# Oily Rags = Very Dangerous



## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

Spontaneous combustion is a hazard known to most of us but for those new to the woodworking scene (or those who are started to get lax due to complacency), oil-soaked rags will *burn your shop down* if not handled properly.

A church in the Chicago area just suffered a major setback in their restoration project ( I wasn't involved but I keep informed about church restoration projects) and yes, oily rags were the culprit.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Excerpts from the Chicago Tribune (full article available here):

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"The first fire crews were alerted about 5:45 a.m. Wednesday and the blaze was quickly raised to a 3-11 alarm, sending 150 firefighters to the church at 64th Street and Woodlawn Avenue along with extra equipment to fight flames that were already shooting through the roof, according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Officials said "spontaneous combustion" in rags used to apply floor stain started the fire. Langford said workers had been varnishing the floor Tuesday night."

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"Deputy Commissioner John McNicholas of the Fire Department said the fire may have gone unnoticed for some time before the department was alerted. Crews had to fight the fire from outside because it had spread across the roof and there were fears the roof might cave in."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Inside the church, charred rubble covered the floor and water soaked the walls and pillars inside. Most of the roof was gone."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>









*

Be careful out there folks. Those spontaneous combustion warnings on cans of finish aren't there due to some silly legal incident. The danger is real.*


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Good reminder. Every time I use an oil that is one of my main concerns.


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## JeffP (Aug 4, 2014)

So what's the best solution for this?

Do you keep a fire-safe metal can to throw them in?
Burn them after use?
Throw them away and let the garbage company worry about it?


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## Midway (Sep 30, 2015)

I put my rags in a plastic barrel outside my shop. The next morning all that was left was the metal axle.

It was so hot it went down in the concrete 2".

NOW I PUT MY RAGS IN A BUCKET AND ADD WATER TO COVER THE RAGS.


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## AESamuel (Jan 20, 2015)

I put mine into water inside the shop then let them dry outside spread out, after drying they either get burned or chucked away.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

I used to think this was bunk till a friend of mine had his car restoration shop burn with about 4 cars inside.
Luckilly it was sealed so just (just) smoke damage.

So its for real. I put my rags on a clothes line outside the shop.


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

Mine get hung to dry, then my wife either washes it or I throw it out, depending on how it looks when dry. One trick I use is to never let more than two or three around the shop at a time.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

I put my oiled rags and plastic gloves in a water filled plastic jug,

good reminder JAAune!


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

Thanks. I try to be good about this, but the danger seems so remote that I get lazy.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

i know 2 people who have had fires from oily rags one was a trash can that totally melted and burned a fence and the other almost burned a house down.i soak mine with water and then spread them outside to dry.it is a real danger dont ever take it for granted burning wood belongs in the fireplace not your shop.


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## Gixxerjoe04 (Jan 31, 2014)

Is there any particular oil/finsih that causes this? Also are we talking cloth rags or just anything used to apply the finish like paper towels and such?


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

Thanks for the important reminder. We have an outdoor firepit. I put my oily rags in there.


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

I've got a chain link fence on either side of my drive way. I just hang them in the fence to dry and then toss them.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Paper towels can ignite just like the rags if they are wet with solvent/stain. They may not be quite as bad because when they are soaked they don't hold as much solvent as the rags and so don't generate as much heat when they are drying. They can still ignite and cause a fire.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## ClammyBallz (Apr 16, 2015)

A couple bought the house across the street from work, before they moved in, they had some guys come in and refinish the floor. The crew left all the sanding dust and the finish soaked rags on the front porch when they left for the day. That evening, the rags ignited on the front porch and the fire traveled through the siding and up the wall to the second floor by the time the fire trucks arrived. When the firefighters hooked up the hose and attempted to soaked the porch, the pile of rags & dust went up into a big fire ball higher than the porch roof from all the vapors. You don't think these things can happen, but the crazy part is that it was two weeks before Christmas when it happened and it was only 45 - 50F outside that day.


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

I throw oily rags and paper towels in a 5'er bucket of water. They'll still harden up, but there's zero fire hazard.


