DON'T BE AN IDIOT, A WARNING

I am really glad you are OK Mike.

The shop can be a dangerous place. We all have to remember to keep our head in the game all the time.

-- Maplewood, MN

Mike,

You are extremely lucky. This could have had a more unfortunate ending if the alcohol can had turned over in your shop. I worked in chemistry laboratories all my adult life. In one of these a co-worker was pouring alcohol from a glass container and a faulty heating element that was nearby ignited it. Naturally he was startled by the flame and simply threw the container. When it hit the glass shattered and the flaming alcohol mixture exploded and spread rapidly. If fire extinguishers had not be readily available it would have taken the entire building out since the flames were spreading so fast.

I am just glad that you were not hurt seriously and that your house/shop is still standing.

Mike, with all that you have been through, you certainly don’t need any more instances like this.

I am wishing you nothing but the best with your recovery from this.

Thanks for sharing.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Mike, I am glad you and your shop were not seriously hurt. Thanks for the warning about denatured alcohol. I had forgotten about its dangers. I worked with the stuff many years ago while doing some refinishing work. I was warned back then of its dangers. Of course I was a naive teen back then and didn’t really think that stuff applied to me. I have seen some decent results lately from people using denatured alcohol for drying green turnings. I will definitely keep your warning in mind if I choose to give it a try. Be safe my friend!

-- Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.

wow ! i think id have a little ” trail mix ” in my shorts after that experience ! glad your not hurt too badly .
i guess id have to agree with the wife on this one brother .

-- if you aint the lead dog the scenery never changes

I’m very glad you’re okay, Mike. It could have been a whole lot worse. Thanks for the reminder, because sometimes we get so caught up in concentrating our safety efforts on those spinning blades that we forget about the dangerous chemicals we use.

I’ve got to admit, though… It is just a little funny to picture you wondering why your foot is so hot, then suddenly realizing it’s on fire. Sounds like something from the Three Stooges.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

I really was trying to hope for you to see the humor in some of this, and it’s from not having all your wits about you when working in the shop. If you’re on the saw or lathe or using a chemical, no matter what you’re doing and it was kind of funny, I’m spraying the can to put it out and my foot starts getting hot, and it dawns on me it’s on fire. DO-DA! I was very lucky it did hardly any damage, just scorched the plywood and burned my compressor hose in two. mike

-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com

Mike, Glad you and the house are basically OK. I’m going to review my firefighting apparatus when I get home.
Don’t beat yourself up over it. This could have happened to anyone really.
Thanks for sharing!

wow mike, am glad you are ok. that could have been so much worse. how are you today?

please be careful and i will remember that. thanks.

-- pat,ohio...http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/patshwigar/

Holy Cow! I hope you’re alright. I don’t even know what denatured alcohol is, but it’s posts like this that will make amature ww’s like myself be more cautious when working with tools, chemicals etc… So for all you experienced wood workers out there please don’t be too proud to admit mistakes made; they may save someone from a whole lot of trouble. Or worse.

Thanks for the Wisdom.

-- A King, realizing his incompetence, can either delegate or abdicate his duties. A Father can do neither. -Marlene Dietrich

Glad you’re OK, Mike. You could have been seriously hurt. Your wife was wise to yank your shop privileges, at least until you can change your shorts.
A fire in the shop is scary at best, deadly at worst. An invisible fire is even worse, especially when it’s coming from your clothes or shoes.
I think I will use a propane torch to burn wood out of handles, or maybe just drill ‘em out.

Thanks for the reminder.

-- Furniture Medic- the prescription for damaged furniture

Glad things were not anymore serious for you and your shop. I hope a quick recovery of your health and your shop privileges.

Your experience does raise questions about fire extinquishers. I just happened to look at my fire extinquisher in the garage and noticed the pressure gauge indicator showing the pressure just above the full/dispose mark. I need to make up an annual safety checklist, in addition to replacing the smoke detector batteries, I now have to add checking the fire extinquishers and going over how to use them with the family.

Thanks for your shop safety story.

