Almost lost my shop to a stupid mistake.

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J

Justturnin

Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2011
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2,235
Location
Houston, Tx
Walked out to the shop to check on some wood that I am drying in the toaster oven to cast and the dang thing was smoking like crazy. Unplugged and tossed it outside where the contents instantly went up in flames. There was a lot of beautiful stuff lost but it could have been so much worse. I run that oven over night sometimes. If this would have happened then I could have lost it all. I know why it happened, I filled it to the rim w/ wood and lowered the shelf closer to the element to make more fit all the while bumping the temp up to dry it faster and the wood got too hot.
 
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if it makes you feel any better - it probably "instantly went up in flames" because it was only smoldering with the door closed.

as soon as the door opened, you added more oxygen to the reaction...that where the flames likely came from.
 
The Penguin said:
if it makes you feel any better - it probably "instantly went up in flames" because it was only smoldering with the door closed.

as soon as the door opened, you added more oxygen to the reaction...that where the flames likely came from.
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I knew that was going to happen so I made the decision to get it outside before opening and I flipped it over and poured out the contents and let them burn on the ground. I was able to get water to it fast enough to be able to trim a pen blank out of the larger pieces but the large pieces are HARD to come by and I lost 5 of them. I also lost 2 awesome looking BEB BS Blanks that I was going to be dying and turning for a friends sister to go in a wine basket at her Cancer benefit. Now to find some more nice wood that I can dye Red and Yellow (one for Red and one for White Wine).........
 
Justturnin said:
The Penguin said:
if it makes you feel any better - it probably "instantly went up in flames" because it was only smoldering with the door closed.

as soon as the door opened, you added more oxygen to the reaction...that where the flames likely came from.
Click to expand...

I knew that was going to happen so I made the decision to get it outside before opening and I flipped it over and poured out the contents and let them burn on the ground. I was able to get water to it fast enough to be able to trim a pen blank out of the larger pieces but the large pieces are HARD to come by and I lost 5 of them. I also lost 2 awesome looking BEB BS Blanks that I was going to be dying and turning for a friends sister to go in a wine basket at her Cancer benefit. Now to find some more nice wood that I can dye Red and Yellow (one for Red and one for White Wine).........
Click to expand...

woodcraft has them - and then you won't have to call the fire department. :biggrin:
 
Take comfort in knowing that if Murphy was a pen turner and in your situation he would have given you this advice.

If you have 2 pens to make and 2 blanks to make them, YOU WILL BLOW ONE UP! So it was destiny for them to catch on fire so you have to get an extra one of each!!!
 
ironman123 said:
Chris, Chris, Chris. Glad you still have your workplace and equipment (minus the oven).

Ray
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HAHA, the oven is good. I cleaned w/ a little easy off and it is back in production this morning. I am going to get a food dehydrator from HF to maintain my wood now. I usually lower the temp to 90 in the oven just to keep the air dry in there so I can pull them out and cast but I missed that window here.
 
Best of all, no one got hurt, either. Good to hear everything (except the wood and the toaster) came out unscathed.
 
Dang Chris, I'm glad it did not do too much damage. My blanks weren't in there were they?:eek::smile: Glad no one was hurt.
 
Have you thought of at least installing a smoke detector to give an early indicator that somthings amiss,or changing how you dry your timber
 
Mossy said:
Have you thought of at least installing a smoke detector to give an early indicator that somethings amiss,or changing how you dry your timber
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I don't think a smoke detector would work because my shop is small and away from the house so I would not hear it. I am going to purchase a food dehydrator to use instead of the oven in the near future.
 
Justturnin said:
Mossy said:
Have you thought of at least installing a smoke detector to give an early indicator that somethings amiss,or changing how you dry your timber
Click to expand...

I don't think a smoke detector would work because my shop is small and away from the house so I would not hear it. I am going to purchase a food dehydrator to use instead of the oven in the near future.
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I am sure you know, but every sunday there are coupons with a 20% off coupon on any purchase. It is on sale for $20, so $16 bucks after coupon!
 
its_virgil said:
FYI: A microwave will work faster and safer for drying wood. There is lots of info out there on using a MW to dry wood. Glad nothing worse happened.
do a good turn daily!
Don
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Even with a microwave you can burn wood if you're not careful... I put some pen blanks in mine - an older model Montgomery Wards model - and set it too high on the heat and I guess longer time than I thought... I kept smelling smoke in the shop and when it finally dawned on me that I had wood in the MW, the cabinet was filled with smoke and embers were glowing..:eek::eek:.. I grabbed them out and tossed them out the door .... onto the dry leaf covered ground...:eek::eek: then grabbed a bottle of water to put out the fire. :redface::redface::biggrin:
 
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