wood burning stove and the woodshop

[ronnchy]

Hello all,
I'm a new woodworker and I just registered today. What a great forum.
I want to buy a small woodburning stove for my detached double car woodshop. I'm concerned about the whole safety factor. Do I have to worry about paint fumes suddenly igniting? Or dust landing on the stove, creating a problem? Sorry if these are dumb questions, but I'd rather be safe than....
thx.

[Stuart]

Good question! (and welcome btw). It is something that I'm interested in as well - seen it in some US woodworking books - be an interesting addition to the shed.

However, I can imagine the downside : "Hmm, its getting a bit cold, oh damn, I just miscut this piece of pine, oh well, and I've done it again, and again - oops"

[ptc]

Any info welcome.
No paint in mine only wood

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Dust settling on the stove I wouldn't worry about, provided you don't let it build up into blanketing layers. In high enough concentrations, air-borne dust is explosive but it takes levels similar to a desert sandstorm. I doubt you're working under those conditions. ;) Common sense should still prevail; don't use dust intensive machines such as sanders near an open flame. Probably not a good idea to place a DC outlet near a heater either.

Solvent fumes are a more realistic concern; if you're spray-painting it's safe to say you shouldn't have an open flame nearby. Otherwise, if you have fumes building up to levels where you're concerned about them igniting, adding a stove is the least of your troubles! After all, brushed motors (hand-drills, sanders, etc.) would be just as likely ignition sources... and breathing solvents is not good for your health. Again, common sense dictates that you don't place an open can of acetone next to a heater...

If you're going to buy a heater specifically for the workshop, choose carefully just the same. You don't want an "open" burner, like some of the pot-bellies with lattice-work in the doors. Choose something that's self-contained when closed up. Similarly, DO NOT throw handfuls or shovelfuls of sawdust onto a burning flame! It go BOOM. Not good. If you want to burn sawdust, buy/make a dedicated sawdust burner instead. They're loaded up with saw-dust, lit and then sealed up until the dust has finished burning. (Well... smouldering, really.)

[Groggy]

Skew has provided a good answer, but I'd like to add something a lot of people just don't think about.

Fumes tend to settle low and build up. When you smell them you are already in a soup of trouble. ANY motor or sparking source will set it off, sometimes a light switch will do it.

Thinners are an especially dangerous item to use, make sure the shop is very well ventilated and there are NO sparking sources.