CA-BLO close call

[PTownSubbie]

This weekend I did some pen finishes with CA-BLO. I did it with the tutorial. I remember reading somewhere that the rags can catch fire. I noted on the BLO can that it immediately reacts with oil. I was really carefull making sure I put all the rags I used in a pile on my tablesaw top rather than tossing them in my garbage can.

When I finished, I took all the rags and wrapped them in a clean rag and set them outside of the shop on the top of the garbage can and was going to throw them away later. They stayed there for several hours and I walked from the house to the shop and noticed something smelled funny! After investigation, it was the package of CA-BLO rags. They were smoldering!!! I tossed them into a can full of water and they crackled as they cooled off.

Has anyone else had this issue? The rags were the blue shop rags that you get in a big box. They had no oil. Was it because I wrapped them tightly that they couldn't dry and began to react together?

Becareful!! The CA-BLO finish is really nice but not if it burns your shop down!!!

 

[TellicoTurning]

I haven't had any catch yet, but I don't use rags to apply... I have a little box of lint free paper that I use... when I do use a rag, I hang it over the edge of the trash can until it drys.

 

[hewunch]

BLO can do that by itself.

 

[les-smith]

Yep, I've done that....once. I use paper towels, but I open them up and lay them out so they can air dry. No problem since.

 

[johnnycnc]

BLO on rags or paper towels is all it takes.
Leave spread out to dry for a day or two before disposing.
I had a 5 gallon pail setting outside that caught up in flames from this a few years ago!
Y'all be careful out there!:biggrin:

 

[JimB]

I have a 5 gallon bucket with a few inches of water in it in my shop. Any paper towel or rags with any type of finish (ca, blo, poly, oils etc) goes into it so it gets soaked.

 

[ssajn]

We had a small fire in our ink room at work from rags used with BLO. I know have a small air tight can in my shop. Tung oil can do the same thing.
Be careful with that stuff.
Dave

 

[desertrat]

Its spontanious combustion and occurs with most hydrocarbons when concentrated with limited air circulation. OSHA recomends a tight metal container kept well away from anything that will burn. I spread all oily rags outside the shop spread out untill dry on an old refrigerator rack.