Thread: Igniting rags.

Yes and yes. I saw a tent full of helicopter parts burn down and have had a smouldering rag with linseed oil on it. I think linseed oil is the most likely to burn. spread the rags and dry them before disposing of them.

Yes.

Some WW shops would have metal bin for the day's rags which wld then be dumped in water at knock-off.

FWIW I just spread mine out on a section of swept concrete floor. By the next day they're dry.

Originally Posted by Groggy

Yes and yes. I saw a tent full of helicopter parts burn down and have had a smouldering rag with linseed oil on it. I think linseed oil is the most likely to burn. spread the rags and dry them before disposing of them.

I thought it was the tung oil bit!
What exactly sets it off? Does it get hot as it cures? (Kinda like epoxy? ) And that ignites the rag?

It is spontaneous combustion. A result of exothermic reactions as the oils dry.

sample:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvo6Q5nbI9Q"]YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.[/ame]

Spontaneous combustion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also said to be poss with piles of grass clippings under the right conditions.

whish it would happen to mine.

Yep saw it happen when I was a apprentice in the polish shop, I throw all such rags into a steel 20lt drum on wheels buy the door of the shed if anything starts to burn I can quickly move it outside.

Originally Posted by Groggy

Yes and yes. I saw a tent full of helicopter parts burn down and have had a smouldering rag with linseed oil on it. I think linseed oil is the most likely to burn. spread the rags and dry them before disposing of them.

Is there any difference between boiled and raw as flammability goes?
A friend's compost heap went up a few years back.
cheers,
Jim

Boiled has got driers in it.

Originally Posted by rsser

Boiled has got driers in it.

thanks,
Jim

How to ignite a rag?

Dead easy... the more oil rags there are, the more they are packed in a confined space, the faster the chemical reactions take place, the more the heat builds up and the hotter it gets the faster the reactions get.... bingo - fire.

Compost heaps, hay stacks, oily rags, incompatible chemicals etc.

Why don't you get a heap of cotton rag, drizzle them with oil, thinners, turps stain etc., etc., and then stick them into a steel drum outside without a lid on, in a safe area and see for yourself.

It may take quite a while - so make sure you can go to sleep and not worry about anything catching fire near the drum.

Cleaning up oil, solvent and fuel spills with saw dust, and disposing of it in a container or a big heap creates the same problem, which is why fuel/oil spills are cleaned up with diatomous earth (clay kitty litter) or sand.


This site shows how to do it in about 10 minutes:

http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/...il-soaked-rags

Google:

oily rags fire

Results 1 - 100 of about 42,500 for oily rags fire

http://www.alphecca.com/?p=250

http://www.biofuels.coop/2007/09/oily-rags/

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...d.php?p=765403



http://www.seltekwarehouse.co.uk/aca...-rag-bins.html



Hay stack fires:

Australian Fodder Industry Association - Organisation - News - Managing Shed Fires