Spoilboard fire today

[harryball]

It's always worth mentioning, stay in your shop when things are running. I had my first spoilboard fire back in late 2006 due to inexperience. Well, after 11 years this time was worse but could have been a lot worse. Caught it because of the smoke smell and able to shutdown and take care of things quickly. Burned the plywood too. Lost the spoil board so had to surface it down and put on a new one.

It happened due to a mistake in the cut file. I was using a slow plunge speed, forgot to lower the RPM and didn't apply peck drilling. It plunged a 1/4" bit through 3/4" of material in one shot and the dwell was too long. It opened up the air flow when it drilled through and that was all it needed to catch fire.

11 years of experience, if it can happen to me it can happen to anyone. So glad people were in the shop to smell it and shutdown to get it under control. It is so tempting when a long job is running to leave and go do other things (and I admit I have done that time to time) but it is not worth it. Watch, listen, smell. Better to be there and stop a disaster than come back to a shop burning down.

Be safe and keep cutting!

Robert
HabitatForBats.org

[dlcw]

Glad things weren't worse and you are ok.

[Gary Campbell]

Rob...
Glad you caught it in time. Word to the wise: Your webcam can't smell smoke. I wont post the video again!!!

[knight_toolworks]

I keep forgetting I want to put a smoke detector but the vac air out lets

[dmidkiff]

Glad it wasn't worse and no one was hurt.

[joe]

From what I hear a vacuum pick-up helps spread the fire. Some materials are more prone to catch fire. MDF and any kind of fiber board should never be left alone.

Most of my big jobs were cut at night. Never had a problem but they were for the most part tried and proven files PVC or Duna.

I'd never use a router for long distant runs at anytime

Harry is such a good guy, I'd hate to see him burned down.