I got a lot of welding done yesterday. Labor Day.

I was calling it quits for lunch when I smelled a strange new smell in the garage. (Not my underarms, I know what those smell like) Took a quick look around and saw nothing unusual. Went inside to grab a bite of lunch, but since I forgot my glass I went back out.

Well, a pile of rags was well on fire in those 2 short minutes So I threw a glass of water on it, but that didn't slow it down. So I jumped on it and started stomping, but that just made the pieces fly all over the place. Luckily I remembered that I had a bucket of water just outside the door and that got the flames down far enough that I was able to fold the unburnt part of the rags over and throw the whole mess out the door.

That could have been a bad scene! I was simply lucky that I went back outside. The story could have been much different in a few more minutes...

Moral of the story, *and you experienced builders know this*: don't keep dirty shop towels or rags ANYWHERE near your chassis when welding.

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Originally posted by sgraber
Moral of the story, *and you experienced builders know this*: don't keep dirty shop towels or rags ANYWHERE near your chassis when welding.

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Well i nearly set fire to my socks the other day, when slag fell into my flip flops....

Typical English Male wearing socks on the job...

But I'm not surprised the slag had her flip-flops out in the garage

Ah garage on fire..................the nostalgia, 1997 it was...........

Cheers

Chris

Oh and then the electrics went up in '99

You wear socks with your flip flops?

That's on par with wearing socks and sandals...

not quite flip flops really... more like small trainers. No toe out action though

not guilty...

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Originally posted by Metal Hippy
That's on par with wearing socks and sandals...

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One of our insurance requirements in my business is that if any welding takes place then a presence must be kept onsite for at least 30 minutes after welding has finished.

When I made my chassis I had a couple of minor fires when the blue tissue towel bits caught fire from sparks. Always knew they caught fire as that stuff stinks rotten when burned.
You know the stuff, large blue tissue roll similar to a toilet roll, sold for industrial use and in a tear off container.

Normally try to keep any flammable items away from working area but just recently put down a 6 x 3 rug in front of bench, to stand on. Forgot about it and welded a small bracket this week. Looked down and saw the very sorry state it was now in, with weld spatter holes everywhere in it.

It's so easy to forget these things.

I keep a watering can full of water on hand. its only 2 quid at a garden centre and dumps 10 litres in about 15 secs. cheap insurance.

I can recall three fire incidents.

1. minor clothing fires caused by grinder - several times!

2. i used a cloth dust cover - bought from a diy shop (dust sheet) and it was a MASSIVE fire hazard. If sparks (grinder again) hit it, it could 'catch' and then smoldered like the blue touch paper on a firework. its almost impossible to put out unless you use water. it just smolders rapidly.

3. oily floor - I had a patch of dripping oil on the floor that cot hit by a weld slag, went up very nicely, but was a small patch, and was easy to smother.

get a watering can at least!

atb

steve

I actually have a fire extinguisher by the door, but unbelievably (at least in retrospect) my thinking was, "why waste the extinguisher on such a minor fire?". When in reality it was getting much larger by the second.

All's well that ends well.

Graber

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Originally posted by Rob Lane

You know the stuff, large blue tissue roll similar to a toilet roll, sold for industrial use and in a tear off container.

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Having spent a few years doing mot welding as a sideline, the best fire extinguisher for minor flare ups on undersealed cars is a one of those plant watering spray bottles, one puff of water mist is usually enough to put out all but the most severe fire.

I,m using an old Mr Muscle sqirty bottle for a cooler/extinguisher. Similar to plant sprayer but free when the shower cleaner runs out.

She usually runs out just after I get in the bathroom.

yours, Pete.