Always keep a bucket of water at welding area
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Topic: Always keep a bucket of water at welding area
Posted By: David Maddux
Subject: Always keep a bucket of water at welding area
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 6:18am
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Yesterday I was moving some things around with my skid steer, when the muffler tail pipe fell off. I thought I would just go around the the front of the shop and weld it back on. While welding in a tight spot, I thought I smelled smoke. Down in the belly of the machine, there was some leaves and old oily stuff under the engine. Before I knew what was happening, I had a pretty good fire going on. Luckily, I keep a gallon of water under the welding table. That got it slowed down until I could get the water hose out. I think I may start keeping a bigger can of water handy. Dave. |
Replies:
Posted By: Rick
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 6:32am
| Or...you could just keep the water hose handy, Dave! LOL! Glad it turned out okay and nothing was lost, because of a fire! Stay safe!!! Rick |
Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 6:47am
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I agree... tougher in the wintertime, on account that the bucket is frequently frozen. I have dry-chem extinguishers all over, too. Big problems that occur with welding and torchcutting, is that 1) hot pieces scatter everywhere and 2) they hold LOTS of heat... so it frequently takes more than a quick blast from an extinguisher or a light splash of water to cool down the hot particle enough to prevent re-ignition of the fire. With the equipment we work around, it's not unusual to find sources of stray lubricants, hydraulic fluids, and other debris... that's Class II mixed with CLASS I. Having a cramped shop complicates the situation, as it puts too many things too close to the work zone, and of course, when things become an issue, too little space to maneuver. During winter, most of us optimize our interior space to stay out of the weather... so these things happen. Dilligence in cleaning prior to, observation during, and double-checking afterward, is the best modus-operandi. One of the things I REALLY REALLY REALLY don't like doing, is finishing up a welding/cutting session and then walking away... I feel incredibly uncomfortable unless I've stuck around the workshop for at least an hour afterwards, just in case some little piece of something hot bounced off into a corner somewhere and started smoldering. I guess that's a good discomfort.  Glad it all turned out okay. ------------- Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest. |
Posted By: AJ
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 6:50am
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I know that feeling!!! One day in welding school, I was welding over head and started to feel my shoulder getting hot. About the time I raised my helmet up three guys from across the shop including my instructor tackled me. My whole right arm and shoulder was a fire ball. Little scary. ------------- Can't fix stupid |
Posted By: Redwood
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 7:00am
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Up here we have this neat things that really work well. A red canister filled with chemicals. We call them fire extinguishers. Sorry I couldn't resist PS glad you and your equipment are safe. Those can get outta control real quick |
Posted By: Steve in NJ
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 7:19am
Here at work, we always have a fire extinguisher attached to the welding machine as well as the torch cart. Ya never know what'll happen or what could be going on around you when your welding or cutting till you lift the lid of that helmet! Its good to have an extinguisher or two right there to grab. Glad to hear yer' okay buddy and so is the machine. Hydraulic oil burns pretty quick when mixed with leaves and twigs for kindling. Don't ask me how I know dat.... 
mailto:Steve@B&B" rel="nofollow - Steve@B&B
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Posted By: DanWi
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 7:21am
| Neighbor was cutting a piece of steel with a stihl gas powered cut off saw a couple of weeks ago near a corn stalk stack and it started the stack on fire they put out the flames then put the stack in the soupy steer lot and let them make crap out of it. |
Posted By: Stan IL&TN
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 7:23am
Last weekend I couldn't drive out the seat pivot bolt from it's rubber bushing so I decided to put the heat to it. Little bits of burning rubber were flying off of it inside my shop. I decided that inside my shop was not the best place to do this so I took it outside and continued. It smoked for about 30 minutes after heating it more. Good news is that it came out with one good hit of the ball peen without the rubber holding it. ------------- 1957 WD45 dad's first AC 1968 one-seventy 1956 F40 Ferguson |
Posted By: Don(MO)
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 7:36am
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I keep two gal of water sitting in the shop and have four big fire ex placed around the shop just for this. I Try to keep the shop clean too. Dave the Bobcat is a fire bug becouse they hold stuff down in there that like to burn. ------------- 3 WD45's with power steering,G,D15 fork lift,D19, W-Speed Patrol, "A" Gleaner with a 330 corn head,"66" combine,roto-baler, and lots of Snap Coupler implements to make them work for their keep. |
Posted By: DiyDave
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 7:43am
| One winter, I was welding in insulated coveralls, on a V plow I was building. Leaned against a hot spot, long enough to lite the coveralls up, at the knee! I was stuffing snowballs into the leg, trying to get them off, wish I had a video of it, could of made a ton on youtube. All's I got is a little scar, where the metal part of the knee brace I was wearin, branded my knee, about the size of a quarter! |
Posted By: Jim seIl
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 8:18am
| a grinder will start a fire quick and a long distance from work and David been there done that on a skid loader scary isn't it |
Posted By: Bob-Maine
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 8:29am
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Dave, Good advice, as usual. I also need to make some metal spark screens to contain/deflect sparks from a grinder. Bob@allisdowneast ------------- I used to think I was indecisive, but now I'm not sure. |
Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 3:26pm
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Okay, since we're on the subject of setting clothing on fire... It happens frequently when we're wearing welding shields, on account that we have limited peripheral vision, the clothes are heavy and hot to START with, and of course, we're sending fire everywhere... So my two funny stories: --------------------------------------- I'm TIG welding an aluminum gearcase (marine outdrive)... nothing unusual about that... but my left (rod) hand is getting warmer than usual... it's relatively cool in the shop (mebbie 40F or so), so it didn't bother me... aluminum rods conduct heat pretty fast... Well, turns out that my welding gauntlet was on fire. I typically wear a lighter TIG glove in my right (torch) hand, and heaver glove in my my left, just for that reason. I keep the opposite gloves nearby, in the event that I hafta weld back-handed, but I rarely do so. Turns out, that a buddy was over visiting a day or two before, and he grabbed my heavy (stick-hand) gloves to move a hydraulic reservoir. He wiped the oil off with a paper towel... of course, it wasn't enough to remove all the combustable residue, but he didn't realize that THOSE gloves had a specific purpose. It took me a while to realize what that 'funny' smell was... --------------------------------------- So my daughter's was in school... first or second grade IIRC... Teacher asks every child what happened at home this weekend that was fun... She answers... "Daddy set his shoes on fire..." As you can imagine in today's highly-ignorant jump-to-conclusions 'we know better than you' attitude, they figure that warranted a call to the parents. Fortunately, my wife teaches at the school, so they asked HER... and she said... "Of course- that happens all the time when he's welding." Oh. ------------- Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest. |
Posted By: DiyDave
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 6:10pm
| Me smell mohican burning. Me last mohican, MUST BE ME! |
Posted By: RickUP
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 6:21pm
| Anytime you weld n grind on a gas powered machine, it's a good idea to have your wife,kids,or friend stand by as fire watch. They might be able to see things going bad before it gets too big. Darn gaseline is so fast. I'll be welding on one this wkend. I will try to be prepared. |
Posted By: bakwoodsfarm
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 7:05pm
| and be sure to wear gloves and REMOVE YOUR WEDDING RING. I have a permanent wedding band now. |
Posted By: LeonR2013
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 7:19pm
| Just testerday I was doing some braseing, heard a strange whoosing sound. Turned my head and my dang shoulder was on fire. Shucked the coat in a BIG hurry, did the barnyard stomp. Used it again today. Guess I'll get the cold shoulder now! Leon |
Posted By: dave63
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 8:20pm
My son dumped one of my dry chem's on a JD that he was doing a little cutting on and he had to go right past the water hose to get to it. It cost more to have it recharged then what the JD was worth. almost!! LOL BTW no damage from the fire. ------------- The universal answer to all questions is yes, how much do you want to spend? |
Redwood wrote:Posted By: JoeM(GA)
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 8:22pm
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glad it turned out OK Dave!!!
------------- Allis Express North Georgia 41 WC,48 UC Cane,7-G's, Ford 345C TLB |
Posted By: James Coons
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 8:44pm
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Glad you weren't hurt and got it put out before things got out of hand. Machinery fires are not cool!
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Posted By: David Maddux
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2013 at 6:15am
| My tractors get pretty dusty out in the shop. I have to work where they are stored. I have covers to put on them, but because of the welding and grinding, I am afraid of getting the covers on fire. |
Posted By: James Coons
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2013 at 2:26pm
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I use a welding curtain when I am working in close proximity to stuff i don't want the sparks on. I made them out of some 1" square stock and old canvas cotton trailer tarps. I think most military surplus stores carry a similar heavy tarp. throw a couple casters on so you can move them around easy. I don't have pics of mine but here's a link to some commercially available ones. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/NTESearch?storeId=6970&Ntt=welding%2Bcurtain" rel="nofollow - http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/NTESearch?storeId=6970&Ntt=welding%2Bcurtain |
Posted By: JohnCO
Date Posted: 05 Apr 2013 at 12:20am
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A couple years ago I decided to mount a rear view mirror on my JCB skid steer loader. needed to weld a little bracket to the frame to mount the mirror to so first I watered down everything with the garden hose then covered the seat with a welding tarp. Welded on the piece, took maybe 1 minute. Everything seemed ok, took off the tarp and started bolting on the mirror, smelled plastic burning. Looked down between the cab and seat platform and saw flames. Poured more water on it and thought, "There, no problem." Finished the mirror and started the machine up, the foot and hand throttle wouldn't work! Got hot enough to melt the plastic housing and had to replace the whole throttle cable,$210. Most expensive mirror I've ever had! ------------- "If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" Allis Express participant |
Posted By: Sturgis CA
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2013 at 9:27pm
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A friend that I worked with at a welding/machine shop was working on a piece of farm equipment out in the field, it was dinner time and threw his jacket in the truck and left with someone else. Came back after lunch and his seat had caught fire from the coat that must have been smoldering but he did not know it. Lucky that the windows were up and it smothered itself out. David glad you and machine came out OK ------------- It's not a hammer,It' a precision alignment tool!! |