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## Kazooman (Jan 20, 2013)

I try to use a smallish rag when applying a wipe on oil or poly finish. I wear good quality nitrile disposible gloves. When I am done I hold the rag in one hand and use the other to turn that glove inside out, trapping the rag inside. I then go to the sink and fill the glove with water. I let them sit outside away from the house until it is trash pickup day. The rags will harden, like another poster said, but the water keeps the temperature down and they will not (or should I say "have not yet") ignite.

Don't forget that wood chips can ignite by spontaneous combustion also. I have seen curls of smoke rising from piles of chips in areas where trees have been cleared.


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## JeffP (Aug 4, 2014)

I'm with Gixxerjoe on this…I would like to narrow down the list of culprits if we can. There are LOTS of different liquids that get used in a typical shop. Hopefully not all of them are a problem. Can the experts weigh in on each of these:

1) denatured alcohol (probably ok - should evaporate quickly and completely)
2) mineral spirits
3) wd-40 
4) varnish and/or poly
5) tung oil and or BLO
6) boeshield
7) oil based stain
8) a dozen others I'm forgetting about here

So many of these I have been in the habit of thinking…"well, just one little rag/brush/paper-towel can't hurt anything", and toss it into the trashcan (which is full of sawdust and paper and plastic packaging and cutoffs and…a few dozen other "one little rag" from a few days ago). I think this may be what Charles was getting at above…a large trash can can hold a LOT of little misdemeanors before it eventually gets full enough to dump it. By then it may be a full-scale felony and a disaster in the making.


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## CharleyL (Mar 10, 2009)

Any oil based product can spontaneously combust under the right conditions when it begins to dry, but I think linseed oil, either raw or boiled can be the most dangerous. When an oil based product is applied with a rag, paper towel, foam or bristle brush and these applicators are not cleaned, but left sitting, the chemical reaction of the product drying produces heat. If this heat cannot dissipate it can build rapidly to the point where spontaneous combustion is the result. If this takes place in a container that will burn or in the corner of a room where other combustibles are nearby, the result can be a destructive fire. This can all take place in less than an hour under ideal conditions. In my shop any oil soaked combustible materials are removed from the shop as soon as I have finished using them. They are placed in a metal can with a tight fitting lid spaced well away from combustible materials, or hung on a fence, as has already been suggested, and let dry thoroughly before discarding. The can is kept nearly empty, with only the most recent discards in it to minimize the chances of excessive heat build up.

Charley
A retired fire marshal


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

I thought it was only drying oils like linseed and tung oil:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drying_oil
I mean, I don't think rags with automotive oil will spontaneously combust, but I could be wrong.

But even then the drying oils are components of a large number of wood finishes like oil based stain, some varnish and poly mixes. I have heard about this warning for a while so I've always spread out my oil finish rags on concrete or metal to dry.


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## splatman (Jul 27, 2014)

I've had bags of paper towels stained with motor oil, and never have been an issue. If motor oil-soaked towels or rags could spontaneously combust, then motor oil would be unsuitable for its intended purpose."Internal Combustion Engine" would take on a whole 'nother meaning.

With this discussion in mind, I'll have to make sure to remember to properly dispose of rags or anything else with any kind of finishing residue. Better to go a bit overboard then to end up with a crispy workshop. An exception is latex paint, which is never an issue anyway. Could it be?


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## JeffP (Aug 4, 2014)

Kinda seems like the simple solution is to just toss the BLO rags in the burn-barrel after use.

Not likely to ignite…but no big deal if they do.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

> Kinda seems like the simple solution is to just toss the BLO rags in the burn-barrel after use.
> 
> Not likely to ignite…but no big deal if they do.
> 
> - JeffP


This is actually part of my approach. Normally while I'm working I'll keep a bucket or nearly empty garbage can nearby but at least 3 feet away from anything flammable (concrete floor). While I'm working paper towels and rags get draped over the edge of that container so that there are never two rags or towels on top of each other. Before leaving the shop those get soaked in water then dumped in the burn barrel outside.

