What do we do with our metal working tools

[Tecnico]

Another thing I find interesting is that I work with guys like that. That are also machinists/toolmakers, and engineers. Once they leave the shop, they leave it there. Sometimes I wish I could the same, and I do go through phases where I want nothing to do with it when I come home, but some of them find it nuts that I even have a home shop, and do this stuff in my free time too. Perhaps they are right, and I'm the one who is nuts.

I just like making and learning new things. I've never had a hard time coming up with things to make. I come up with ideas at a far greater pace than I can finish them. Sometimes when I get an idea for something I want to make, and It's almost like I go down a list in my head. Do I have the tools to do that? Do I have the skills to do that? Do I have the knowledge to do that. If I can answer yes to those questions, I go make/do it. If I answer no, I acquire the knowledge, I gain the skills, or I build/buy the tools. While it may seem completely random to some, I am very goal oriented and focused. It's just that some of those end goals have a lot of twists and turns in the road, Intersections with other goals, and other stops along the way. Some of those projects are years in the making. My project "list" feels like an internet browser with fortyseven thousand tabs open. But it's all part of the journey. I do eventually close some of those tabs

@Dan Dubeau you're not nuts! I don't get the designers/machinists/engineers that don't do hands on things after hours, for me it's a good way to relax after a days work and IMHO it separates those who do it for a job and those who do it as a passion. One of the things I asked techs & engs. when I was doing interviews was what they did after hours and the ones that did those after hours things generally came out better on the job because they knew first hand how things worked or could figure it out.

I could have written your second paragraph too, it seems a common thread in the group here, so many projects, so many new things to learn and so little time. I feel I'm in good company here, it's a bit different in the outside world when you get the blank look when you say you have a lathe and a milling machine!

D

 

[ShawnR]

Great posts Dan, and others. Good to know (and the reason I am here) is that I am in good company.

This comment stood out.....kind of my Standard Operating Procedure too

.....
Another problem is welding/fab projects. I've got a lot of those on the plate right now, but I don't like doing them at night before I go to bed and sending fire babies all over the place (shop is attached single car garage), which is when I get the most of my free time. ....

In my career, I attended more than one structural fire at night in which the homeowner was grinding, welding, doing plumbing in a wall the previous day/evening, etc.

I would not sleep if I was to be working late grinding, welding and then off to bed. You can do it a hundred times, but when the "not your day" card comes up, .....

A friend of mine, also a firefighter, did a "test" one time, ground a bunch of sparks into a pile of sawdust, nothing happened. But then, I have caught my own shop coat on fire, so one never knows. Treat it like it will go up.

Something to consider is a fixed temperature sensor or rate-of-rise sensor in the workshop. A smoke alarm would not work due to the fumes from welding, etc, but at least a fixed temp sensor would give an earlier warning than smoke from the eaves. Especially with those with attached shops.

Some notes on them.

Heat Detector - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

www.sciencedirect.com

Be safe.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

It's always a constant concern, and I try and do a lot of welding outside when I can. I have a workbench off the back of the garage, and will eventually pour a slab and build a lean to for cutting/grinding/plasma and sparky messy work out there where I don't have to worry about it.

About 10 years ago when I first got my welder I was really concerned about it and did a similar experiment as your friend. I piled up a bunch of dust, and other stuff I typically keep in my shop. I started grinding and throwing sparks directly into it, as well as welding sparks, to see if I could light it up. Worst I got was a bit of smouldering that quickly extinguished itself. It gave me some peace of mind, but I still know it's a danger, and don't like to do it. I also sweep up frequently and pay attention to where I'm throwing sparks. Oily rags WILL light up easily though, so they go in a can outside.

I've also caught my coat on fire lol.

 

[jcdammeyer]

In my foundry/welding area I put up the cement wallboard and then onto that put ceramic tiles. The ceiling has a vent hole out the side to which I was going to put a fume hood with fan evacuation. Project #42. So for now I run the foundry outside.
If I was going to do more welding I'd add a couple of curtains from PA or KMS that I could put up. But for now I cast outside. The natural gas line is long enough so I can just get it out the door.

 

[phaxtris]

It's not so much the sparks from grinding as it is the "bombs" and "rollers" that get the fires going...so any piles of rags/sawdust/whattever withen like 10 or more feet can be a problem...the sawdust and rags under a tool box are fair gamr

Sometimes those fires don't get going for an hour or more ...they smolder for a good while before enough heat builds up for a flame, so checking in on an area you were welding in, especially a garage that may have flammables is definitely a good plan

I always check up on the garage before bed if If I was doing any MIG or stick welding....those rollers go a long ways

 

[Chicken lights]

It's not so much the sparks from grinding as it is the "bombs" and "rollers" that get the fires going...so any piles of rags/sawdust/whattever withen like 10 or more feet can be a problem...the sawdust and rags under a tool box are fair gamr

Sometimes those fires don't get going for an hour or more ...they smolder for a good while before enough heat builds up for a flame, so checking in on an area you were welding in, especially a garage that may have flammables is definitely a good plan

I always check up on the garage before bed if If I was doing any MIG or stick welding....those rollers go a long ways

Yep. Been discussed here before but always a good reminder. No torches, grinding or welding at least 45 minutes before closing shop is a good rule of thumb, although it’s been posted there were a couple fire that took over 4 hours to start after the jobsite was shut down for the day

 

[Darren]

This was one of the reasons that I opted to go with a 6" high curb all around. After welding/grinding, I always wait an hour or so. Gives ample time for a beer.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

It's not a time chiseled in stone, but I generally try and shut the welding/grinding down by about 8. Then I clean up, or head in and shower before bed around 9:30-10:30. I'll always go out into the shop and have a look around then, and do a double check that my bottles are tightly closed. Gas ain't cheap.....

I'd love to cover the lower half of my walls with some corrugated steel some day (it's osb floor to ceiling right now) but don't really want to put too much effort or money into this space right now. I have a few old buildings to come down in the spring, and I'll try and salvage some of that steel if I can. I think that stuff would look cool and rustic in the shop.

 

[boilerhouse]

I worked at a place that made a lot of combustible product, and were pretty anal about hot work permits for cutting , soldering or welding. Key points were; moving combustibles away if possible, having extinguishers or hoses on hand and ready, fire watch up to one hour after hot work, then spot checks for the next 3 hours. I still try to follow that in my shop.

 

[historicalarms]

I have pretty much only one steadfast rule in my shop, no welding or torching at all not even a spot tack inside. The building is a 50 yr old wood structure with equally old dust bunnies/sawdust that could be anywhere. The only sparks that happen inside are in a purpose-built welding shroud that has been turned into a bench grinder station, sparks are controlled to a small space top, bottom and 3 sides. the only direction open is where I stand so they have to go through me first before they can do any damage.