# Question about oil spill



## Jimi_C (Jul 17, 2009)

Hey all, working on finishing and was rushing - of course I ended up knocking over my can of General Finishes Outdoor Oil in the process. The spill was contained to my table, which had a tarp over it for protection. The table itself is a sheet of 3/4" MDF over a few other sheets of plywood, and the oil did soak through the tarp into the MDF a little here and there. Overall, about a pint was spilled (half the quart I had).

I mopped up the oil with rags, which are now in a metal container with water outside, inside my BBQ grill just in case even that's not enough to stop combustion. I also used a little paint thinner after the mop up to clean it better, and sprinkled water over the MDF and tarp to help prevent any heat build up (my shop is dusty, and I'm very paranoid, thus this post).

So, my question is: Do I still need to worry about anything? My shop is in my basement, and I've been using fans in windows to keep it ventilated (plus wearing a NIOSH-approved mask), but I'm still concerned about the spill. Do I need to worry about heat buildup on the tarp or MDF? Like I said, I'm very paranoid and want to make sure I haven't overlooked anything.

Thanks in advance for the help!


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## GaryC (Dec 31, 2008)

It wont do anything on the MDF because it's flat. Keep the tarp spread out and flat if you're worried. It builds heat when it's wadded up and folded together. Laying flat, it won't build enought heat to be any problem


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## tomd (Jan 29, 2008)

The MDF will soak up the oil with no bad effects, the tarp I might take outside and hose off.


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## Jimi_C (Jul 17, 2009)

The tarp is spread out still over the table, and I have used it in the past for finishing without issues (it's a plastic tarp, not cloth or canvas). Should I still be concerned about it? I put something under it to lift it off the surface so air flow is both over and under it.


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## Jimi_C (Jul 17, 2009)

It has been over 3 hours, and the tarp is tacky in a few places. I know it's not safe until completely dried, but the tarp didn't feel warm in any place and I figure it would have started smoking by now if heat build up were an issue, but I don't have a ton of finishing experience so I don't know what the critical time frame would be.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

I spread oily rags out flat and have never had one catch fire or even get hot. Wadded up in a closed area is the problem. I don't think there is a critical time frame; too many variables involved. When I was a kid on the farm, a few people had a habit of bailing their hay too green at times. Some of it took 6 or 8 months to catch the stack on fire and some a week or two. Once in a while, it would just be moldy when they went to feed. Lots of variables involved.


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## fussy (Jan 18, 2010)

Like Topamax, I simply spread oily rags out. They dry overnight and are no threat. Oil on mdf will just darken and seak it. I use blo on mdf cabinets to make them look like not mdf then wax for protection. Wadded oily rags are the fire hazard. You can stop worrying.

Stevr


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