Proper shop fire extinguishers

D

deker

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Nov 14, 2005
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So, I have this fancy new shop building (not much in it yet, no electric, but hey, it's a roof!) and assuming that I get a few things moved around tomorrow, I'm going to be doing my first forging in the new shop. So, what are the "proper" type of extinguishers to have in a bladesmith's shop? I want to make sure it'll be good for burning wood, oil, chemical files, etc. You know, all the dangerous stuff we tend to put together in a shop.

I'm hoping that the run of the mill "BigA$$ Extinguisher" from the hardware store will do so I can just run and pick one up today.

Thanks for any info!

-d
 
At the very minumim you will need a 10 lbs "ABC" type. 20 lbs is better. You best bet is to get 2 incase you are unable to reach one. Dry chem works best in my opinion because it also soaks up any flammable liquids and keeps the flames from spreading. If you are use magneasium or hot aluminum you might also want to invest in a "D" type as well although a bucket of sand works just as well. In the event of a fire remember to work in a side to side sweeping motion to prevent the flame from flashing back at you
 
well i think im gonna have to have x3 my shop is the basement and i have to set my forge up in the huge door just outside. its not a bilco door my basement door is on ground lvl. and i live 5 feet from the lake water. but with the big door i can
set my anvil in center of room and forge just out side and have the triangle of work goin just fine. and in the summer i got a huge concrete slab outside.
 
I vote for the multi-extinguisher strategy, also. One where you work so you can create a path to the door and avoid getting trapped. Another at the door so you can work your way in to put out a fire.

Dry chem is the best all around, and godawful messy to clean up. CO2 is nice because it dissipates and also creates a brief cool zone for escape. It won't prevent re-ignition because of that dissipation, though.

CO2 needs periodic replacement or re-charge so it's best to have one with a guage. Dry chemical ext. may have an expiration date. if it does, put a big piece of duct tape on the extinguisher in plain view and write that date in big letters. You'll ignore it, otherwise.

The best bet in the non-frozen months is to keep a hose close by the forge and turned on.

Glad I finally put all those repeats of yearly extinguisher certs to good use! Thankfully never needed it at work.

Edited to add: maybe Kevin Cashen will add his thoughts if he sees this. He's one of those courageous, brave souls who's volunteered to the public safety to run into a fire to keep our butts alive. I admire firefighters more than any profession alive. (Or some of you other firefighters, please. This will be a good search thread because of the title.)
 
Be sure to have more than just one fire extinguisher. These things can fail and if it does, it will be at a very bad moment when you need it most. The other thing is that you may need to use more than one.
 
I make my living selling ,servicing and teaching how to use fire extinguishers. You need to purchase 10lb ABC rated fire extinguishers. Make sure they are of all metal construction. No plastic handles. You drop 'em and they are gone.The others can be repaired and also refilled after use.
 
Forgot to mention, you need to shake a dry chem extinguisher every six months to keep the powder from settling on the bottom and becoming to hard to blow out of the nozzle. Also after you discarge the extingisher for any reason (including test fire) you must have it recharged even if there is some pressure left inside of it. The powder will prevent the seal from seating all the way resulting in a very slow leak which will leave it useless when you do need it.
 
The first thing is to have a good cover for the oil quench tank.Keeps the dirt out and will quickly smother flames.
 
Actually, the first thing is to stand in the middle of your shop with a note pad and look around. Spot EVERY potential fire source, and where the fire will spread if ignited.
Lets take the HT oven for an example. It may sit on a counter. How far is the end from the wall? What is the counter made of? What is on the shelf above it? If you drop a blade coming out of the oven, where will it land (and on what)? See where I am going.
Look at the combustibles. Are they in a safe metal locker,or perched on a MDF shelf (probably overloaded with 200# of cans and bottles) that may collapse in the middle of the night?Are they in proper type and labeled containers? Are they in the best or worst place if a fire breaks out? Where ,and how many, are the fire extinguishers? When were they checked last?If they are three years old,you don't have to throw them away,just get some new ones as well.
With planning and inspection,many fires can be prevented,and those that occur can be minimized.The most likely fire is the quench tank. Lets all be honest here. HOW SAFE IS YOURS! If it is tall,is it on a sturdy,tip proof base? Is it too full? Is the lid on it,except when in use? And next to it when in use?Is the quench tank unburnable,unbreakable, and unmeltable -IS IT ALL METAL??? A quart mayonnaise jar of ATF isn't really enough to quench a blade properly (that is another thing altogether) but it is enough to explode into a four foot circle of fire by thermal shock when a 1500F blade is plunged into it.