Any of the drying oils can start a fire but I don't believe non-drying oils like mineral oil will. However, any oil-soaked rag is flammable and that alone is a hazard. As a matter of habit, I treat all rags and paper towels as if they were covered in linseed oil. This is a good habit to form because if you ever work with other people, nobody can tell tell if a rag on the floor was used to wipe up motor oil or danish oil by just looking at it. Safety should be visual so that a person knows everything is in order with a simple glance.


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## Planeman40 (Nov 3, 2010)

An "oily rag" story.

My dad was a WW-2 U.S. Navy pilot who finished the very end of the war at the Naval Air Station in Atlanta, GA (now DeKalb-Peachtree Airport). When I was a kid repairing cars and making model airplanes in the basement he impressed upon me about oily rags and spontaneous combustion. The story he told me was the parachute packing table at the parachute loft on the base was waxed daily to avoid the parachute silk snagging as it slid across the top of the table. One day a large fire consumed the parachute loft and the examination afterwards concluded that the packers were not storing the waxy rags properly. There was a metal can with a snug fitted metal top that they were supposed to use for rag storage and it was found they were sloppily tossing the rags next to the can with the intent that they would put them in the can at the end of the day.

Ever since I have been very careful with oily and waxy rags.

Planeman


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## Picklehead (Feb 12, 2013)

This is outrageous! The government should ban oil finishes. And rags. And fires.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

> This is outrageous! The government should ban oil finishes. And rags. And fires.
> 
> - Picklehead


It would be easier to just ban oxygen.


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## GregInMaryland (Mar 11, 2010)

I always properly dispose of my oily rags by putting them in my neighbors garage can. I have never had any problem with this. He, on the other hand, is always puzzled when his garbage catches fire and melts his can.

Greg


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

The question was asked, and the replies hit all around the answer. The only oil that will spontaneously combust is linseed oil. NO other oil does this. The safety blurbs on the can, and the general spread of knowledge says "oil", for people's safety. The reason for this is because most people don't know linseed oil from any other. The catch is, many products used for finishing wood also contain linseed oil. I lay my rags out flat after applying any oil finish, regardless of what I expect is in it. You don't need to soak in water and hang to dry. I don't reuse any rag I used for wiping on an oil finish, but that's just me. The list JeffP posted illustrates the problem. Linseed is the sole culprit, but you have to know which product has linseed oil in it. Laying the rags out flat (or hanging out to dry) allows the catalytic reaction to occur with enough surface area that it will not get hot enough to ignite. The big deal is when the rags are balled up, and the heat is insulated until the rags burst into flame.

Placing oily rags in a tight metal can doesn't allow enough oxygen in to cause a problem. But you still have the potential for a fire, if the rags are not dry when disposed of, later.


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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

> Placing oily rags in a tight metal can doesn t allow enough oxygen in to cause a problem. But you still have the potential for a fire, if the rags are not dry when disposed of, later.
> 
> - Dark_Lightning


I was thinking the same thing. Seems to me, you want the oil to "dry" or complete its chemical reaction in such a way that it can release any heat it generates (exothermic reaction) without reaching high enough temperatures to burn. Of course, doing this drying in an area that itself is fire proof would be the ultimate in safety.

But I would think as long as the rags are not piled up, insulting themselves, but rather spread out and easily dissipating heat, there would be no chance of self-combustion.


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## JeffP (Aug 4, 2014)

@Dark-Lightning - thanks for that explanation.

I suppose my list (and other flammable shop things) could still be relevant in that one or more of those other things might have a lower flash-point temperature.

So, in a can with several different rags in it with different concoctions on them…the linseed oil makes some heat, and maybe the WD-40 rag bursts into flame with less heat than the BLO rag would have?


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

I like to use BLO but this has always concerned me with the product. I'm not in a production shop I'm in my garage & because of the infrequency that I'm finishing I don't keep a can for rags. I've found that once I complete a step and have rags, they are easy to clean with dawn dishsoap. I take the rags to the sink apply a fair bit of the soap and a bit a water and hand scrub them then rinse. It's surprisingly easier than cleaning a paintbrush and the rags are nearly oil free. After the sink, I let them dry flat in the shop usually over a bucket and can sleep easy.


