Shop Fire

[Dusty.House]

Thank you for the post, I’m ordering an extinguisher right now!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sourwould]

I wonder if you could have some kind of spark arrestor in the collector, like they have in chainsaw mufflers.

 

[RKA]

You could and it would be much easier if Festool didn't discontinue them.  [tongue]

 

[Birdhunter]

I do not have any Festool components in my router table setup. I’m not sure what the comment regarding Festool discontinuing a product has to do with my fire incident.

 

[Michael Kellough]

A spark arrestor would almost immediately become clogged with wood. It’s only meant to slow tiny metal shards (grinding dust really) enough that the spark dies out before it passes through the layers of steel mesh.

 

[RKA]

I do not have any Festool components in my router table setup. I’m not sure what the comment regarding Festool discontinuing a product has to do with my fire incident.

Nothing.  Sorry. 

 

[Michael Kellough]

It is an 18” cube box that hangs under the top surface of a Kreg router table. It has a 4” duct at the bottom that feeds a big cyclone. The box has doors at the front to allow access to the router and empty any wayward dust.

I’m not a fan of that kind of router dust collection. Apparently the box also accumulates the heat of the router and has enough horizontal surfaces for dust to hang that fire can result. If the router was better ventilated and all chips and dust immediately drawn well away I don’t think even smoldering could occur. At least it hasn’t happened to me.

I like the kind of collection pictured in the link below. The motor is almost completely isolated from debris and it is slowed allowed to breath clean fresh air. Also the hot exhaust from the motor is diverted away from the dust production/collection.

 

[Mike Goetzke]

It is an 18” cube box that hangs under the top surface of a Kreg router table. It has a 4” duct at the bottom that feeds a big cyclone. The box has doors at the front to allow access to the router and empty any wayward dust.

I’m not a fan of that kind of router dust collection. Apparently the box also accumulates the heat of the router and has enough horizontal surfaces for dust to hang that fire can result. If the router was better ventilated and all chips and dust immediately drawn well away I don’t think even smoldering could occur. At least it hasn’t happened to me.

I like the kind of collection pictured in the link below. The motor is almost completely isolated from debris and it is slowed to breath clean fresh air. Also the hot exhaust from the motor is diverted away from the dust production/collection.

Years ago I tried this "Router Dust" but it was offered by Keen. I have a WP lift and even though the silicone shroud flexes you can not c/o router bits from above the table without a collet extension. Maybe others have had better luck.

 

[Cheese]

I like the kind of collection pictured in the link below. The motor is almost completely isolated from debris and it is slowed to breath clean fresh air. Also the hot exhaust from the motor is diverted away from the dust production/collection.

That's the same method that the CMS uses.

[attachimg=1]

[attachimg=2]

 

[Michael Kellough]

@ Mike Goetzke.  “you can not c/o router bits from above”

What is c/o?

 

[Mike Goetzke]

@ Mike Goetzke.  “you can not c/o router bits from above”

What is c/o?

Sorry c/o = change out.

 

[Mike Goetzke]

@ Mike Goetzke.  “you can not c/o router bits from above”

What is c/o?

Sorry c/o = change out.

Ha, on second thoughts maybe I should give this silicone boot a try again. After routing some MDF my router and collet was a mess! Maybe offset wrenches would do the trick?

(Currently I have a 4" dust collector hose attached to the router enclosure and a 2-1/2" shop vac to the router fence.)

 

[Michael Kellough]

I don’t have a problem while using offset wrenches on a big old Porter-Cable router. I think I got them from Sommerfeld

 

[Bob D.]

@ Mike Goetzke.  “you can not c/o router bits from above”

What is c/o?

c/o = change out  is my guess.

 

[Birdhunter]

I keep thinking about what might have caused the embers that triggered the two little fires. I was cutting a stopped dado through 3/4” Baltic using a 3/16” carbide bit. The debris was clogging in the dado. And I was having to scrape it out with a small bladed screwdriver.

I’m guessing that the bit got really hot, the bit heat got above 451 F and ignited some of the chunks of sawdust. The ignited chunks fell on top of loose sawdust I had let collect in the bottom of the dust box. Ergo, fire.

Does that scenario make sense?

 

[rmwarren]

I keep thinking about what might have caused the embers that triggered the two little fires. I was cutting a stopped dado through 3/4 Baltic using a 3/16” carbide bit. The debris was clogging in the dado. And I was having to scrape it out with a small bladed screwdriver.

I’m guessing that the bit got really hot, the bit heat got above 451 F and ignited some of the chunks of sawdust. The ignited chunks fell on top of loose sawdust I had let collect in the bottom of the dust box. Ergo, fire.

Does that scenario make sense?

I think so, with probably the added element of air movement to fan the ember. It amazes me how persistent an ember can be in a trying-to-start-a-fire scenario, i.e. rubbing sticks together. IME it typically takes blowing on it to ignite other material.

Thanks for the warning, my extinguishers need to be updated after standing sentinel for around 20 years and you prompted me to do it.

RMW

 

[Mike Goetzke]

It is an 18” cube box that hangs under the top surface of a Kreg router table. It has a 4” duct at the bottom that feeds a big cyclone. The box has doors at the front to allow access to the router and empty any wayward dust.

I’m not a fan of that kind of router dust collection. Apparently the box also accumulates the heat of the router and has enough horizontal surfaces for dust to hang that fire can result. If the router was better ventilated and all chips and dust immediately drawn well away I don’t think even smoldering could occur. At least it hasn’t happened to me.

I like the kind of collection pictured in the link below. The motor is almost completely isolated from debris and it is slowed allowed to breath clean fresh air. Also the hot exhaust from the motor is diverted away from the dust production/collection.

[member=297]Michael Kellough[/member]

I found a new offering from Milescraft for router dust (looks like updated version of what you posted - says available soon):
https://www.milescraft.com/product/dustrouter/

 

[Birdhunter]

To me, this attachment looks like it would funnel an ember into my big cyclone. With my dust collection box under the router, the ember and resultant fire was contained.

 

[RKA]

I had to reach into the depths of my gray matter, but I finally found the extinguisher I was thinking of.  Element fire extinguishers.  It covers A, B, C and K fires.  One extinguisher will go for 50 seconds which is substantially longer than a conventional 5 lb cylinder.  Price is about $80 ea., so not cheap, but no mess to contend with.  The one downside is it’s not as conspicuous as a 5 lb cylinder stuck to the wall.  And obviously not intuitive to someone that has never seen one before.



*Edit*
If it interests you, Pelican Parts has a promo code through the end of the year (ELEMENT) good for 15% off.  Free shipping over $99.  No affiliation, I'm just a happy customer.

 

[Sparktrician]

I had to reach into the depths of my gray matter, but I finally found the extinguisher I was thinking of.  Element fire extinguishers.  It covers A, B, C and K fires.  One extinguisher will go for 50 seconds which is substantially longer than a conventional 5 lb cylinder.  Price is about $80 ea., so not cheap, but no mess to contend with.  The one downside is it’s not as conspicuous as a 5 lb cylinder stuck to the wall.  And obviously not intuitive to someone that has never seen one before.

The Element fire extinguishers look like the ideal thing for vehicular fires since there's no residue to mess with the electronics.  Thanks for the heads-up, Raj!  [smile]