Fire - An important lesson

May 12, 2012 9 Replies

I was cutting a couple of grooves in a piece of pressure treated with a router. I was using a 1/4" bit set to about 1/2" and probably trying to take too big of cut. The bit felt like it was a little dull too, but that's not important.



What is important is the result. I smelled burning (like cutting tools do) and just thought it was the normal dull tool/too big of bite type of burning. However, the wood started to smoke! It kept on smoking after the cut finished!



That's right, I had started a fire with my router!



After filling a bucket with water, I shoveled the dust from the groove into the bucket. Some of the dust was red and obviously burning.



Everything's extinguished now, but this is one more reminder to be careful out there.



Puckdropper


-------------------- That dull bit was a primary source of the heat required to have ignition.

Dull bits will bite you in the rear every time they can.

Glad to see there was no serious damage.

Lew

If you run out of matches, you now have a backup plan to light the fireplace!

Most PT is too blamed WET to burn.

Which requires keeping it around for a while before using it - and if it's not strapped down half the time it's too crooked to use by the time it's dry enough to burn.

snipped-for-privacy@snyder.on.ca wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Very true. The wood is old and has a twist in it. I'm not sure how I'll handle that, but I'm thinking of cutting the deck rail to fit the board face. Hopefully it's dry enough to not twist any more.

Puckdropper

?

Believe me, a dull enough bit or blade will quickly dry out wet lumber.

I've experienced smelly burning but not to the point of smoking! I changed to using an up-cut spiral bit if I need to route a dado or groove and that, along the the dust collection on the router keeps the cut fairly clean and burn free.

John S.

Farmers used to say that about freshly baled hay, too. A few barn fires later....

scott

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