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## jerkylips (May 13, 2011)

One more example, here at home last year -$7.5M in damages!

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/local/2014/10/01/green-bay-preble-high-school-fire-damage-75-million/16525251/


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## groyuti (Oct 12, 2015)

[No message]


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

> @Dark-Lightning - thanks for that explanation.
> 
> I suppose my list (and other flammable shop things) could still be relevant in that one or more of those other things might have a lower flash-point temperature.
> 
> ...


You are indeed correct about the relative flash points, but if the lid it tight, the oxygen would be consumed more quickly. Maybe hot enough to damage the can? That, I couldn't say. I just lay the ones with linseed oil out flat. Sometimes I just put them in the fireplace and beat them to the punch, as it were, especially if I used a lot of them.


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## DavidTTU (Dec 3, 2013)

Excellent topic. I needed to hear this again thank you.

Will exposure to hot sun encourage combustion? I typically lay my rags out flat on the concrete.


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## CharleyL (Mar 10, 2009)

Linseed oil is the most dangerous, because as it dries it reacts with oxygen which produces heat. Without adequate ventilation this heat build-up can reach combustion temperatures. I included all oils in my previous post because they too will combust if combined with certain other chemicals, and under the right conditions these could be present in an open shop trash can too. Be safe and dispose of oily (linseed or other) rags and paper towels in a way that will isolate them from other chemicals and combustible materials. Hanging them one layer thick on the edge of an empty metal container, soaking them in water, putting them in the outdoor barbecue, etc. are all good methods.

I use a small 2 gal metal container with a snug fitting lid, partially filled with water. The oily rags and paper towels go into it as I finish using them. Then it gets placed outside on the driveway as I leave my shop. The next day I will clean the container out and discard it's contents in the trash before taking the container back into my shop. I will again partially fill it with water before using it to discard oily rags and paper towels.

CharleyL


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

When I use any finish or oily anything - tung oil, linseed oil, poly, shellac, whatever, any and all rags are opened up and laid out to allow air from all sides. When dry or hard, they are disposed of when the trash goes out.

Nothing is bunched up, piled up, etc…


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## Gentile (Jun 3, 2013)

A buddy of mine, son-in-law has a lawn service. His truck caught on fire from the pile of lawn clippings in the bed of the truck. Decomposition created enough heat to ignite.


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

Yup, you gotta empty that damp grass at night


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

Here is a slightly different but related topic:
http://lumberjocks.com/topics/53891


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## Gixxerjoe04 (Jan 31, 2014)

Guess I need to invest in a metal container for my rags, if my shop goes up, my house goes up as well, don't need to be worrying about that more than I already do.


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## newwoodbutcher (Aug 6, 2010)

I was oiling my Ipe deck and quit at sunset. I left the rags and the can of oil on a canvas drop cloth. All was still well in the morning. When I returned that night after dark, I smelled smoke but couldn't locate the source and went to bed thinking it was a neighbors fire place, When I took my morning coffee out on the deck the next morning, this is what I found. Not burning but still smelly. The fire department guy said that if I had built the deck out of redwood or Doug Fir (common in my area) my whole house would have probably burned down while I was at work. Now I spread oily rags out flat on the concrete walk out side my shop till they are dry.


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## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

It is oils that produce a chemical reaction when drying, this particular reaction is exothermic and a balled up rag is a perfect tinder ball as it will hold in the heat somewhat but still has room for circulation of the needed oxygen to ignite. So I wouldn't call it spontaneous combustion, just poor control of a chemical reaction that was purposely started.

Regarding the pile of wood chips combusting they had either been there a good while and composting (which produces heat) or the equipment that cut the trees down had produced a spark and there was some smoldering for a good while. You would be surprised how long something can sit and smolder before it either goes out or ignites.


