Drying oil-based wood finish in the Mess room - Fire Hazard

Serious fire hazard in the Mess Room. Someone’s left a tung oil-soaked project on the bench and oily rags in the bench and in the garbage can.

Drying tung oil is not allowed at VHS. We have this rule not only because of great potential for fire, but also because of an actual fire in 2019, started from drying oily rags, the Talk post for which is pinned to this channel.

I have safely disposed of the oily rags. The drying project is in a clear area on the concrete floor of the DMZ under supervision. If it isn’t collected by the time I leave this evening, it will be removed from VHS and left in the alley. This is not punishment, this is action to maintain the safety of VHS.

Again, drying oil based wood finishes is banned from VHS.




2 Likes

That’s me indeed, sorry for the hazard! ill make sure to dispose of all oily rags/papers in the outside garbage!

No. that results in a dumpster fire. Drying oils are banned at VHS. Period. We’ve almost lost he hackspace that way once.

5 Likes

What Janet said, basically drying oil soaked rags will catch fire if improperly disposed of.
https://www.consumerreports.org/wood-stains/oily-paint-rags-can-spontaneously-combust/

As this incident, and the previous incidents have proven we as an organization cannot rely on our members to universally have the knowledge to do this safely and thus we decided as an organization to ban them entirely.

It only takes one mistake and we lose the space. If android didn’t catch it (thank you so, so much!), this could be a thread about why the hackspace burned to fricken ground.

If you want to use this finish, do it off site and make sure to dispose of your rags in a responsible manner.

3 Likes

Gocha, Ill oil on my own turf then.

Apologies

4 Likes

For emphasis.

4 Likes