Thread: Fire from grinding?

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I am really freaky about fire, don't know why, just always really careful about it. My question is has anyone ever started a fire with their grinder? I try to keep everything clear and I have a welding blanket up where most of the sparks go, but they really fly everywhere. I try to hang in the shop maybe a half hour or so after I have quit making sparks hoping if anything was going to go up it would have by then. What is your experience?
Thanks,
CHAZ

I used to keep a pretty big piece of carpet in my work bay to catch any fluid or anything else that spilled. Well after catching oil, gas, tranny fluid, and whatever else it was rather dirty. When you grind on exhaust in the air yes, the carpet will catch on fire. I had to put it out but wasn't that bad.

Yes, I have had fires from grinding. I have set varsol rags on fire, work gloves on fire, and the front of an oily old sweatshirt on fire. You are right to be a bit freaked about it. (did you ever try to take off a flaming sweatshirt).

I have had a dozen or so small fires over the past 40 yrs........all started by the grinder.

I keep 2 buckets of water & a fire ext. in the shop.

Don Meyer

Yep! I'v started a few that way. Worst one was welding. I too stick around in the shop for awhile after burning cause sparks go every where. I have 5 water ext. and 4 ABC. I use the water ones often sometimes to cool a part. I call it testing them

Sure have, but more often from welding. We have had rags catch on fire, gloves, etc.

We have gone to Home Depot and placed fire extinquishers around the shop in places where we do this kind of work. We have also set a rule where we stop grinding and clean up our mess every night before we go home. It does two things. First of all you come back to a clean work area next day, and secondly, you are hanging around for another half hour, in which time you are making sure nothing was smoldering.

Sparks onto concrete won't cause any problems, it is the rags, papers, and other flamables that do, so if you keep those out of the way you will be ok.

We have a whole lot of clothes that have holes burned in them though. Right now I have two nasty burns on my left foot from sparks going down my sock.

Don

Don
Ever think of wearing shoes over your socks??
I used to get them down inside my boots too. Thats a real attenion getter.

I was cutting a seat frame with a plasma cutter and a spark went in the open box. A brand new B&M shifter was in the box. Well I didn't know it and was busy cutting then I smelled plastic burning. That spark had set my new shifter on fire. It burned all the plastic and paper. I was able to put the fire out with some water before it caught the garge walls on fire. OH I called B&M and they sent me the replacement parts for free. So it was not all bad. I don't use the plasma cutter in the shop anymore only outside. It throws sparks alot more than a torch or welder.

let's see, never really caught anything other then ME on fire while grinding, i've burnt my pants, shirt & jacket all at different times BUT it was a true attention getter.....joe

Originally Posted by TooMany2count

let's see, never really caught anything other then ME on fire while grinding, i've burnt my pants, shirt & jacket all at different times BUT it was a true attention getter.....joe

Well I have set myself on fire while welding.... It was my underpants just had to take a fast dive onto the bird bath..

An old friend of mine is a farmer.. I think I mentioned this before...But he was doing some grinding in a shed and as you say the sparks are flying all around the place. So somehow the sparks got directed to a tin of old detonators up on the shed wall.... He woke up with the whole shed wall blown out. He is still around, in his 70's now and his hair is titally white.

I'm like about everyone else and have caught various items on fire from grinding and welding. One of the items that sticks in my mind was some very fine steel wool that I had been using - that stuff has some oil in it and will burn very hot. No damage, but surprised that steel would burn - I keep it away from my hot work area now.

Originally Posted by Irelands child

I'm like about everyone else and have caught various items on fire from grinding and welding. One of the items that sticks in my mind was some very fine steel wool that I had been using - that stuff has some oil in it and will burn very hot. No damage, but surprised that steel would burn - I keep it away from my hot work area now.

Really ???? must remember that for my next lot of pyrotechnic gizmos.

I can't count the little fires I have started grinding or welding. I have fire extinguishers at the exits, a bucket of water and a spritzer bottle whenever I am doing hot work. Hot work shuts down an hour and a half before closing the shop. Pay attention to the news when they say a shop burned down an hour or two after quitting time.

Hmmmm. I'm reminded of the great fire of '89.... Mig welding overhead and smelled something burning.... It was my pony tail!!!!! Burning hair sure does smell bad.........

Fine steel wool will burn and it will burn very hot. We used to do tests with it in high school.