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## dday (Jun 27, 2014)

I believe the experiences here, and lay mine out to dry before disposing of them, but then I see John Heisz on Youtube try everything he can think of to make them catch on fire and …. nothing…


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## MrAtlantis (Aug 27, 2015)

...Wait, so a recently used cloth used to apply stain to a wood surface, left in the open air, in a cool, dry climate can just burst into flames all by itself, with absolutely no source of heat?

I'm sorry, but there must be more to the stories mentioned. Or perhaps someone could enlighten me on just how this can occur?


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Maybe he's not doing it right. I've seen it happen. It needs to be at least in still air, or it may not get hot enough. Get a bunch of rags sopping, drop in a metal pail and leave them. Don't need to be really bunched up, either.


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## Dave10 (May 29, 2012)

> I believe the experiences here, and lay mine out to dry before disposing of them, but then I see John Heisz on Youtube try everything he can think of to make them catch on fire and …. nothing…
> 
> - dday


I watched his experiments with interest. I sort of thought he didn't have the required critical mass to cause combustion.


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## MrAtlantis (Aug 27, 2015)

I understand the chemical reaction when wood dust or other smaller particles break down - they do create heat. Sometimes on a misty morning, if grass is piled high after a cut the day before, it sometimes begins to steam. This is most likely the chemical reaction to bacteria growth occuring within the pile.

... I have one rag in my basement right now that was used to apply stain about 3 nights ago laying on top of the closed can. I suppose I should lay it out for a breather? Then toss it several days later?


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## MrAtlantis (Aug 27, 2015)

Very circumstantial to say the least, but still good safety practice.

It's almost a "Why not just dispose of it properly, better safe than sorry" type scenarios.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

> ...Wait, so a recently used cloth used to apply stain to a wood surface, left in the open air, in a cool, dry climate can just burst into flames all by itself, with absolutely no source of heat?
> 
> I m sorry, but there must be more to the stories mentioned. Or perhaps someone could enlighten me on just how this can occur?
> 
> - MrAtlantis


http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infpai/inflinspontaneouscombust.html


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## newwoodbutcher (Aug 6, 2010)

> ...Wait, so a recently used cloth used to apply stain to a wood surface, left in the open air, in a cool, dry climate can just burst into flames all by itself, with absolutely no source of heat?
> 
> I m sorry, but there must be more to the stories mentioned. Or perhaps someone could enlighten me on just how this can occur?
> 
> - MrAtlantis


In my experience, the rags were soaked in oil, not stain and bunched up into a wad. The Fire department guy said the noon sun created enough heat to ignite. But he said the sun wasn't required and it does happen inside the home as well. He had stories.


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## MrAtlantis (Aug 27, 2015)

Well I asked my wife to remove the rag, lay it out flat and just be mindful of the type of work that goes on in the basement.

It's the same type of safety I practice when working in the garage. I always let her know when I'm working, and to periodically check in on me.

She said: "Great hun, another thing to worry about? Great!".


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## Adrock1 (Feb 5, 2015)

My oily rags always go straight in the fire pit in the back yard for this very reason. They're welcome to combust there if they want. It's totally safe.


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

I think you may have the formula wrong. If the air is too dry, combustion may not be as likely. I have found that my finishes dry better if the humidity is a little higher than my shop, where I have a dehumidifier running 24×7 except in the winter.

One of the things that moisture does on the material and the wood is to expand the fibers and to not allow air in - or to escape. The oils add to this as well. This will hold the heat much better. It doesn't take much humidity to make a difference - one way or the other.

The other is the amount of oil on the rag(s) - to much oil and it may not cause fire and sometimes not enough may not work either. I doesn't have to be finishing oils either.

When growing up, my neighbor left a bunch of oily rags in a pile (automotive oil) and it caught fire. Burned down the 7 bay garage with 5 model "A" Fords and a complete machine shop in it. He was seriously pissed.