Look around, Fix the problems, Plan ahead for the potential fires. BE SAFE.The best kind of fire extinguisher is oner that you have made into the Maytag Repairman of fire fighting equipment (but still maintain).
Stacy
 
ghostguy6 said:
...If you are use magneasium or hot aluminum you might also want to invest in a "D" type as well although a bucket of sand works just as well...
Click to expand...

One of the guys I work with is a Captain in our local fire department. We were discussing which types of extinguishers to use with which materials. I mentioned the possibility of have a file in metal dust/shavings or molten salt. I asked about using sand. He informed me that sand generally contains a surprising amount of water, so he recommended that I not use it. He said to use either a "D" extinguisher or Sodium carbonate-based dry powders
 
Excellent set of thoughts Stacy! Right now if I looked around my shop I'd see some empty metal cabinets, a couple empty tables, and a truck & trailer loaded with power hammer :) Tomorrow I'll add a forge and anvil. I am trying to plan the new shop "the right way". Heck, the insulation batting I plan to use is good to 2100F! (Google for "mineral wool" or "slag wool". It's neat stuff)

All that being said, I bought the biggest ABC extinguisher Lowe's had on the way home with the hammer. Not much to burn in there yet, so I'll settle for one and add more as I add more stuff. Maybe I'll forge a nice little hook to hang it on tomorrow :p

Thanks for all the help and info folks! Don't quit posting it, this will be a good thread to point folks to in the future!

-d
 
I liked Halon. It was clean (no clean up) and you could store it a long, long time (indefinately?) without it going bad. Nothing like reaching for a fire extinguisher and it's dead. It was great for having in the car, available in small containers and well-suited for that fairly hostile environment (constant agitation and temperature swings, etc).

It was banned for Ozone in '94. I don't know how good the replacement is, but having something on hand that is pretty much 'always reliable' without the need to check it all the time is pretty high on my list of plusses.

I have a couple old Halons tucked around and a couple new 'homeowner specials' too. Just have to remember to check the little gage on those.
 
JCaswell said:
I liked Halon. It was clean (no clean up) and you could store it a long, long time (indefinately?) without it going bad. Nothing like reaching for a fire extinguisher and it's dead. It was great for having in the car, available in small containers and well-suited for that fairly hostile environment (constant agitation and temperature swings, etc).

It was banned for Ozone in '94. I don't know how good the replacement is, but having something on hand that is pretty much 'always reliable' without the need to check it all the time is pretty high on my list of plusses.

I have a couple old Halons tucked around and a couple new 'homeowner specials' too. Just have to remember to check the little gage on those.
Click to expand...


The word Halon makes me twitch....After years of working with lots of computers in lots of big data centers, you get a healthy respect for the stuff. If only because all you ever hear is "if the fire alarm sounds, you have 30 seconds to get out of the room". In that type of installation, if you don't exit promptly, you're likely to die when the Halon replaces all the oxygen in the room...or so they tell me...I never tested it :)

I know that the replacement for Halon in data centers was FM-200. I don't know much about it other than it makes a big mess. I met a guy who got caught in an FM-200 burst at a data center once and it made him pretty sick for a week or two, but I suppose that's better than the Halon alternative...

-d
 
Halon does replace NOT replace the oxygen to extinguish a fire. It prevents the oxygen from combining with the fuel. Halon is no longer produced due to it's ozone depletion qualities. Recycled halon is still available for refills.
You cannot "shake a Dry chemical" fire extinguisher to loosen the powder. Once a year use a rubber hammer and hit the base of the the bottle until you feel the powder loosen.
 
I've got 2 in my shop now but after reading this post I don't think having to many is a bad idea. I'm going to ask Santa for a couple more.
 
As long as it isn't for oil or electrical fires how about a hose connected the the mains water supply? Cheap and a never ending supply of extinguisher.

Having seen the effects of a dry powder extinguisher set off maliciously, it takes weeks to get rid of all the dust.

Foam for oil, water for dry combustibles and Co2 for electrical completes a good trio in my humble opinion.
 
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