Dalec

Mike, glad you’re ok, and that all will mend. To add further to your lucky streak, it is amazing that water from the garden hose put it out. While it may seem like the perfect cure, a hose will spread a chemical fire and worsen or electricute on an electrical fire. Even extingushing a small bon fire in the back yard will cause the rocks or bricks around the pit to explode. Please (to everyone at LJs) get 2..3..4.. oh heck, a Bunch of extinguishers and have them around your shop and for goodness sake, know how to use them. It is a very difficult learning curve to read the directions when something is on fire, especially yourself.
Remember, use the extinguisher if neccessary just to escape! Don’t be a hero and try to save the day. You won’t, not with a small extinguisher. Once outside, call 911. Yea, that’s right, dial 911! Don’t be too proud to let the firefighters do their job. Sure, you’ll have some nosey neighbors gawking on the front lawn, but that is easier to explain to the wife than it is to justify how you lost the house because you were too embarrased to call 911. Let the firefighters be the heros. They still make house calls!

Be safe,
Tom

-- Anybody can become a woodworker, but only a Craftsman can hide his mistakes.

Mike, I’m glad you are OK. This is a lesson for all of us. Thanks for sharing your experience in a way that hopefully will keep all who read it from learning the hard way. I was unaware about the invisible flame and will now be better able to make safe decisions in the future. How long have you been grounded for?

-- Ron, Twain Harte, Ca. Portable on site Sawmill Service http://westcoastlands.net/Sawmill.html http://westcoastlands.net/SawBucks2/phpBB3

powerless over alcohol…I know the feeling. Glad you are OK!

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

Praying for you buddy!!!

-- Anchul - Warrensburg, MO: As a Pastor, I am just trying to get closer to Jesus. He was a woodworker too.

Mike;

I’m beginning to believe your wife might have some strength to her requests. You have enough to deal with already!

I’m very glad you are okay, and the end result is you’re just a little smarter from the experience, rather than what could have happened.

Take care;

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Close call huh!! Also glad you and the shop made it out okay! Fire is my greatest fear and yet our house only has one fire extinguisher and two smoke alarms.

runngt

-- It seem's I just make scrap wood and saw dust most of the time !

Mike

I am so glad you are ok and with only minor injury…...These things can and do happen in an instant…
Thank God you are ok …

-- Mike in Bonney Lake " If you are real real real good your whole life, You 'll be buried in a curly maple coffin when you die."

Wow, talk about an eye opener!

Glad your OK and it wasn’t any worse.

Thanks for sharing. It got me off my butt checking my fire extinguishers and such.

-- Kirk H. -- http://www.kjwoodworking.com

Wow , What a story. I am glad your ok!I think it’s neat that you are trying to see some humor in it, but I bet your wife didn’t. But thanks for sharing. There is truth in “You can never be to safe” especially where the shop is concerned. Again I am glad all is okay!

-- Allison, Northeastern Ca. Remember, Amateurs built the Ark, Professionals built the Titanic!

Glad you’re OK, Mike! Stories like this are a great reminder for us all.

-- North Texas

Mike,

Thanks for the post to help remind us all to be safe and thanks to your guardian angel for keeping you safe.

Lew

Good thing your OK and your house didnt burn down. Oh, and thanks Mr. Trim…now I can’t eat trail mix anymore…

-- Women love me.....trees fear me

Hi Mike

Sorry to hear about your accident. Wishing you a fast recovery. I was a fireman for 5 years and seen some strange accidents. Best one was, a guy put a tire in his fire place to burn it. Things were going fine till the burning tire rolled out of the fire place into the middle of the carpeted living room floor!

God Bless
tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

Am Glad You are ok! I agree with all that has been said by all. First, i hope and pray that you heal from your back injuries, and do well with the other problems. and that your wife will let you enjoy working in your shop soon!!!

-- Saved, and so grateful, consider who Created it ALL!!!

Yow! Glad you survived! We had a guy here locally who made the papers when he was using denatured alcohol as lighter fluid for charcoal, and it was a good reminder to me to keep the finishing materials good and safe.

Gulp. Thanks for sharing that, hopefully it’ll help keep others (like me) from doing foolish things.

-- Dan Lyke, Lagunitas California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke

Thanks all, unfortunately my back problem will not improve and I’ll probably be on the meds for the rest of my life. They do make you stupid. Like I said I have to learn to recognize when I’m tired or when my blood sugar is low, or high, or if I’ve just done too much. I’ve always been the kind of person who is driven, once I start something I have to finish it. It’s a mind set I have to change. I will even stagger and not realize it, so my wife says. So I’ve just been through two operations back to back, and I guess she is right. Yea, thanks Mr. Trim, granola bars and trail mix are no longer on my favorite list. Again thanks people, maybe you will all at least read how to use your fire extinguishers. mike

-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com

someone looking out for you, safety is becoming more important everyday.