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## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

I was applying a BLO finish to my workbench 2-3 years ago. I had a bucket of water on the floor next to the bench which I 'intended' to dispose of the rags in. Well, I got side-tracked and forgot about the rags which were bunched up on top of the bench. 
About 3AM that night/morning, I was awoken by a foul odor (smoke detectors never went off). My bedroom is directly above the garage, so I could tell almost immediately the odor was coming from the garage. 
I opened door between the home/garage and the place was FILLED with thick, white, noxious, smoke. At that moment I remembered….."the gawddam rags". I hit the garage door opener button which cleared out a lot of the smoke in a hurry, then pushed the rags into the bucket of water. 
The rags had only begun to smolder, but hadn't started to 'combust'. Luckily, there was a plastic water bottle among the rags, which smoldered too and created the smelly smoke which woke me up.

To bee 100% honest, while I never doubted that oily rags 'could' combust…..I didn't respect the notion enough to think it was anything other than a remote possibility. That school of thought made me complacent. It almost cost me my house, and possibly, my family. 
Oh, and about the smoke detectors. That episode prompted me to test (and replace) all six smoke detectors in my home. We had only purchased the house a few months prior. Out of the six detectors, 2 didn't work at all…...including the one located nearest the garage. They were all 16 years old. Most recommendations are to replace them after ten years.


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

Just so there is no confusion, boiled linseed oil is not the only oil able to spontaneously combust. For example, tung oil and walnut oil are also called hardening oils and also polymerizes to harden. The polymerization process is a reaction with oxygen, rather than dry by loss of their solvent, and is what generates the heat.

Many polyurethane products and paints, for example, use hardening oils, so rags used to wipe them up should be treated with the same respect as a hardening oil.



> The question was asked, and the replies hit all around the answer. The only oil that will spontaneously combust is linseed oil.


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## Betsy (Sep 25, 2007)

I agree about the rags - and about dust - keeping your shop clean of dust and debris is equally important. A quick primer on wood dust safety.

http://www.tdi.texas.gov/pubs/videoresource/t5wooddust.pdf

You can do a simple search on the net for dust fires and you can find many, not just wood dust, paper dust, and dust in grain elevators can cause BIG explosions.

I know I don't do enough cleaning of the shop of the dust. I do great with debris - but dust not so much. Just a good reminder to all of us that cleanliness in next to firelessness!

Best wishes to the church family - I hope they can recover quickly.

Be safe friends.


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## huyz (Jan 16, 2016)

Hey guys. I see some of you just leave the rags out to dry, but some of you soak in water, then leave out to dry.

What does soaking it in water do, besides dilute the amount of flammable liquid in the rag? Aren't both versions of this still dangerous to leave in the weekly pick-up trash can afterwards?


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

The water doesn't dilute the oil. Oil and water won't mix. It does keep the rags cool so they can't catch on fire. Apparently the oil still cures despite being wet but I'm not 100% positive on that.

In other news, the church I mentioned in the original post is going to be demolished in the next few weeks.


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## davegutz (Oct 16, 2012)

I am worried I'll leave the shop and forget to remove the rags. So as I go, I lay out the rags I'm using in a patch of clean empty concrete floor. Sometimes I do forget but those rags in are a pretty safe place.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

> The water doesn t dilute the oil. Oil and water won t mix. It does keep the rags cool so they can t catch on fire. Apparently the oil still cures despite being wet but I m not 100% positive on that.
> 
> In other news, the church I mentioned in the original post is going to be demolished in the next few weeks.
> 
> - JAAune


Just thought I'd mention that the demolition was canceled and the church is going to be restored.


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## martyoc (Nov 21, 2015)

I drape my oily rags over the edge of a garbage can in my shop. The containment - varnish, thinner, or whatever- still produces heat as it oxidizes during the drying process, but all the air around the rag carries the the heat away and prevents keeps the temperature from rising. You can handle the rags during this period and not feel any temperature increase. Usually the rags become stiff and can't be used again. I've been doing this for over 40 years.

Think about the finish you apply to a wood surface. The drying varnish produces heat but because it is in open air, there is no problem.


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## devann (Jan 11, 2011)

When I'm done with a rag that has a chance of being a spontaneous combustion starter I hang it in a nearby chain link fence using a clothespin to make sure it stays there for a day or two,..... It's not exactly a pretty sight, but I feel better when I do discard it into the oily rag can.


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