Spontaneous Combustion

[DavidF]

Another question on storing rags. If I am part way through a 3 coat process using BLO or similar I tend to store the wet rag in a plastice container with a lid so that the rag doesn't go stiff between uses and can be used for the next coats. After I am finished I throw the rag outside until it goes stiff then dispose of - Am I presenting a fire risk storing the wet rag???? URGENT I have one at home now in a container, should I call my wife and get her to throw it out???

 

[John Reeves]

David,

After re-reading Andrew's reply, it seems that if your jar is and remains air tight you may get heat build up which may lead to smoldering as you have taken the oxygen supply away.

The fuel in my instance was thin paper (Lowe's receipts) in the trash with several oily rags. I do not know if an oily rag is enough fuel but without oxygen it seems the worst if heat or smoldering if you have a critical mass.

 

[DavidF]

David,

After re-reading Andrew's reply, it seems that if your jar is and remains air tight you may get heat build up which may lead to smoldering as you have taken the oxygen supply away.

The fuel in my instance was thin paper (Lowe's receipts) in the trash with several oily rags. I do not know if an oily rag is enough fuel but without oxygen it seems the worst if heat or smoldering if you have a critical mass.

I phoned her anyway and she put it outside! Better safe than sorry, I have 5 projects on the go in the shop not to mention the value of the shop! If the rag is still in the container when I get home then it's a win win, and look I may have saved the cost of a rag:nah:

 

[DavidF]

Andrew, Thanks for the informative reply. Very helpful

Now I have started throwing my oily paper towels on the shop floor, they do dry out. So the next day I should put them in the trash but I found that I can re-use the old paper towel for wiping or rubbing after it is dry. I feel like I am doing a "BLUE TOWEL" commercial or either I am telling all how cheap I am.

What blue towels are you using? Are they as good as a "box of rags" for getting glue off etc. Do they leave lint on the job?

 

[John Reeves]

Paper towels I get from Sam's and other places. I find the cheaper than the box of rags, they do not leave lint and are fairly strong.

I pay $10 to $12 @ Sam's for a plastic wrapped bundle of 12 rolls so about $1 a roll. I pay about $10 for the 5# box of towels.

 

[John Reeves]

Forgot to talk about glue. No, they are not as good especially after the glue starts to set and you need to scrub a bit. They are possibly more absorbent when the glue is wet but if you rinse out your cloth, which I do, you can use it many times for glue. I just keep a bucket of water on the floor during glue-up and toss in all of the stuff I use for gluing, rollers, brushes and rags sometimes even the top of the glue bottle. Makes clean up easy. Then I water the out side plants with the white water in the bucket.

 

[LeftyTom]

I have heard tales from others about fires barely avoided (in some cases, barely contained), so I always lay my rags outsideon the driveway to dry, flat and in a single layer. I can always get more rags cheap.

 

[DavidF]

Forgot to talk about glue. No, they are not as good especially after the glue starts to set and you need to scrub a bit. They are possibly more absorbent when the glue is wet but if you rinse out your cloth, which I do, you can use it many times for glue. I just keep a bucket of water on the floor during glue-up and toss in all of the stuff I use for gluing, rollers, brushes and rags sometimes even the top of the glue bottle. Makes clean up easy. Then I water the out side plants with the white water in the bucket.

Hmmm. I do that with all the other stuff involved with gluing, but have thought about soaking the rags - good idea:widea:

 

[John Reeves]

I usually use Tightbond II which is water soluble. I get a lot of use from the rags.

 

[Gofor]

Another question on storing rags. If I am part way through a 3 coat process using BLO or similar I tend to store the wet rag in a plastice container with a lid so that the rag doesn't go stiff between uses and can be used for the next coats. After I am finished I throw the rag outside until it goes stiff then dispose of - Am I presenting a fire risk storing the wet rag???? URGENT I have one at home now in a container, should I call my wife and get her to throw it out???

I put mine in a metal can, but I also shoot a blast of "canned air", the 3M Dust Remover" aerosols like you can buy at Sams club, into it as I put on the lid. (I am using a metal "cookie tin"). The Dust Remover is actually diflouroethane, not breathable air, so it displaces the oxygen. I imagine the "Bloxygen" product is similar. By displacing the oxygen, it reduces the chance of combustion and also greatly slows the oxidation process of the cure, so the rags stay just like when they were put in the can, for up to a week. I also shoot some into the varnish can after decanting some of the mix, and the container I keep any mixed stuff in right before putting on the lid. Since doing this, I have had no problem with the varnish (poly) skimming over on top as the level in the can gets low.
Just an idea that has worked well for me on my last three projects.

Go

 

[jeff...]

I still think pinto beans could do it

 

[Gofor]

I still think pinto beans could do it

IIRC, that's what my old man blamed the outhouse paint failure on back when I was a youngin:rolf::rolf:

Go

 

[Sharp Blade]

Hey Dave, If you persist in consuming those large quanities of that liquid(???) pictured in your avitar; we may have the first documented case of SHC in NC, thus passing on the crown of "Grand Master Poster".
:kamahlitu

Hey, are you saying Dave O is using PERFORMANCE ENHANCING LIQUIDS? Hmmmmm. I don't know!:rotflm::rotflm:

 

[Howard Acheson]

Wring out the water and throw in the trash right before disposal day. Most coatings do not pose an environmental hazard at a land fill.

Go

Well, yes and no. A finish that has fully dried is not a hazardous material. However, the solvents are a hazard and discarding water that has had finishing solvents added to it, is classified as a hazardous waste. That's the reason I do not like the idea of soaking finish filled rags in water. Also, I have seen rags soaked in water that were then dried that became combustable. Soaking in water prevents oxygen from being added to the fire triangle. But, because there is no oxygen, the finish in the rag will not cure as long as the rag is still under water. However, once the water evaporates, the finish will again begin to cure and may get to the point of combustion.

The way I deal with oil filled rags is to lay them out on the lawn or hang them on a clothes line. Once they are dry, they can be discarded in the regular garbage as finishes these days are non-toxic when cured.