-- eric post, tallahassee FL

Mike, Glad you are safe. The shop can be replaced if needed. You cannot! Take this from me. Regarding your health. Miracles do happen. I have seen this with my own situation in regards to my health, I have witnessed a miracle over the past two weeks that has simply amazed my wife and I. I will be praying for you and God bless.

-- Gene, a Christian in Virginia

Someone smarter than me put it this way, “Life is a terrible teacher, it gives the test first and the lesson later.”

always,
J.C.

-- "Imagination is more important than knowledge" -- Albert Einstein

exciting well written post.

wow Mike ! what a kick in the rear ….

-- a legend in my own mind ...

Wow Mike… I’m glad you’re OK! I’ve never messed with denatured alcohol, I’m glad you posted this.

And, speaking of feet being hot… One year I was burning leaves in my front yard by the mounds. Some of them had burned and then needed to be stirred in order for them to burn completely. So, I was wearing a respirator and I stepped into the thick smoke to stir the fire. I’m stirring, stirring… sweating… stirring… sweating profusely… stirring… getting really hot… stirring… I couldn’t smell it because of the respirator, but my shoes were on fire. Yeah, like Charlie said above, it looked like something from the Three Stooges. I was running around the yard with flaming rubbers soles (sheesh!).

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

Sorry to hear about your accident. Wishing you a fast recovery

-- jeanmarc manosque france

Wow that’s quite a story Mike. Glad you are ok – a good lesson for all of us.

-- Betsy - There is no strength where there is no struggle

Mike sorry to hear about your problems, but, thanks for the eye opener. Take care buddy.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

If you continue to play with fire don’‘t burn the bridge to your wife.

Lee

-- No piece is cut too short. It was meant for a smaller project.

Mike,
Don’t be suprised if she grounds you to the house for at least a couple of weeks. She’ll most likely put a paddle lock on that shop of Yours!!!
You are so lucky the Lord was on your side.
Take care and get well

-- Ed Collinge- Edmonds, WA.

Mike you mentioned in your original topic (fire extinguishers) There are so many people that dosen’t know jack about putting out fires. Consider everything in your shop and get the prooper equipment to put the fire out with. I still can’t figure how ya put an alcohol fire out with water, must have been someone looking over your shoulder and gave ya a little help with it. All reading this, that has been in the armed forces, think real fast about the safety classes you went to and the different types of fires and remedies. Mike, just thankful that it didn’t turn into the trip it could have and some good informative reading on fire’s are right there at your fingertips along with a search bar.

-- www.flickr.com/photos/egamarine/

Thanks Mike for the update, lesson and safety tip. I’m glad you’re okay – but it got your compressor hose – after all you have been through…

Oh, and thanks for the Very Big Grin for the Day, Dennis.
Yup, ethanol, methanol, denatured and isopropanol — cunning, baffling and powerful.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Thank goodness you’re ok, get well. Thanks for the heads up.

-- Bob A in NJ

Sounds like a close call Mike. Glad you are OK. Nothing worse than a serious burn that came from nowhere. Many years ago I picked up a red hot poker that was in the sunlight, pretty nasty burn.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

Mike, you definitely were inspired from above. We used to use denatured alcohol for our boat cooktops because alcohol is the only fuel that burns at a low enough temperature you actually CAN put it out with water. (That was before we got sophisticated and put it propane and a million dollars worth of sniffers, etc.) We did have a burner leak and catch one time, and Daddy grabbed a styrofoam cup of water and dumped it right on the flame, end of story. I’ve used alcohol in the shop for years and years; an alcohol “lamp” for rehairing violin bows, mixing to make up shellac, etc. The biggest danger I’ve considered has been passing a hand or arm through that invisible flame.
Picking up your humor, I picture with horror something like this happening to me, because I’m an officer in my fire department!! Nothing like some of your men bringing the fire truck to you… sheesh.
Blessings, friend…

-- There's no tool like an old tool...

Glad you aren’t badly hurt, burnt, shopless, or worse! And you STILL got your sense of humor~
Could tell stories from 30+years of being a fireman but yours might drive the point in best
I am impressed at the number of LJ that have first aid kits, extinguishers, and such. But having them and knowing what to do with them are two different critters alltogether.

Just remember the ” P7 ” rule
Proper Prior Planning Prevents Pretty Poor Performance

-- CaptnA - "When someone hurts you, write it in the sand so the winds of forgiveness will scatter the memory... "