H x 18" D ; Menards - ship to store, $444 after 11% rebate ).

Might be the best "garage" money that I will spend this year.

Thanks Ryan and Mpower5266. I had been putting this off for far too long.
 
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BrettJ74

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Jan 8, 2017
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Vancouver Washington
Wow I was just using BLO today and left the rag inside some latex gloves and threw them in the small metal garage trash. After watching this I called my wife at home and had her dig them out and dispose of properly. Thank you for this PSA.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
 
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Ryan

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rmalkow2 said:
So more than enough people who must be perfect in their garage have commented in every usual way.
But, my question is why didn't your security camera system alert you immediately? If it were sending you immediate alerts of movement or sound caused by the light of that fire you could have gotten there a lot quicker. I use a very simple system by re-dedicating and old iPhone and a cheap or free app to turn the phone into a security camera. It alerts for movement or sound and changing of light intensity is treated like movement.
I even had it alert me to potential movement while out of town because it saw lightning flashes out the window during a thunderstorm.
Check out the app "Manything" and similar ones which tie into your smart phone and alert you immediately.
Thanks for being human and humble enough to admit a mistake so others can learn.
Click to expand...

It did alert me... Five times actually. It's just that I'm a heavy sleeper and the alerts didn't wake me.
 
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akqj9

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Nov 9, 2010
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I wiped down some furniture with linseed oil and saved the used rags for the next day. I was lucky enough to be in the shop the next day when I smelled something burning and noticed the rags were smoldering and threw them out on the lawn. They burst into flames which could have been in my shop. I don't save rags any more even if they have some use left in them. I empty the shop can outside to the trash barrels every night now.
 
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sodbuster

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Apr 3, 2006
Messages
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Thank goodness your safe and I bet your pop's was watching over you and your garage. You should post this over on the JJ as a PSA.

Chris
 
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Aspen RT

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kansas
That's just crazy! Glad it didn't do any more damage to your shop. Thanks for reminding us of the dangers!
 
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Plombob

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Oct 19, 2008
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Tennessee
You were VERY lucky, Ryan

Anytime I'm done with an oily rag or towel, I burn it.

Oily rags left by a careless mechanic burned grandfather's dealership to the ground.
 
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Jazz1

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Jan 3, 2016
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Location
Thunder Bay On.
Great learning experience. Guy who taught me to paint cars filled me in on linseed oil or I surely would have joined club stupid as the product does not even remind of flames,,,no nice carb cleaner scent, smells near edible. Also good reason avoid aspenite walls in shop. Cant explain the ply wood, must be some cheap offshore stuff:)
 
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