[Hugh P.]

Carved a Gull to be left outside in the weather. Soaked it in Watco Oil, (Danish Oil), let it dry for a few minutes, and then wiped the excess off with a paper towel. Threw the oil dampened towel in the wood stove, and went to the house for dinner and my afternoon siesta. When I went back to the shop, my wife mentioned about me having a fire in the stove this time of year. The oil soaked towel had spontaneously ignited that quickly, and burned the garbage (paper and wood chips) that I had put in the stove. BEWARE !!! of oiley rags or paper soaked with oil !! Just had the thought that maybe some person might not know this.

[AlArchie]

JUST A SHORT REFRESHER! Any of the "drying oils" do NOT dry, they cure! Curing is a chemical process that produces HEAT! Confine that heat and you have combustion (fire). Some are due to simple oxidation (combination with the oxygen in the air) and others are from a more complex chemical process, but all of them produce heat as a byproduct of the curing process.

Oils that do not dry, such as mineral oil, MAY not produce enough heat to induce combustion, but any time you are dealing with oil, even motor oil, be careful with the disposition of oily rags and paper. Even be careful that you don't cover wood that has been treated with BLO, Danish Oil, walnut oil, etc with anything that will contain the heat of the chemical curing process. I found out the hard way with a charred chair back that had been treated with BLO. Fortunately I noticed the "popcorn" smell before we had a fire!

Good judgement is the result of experience............experience is the result of bad judgement!

Al

[susieq]

I have always been wary of oil rags/papers of any kind, laying around. After the antiquing process (I use an oil based antique solution) those rags get bagged up and taken out to the garbage can outside. Never try to wash oil rags either. You never get it out and I have heard of fires starting in cloths dryers because someone washed, then dried the rags in the dryer.....

[Kenny_S]

Transmission Oil, will combust also. Changed transmission oil last Friday and the oil soaked rag was left on the drive way and in the 100 degree heat, caught fire.

[gene messer]

Hugh .. I wish you could see my plastic garbage can I have with the melted top on it ... oily rag on a hat day .. I keep it around as a reminder of my mistake ..

gene

[BobD]

And don't believe that just because you live in a colder climate, it won't happen to you.

I always take my rags outside, and when I was finishing ornaments last Christmas, I took my rags outside. They were balled up pretty tight, but when I came out in the morning there was a melted patch of snow where the rags had been!!!

Bob

[xsailer]

Wouldn't hurt to repeat the proper methods of being safe for those that don't know.
#1 At Doane College this past month I noticed outside one of the class rooms all of the students oil covered paper towels spread out on the tile floor outside the classroom overnight.