Testing machine after fire

[andyb]

Not a good night. Got a call at 3:30 last night that there was a fire at the shop. Heavy damage to the building but the bot doesn't look like it is damaged. Just covered from falling debris and smoke. No water damage. The VFD for the spindle has a slightly deformed cover. Everything else looks OK.

Need tips on how I should start checking things out once we can get the building security and the power back on.

Andy B.

[dlcw]

Andy,

So sorry to hear about your fire. That is something that always worries me.

I would open up the control box and closely inspect with a bright flashlight for any discoloration on anything. If you have any, I wouldn't apply power until you confirm that it's ok, Open up the VFD and check for any damage inside. Visually inspect, closely, all of your power cords and other wiring leading to equipment looking for any kind of discoloration or deformity. Make sure none of your cabling was laying in water from fighting the fire. This could lead to problems. Don't apply any power until these are all verified to be ok. Once you've visually inspected everything you are ready to proceed.

Since, I hope, the fire department cut power to the shop (I'm on our local fire department and that's our first priority) the first thing is to shut off all the breakers in your power panel and restore the power. Then turn on one breaker at a time until your breakers for the Shopbot are back on. Make sure that nothing can power up on the bot yet.

Apply power to your control box and wait and use your nose to smell for any abnormal electrical smells. When you know the control box is ok, shut it down and reconnect your VFD and power it all back up again.

This should give you a systematic check to make sure everything is going to power up ok without catching fire.

Check all the rails and racks and pinions before putting the bot in motion.

This is the procedure I would follow. I would apply the same procedure to every piece of equipment in my shop.

Again, I'm so sorry to hear about your shop fire. I hope not to much was lost and you are able to get back and operational soon.

Don

[ron_moorehead]

Hi Andy,

Sorry to hear about the fire I hope everthing works out for you with the insurance. The first thing I would do is check every thing for aliagnment. The heat from the fire could have warped your rails or table as steel loves to expand under heat. Make sure the fire department did not get water into the electroics, and they are ddry before turning them on. Take picture of everthing befroe you start moving or cleaning up for the insurance company. I would mostly go through a realignment of the shopbot before using it to.

Hope this helps.

[jerry_stanek]

I have done a little fire restoration and have seen some weird things like a box of tissue that is closer to the flame that did not catch on fire but the electric conduit 1 foot farther away melt the couplings. So check everything closely. All your wires to see if they are brittle or burned through.

[ed_lang]

Andy, So sorry to hear about a fire!

Let me know if I can do anything to help.

Ed

[michael_schwartz]

Sorry to hear about that, I know its something we all fear but I hope all goes well with insurance, etc... and getting things back together.

[navigator7]

HI Andy,
Sorry as well.
Don and Ron give spot on advice.
Last fall I attended a training school for fire remediation and restoration in Portland Ore..
A very real problem for your machine will be ongoing corrosion from the effects of the fire.
Any corrosion is entirely treatable but the sooner the better!!!!
If insurance is covering this, your agent will know exactly what I am talking about. He should know exactly who to contact for immediate and qualified service. If he hiccups at all go up the chain of command.
Whoever comes to work on your machines should be able to present his qualifications to perform such procedures.
If you simply inquire of your insurance agent: "Who are you calling to mitigate the effects of corrosion on my machine tools and shop equipment including the puter?" He should spring into life ....... if he or she is not already.
They much prefer remediation to replacement.
There are calculations to be made over "replacement" and you probably don't want to go there.

They are in the pacification biz and they want to make you happy. Don't turn down their efforts to make things right.
It's an amazing industry and not a bunch of smoke. (pardon the pun)

Regardless.....depending on the fire, the type of fire, the duration of the fire and the smoke line in the building....most of your stuff is probably restorable....but the electronics, motors, puters etc need to be treated asap.
That is the biggie.
The first and the most frustrating thing they will do before helping you out is document document document.
They will document and photograph everything in your shop.

Also...don't simply expect new stuff simply because it near a fire.
Fire restoration is a huge biz and it saves everybody a lot of dough.
The hard cases are people who want their previously worthless POS transformed into brand new.

Good luck!

[dlcw]

Andy,

Talk with the interior attack firefighters and have them describe to you how low the heat got in the building. They will know this by how low they needed to get to avoid it. When I interior attack a fire I am always aware of the heat line where I am. This tells me a lot about what the fire has done and what it is going to do shortly. This knowledge will let you know what equipment might have heat issues.

Don

[andyb]

The shop looks worse today then it did last night. Once we could see it in the daylight, what little light was coming into the shop it is very dingy. Had a job sitting on the sanding table ready for deliver on Monday, totally gone. The weird thing is that there were 8 5gal cans of flamable liquid 6 feet from the fire that it didn't touch. There were 7 cabinet sitting on the back side of the edge router that caught fire that are ashes. Fire can do amazing things. If the 5 gal cans would have caught fire the whole shop would have been a goner.

Adjuster will be out in the morning. The rafters and roof will need a majority if not all of it replaced. We have an electrician coming out tomorrow to look at all the electrical needs to get light and power back into the shop.

The heat line was about 6' high. About the height if the VFD. The cables from the control box to the spindle and bot run up the wall and across the ceiling back down to the bot. Until we can get in and pull them down I'm not sure of the condition of the cable.

Monitor on the PC to the bot is gone.

Equipment that caught fire.

8825

The bot after the fire.

8826

[donald_smull]

Andy,
I am in Buford and have owned many bots, so if i can help in anyway let me know.

Don Smull

[beacon14]

Andy, ugh, what a mess. I have a light load in the shop right now so if you need to come use the equipment or could use some help getting parts made or a job or two out just let me know.

David B.

[andyb]

Thanks for the replies and offers. I have the jobs covered for right now. Just called Shopbot for quotes if I have to replace the VFD and cable. I'll post updates as they come in.

Thanks again to a great group. Glad to be part of it.

Andy B.

[hh_woodworking]

Andy,
In having your equipment restored PLEASE make sure that they know what they are doing! Get reference from previous work they have done. I had a very bad experience with a restoration company. The fire I had destroyed several pieces of equipment and had several that were saved somewhat. Best of luck and ASK TONS OF QUESTION OF THE INSURANCE COMPANY on how they will handle the repairs of equipment. Also find out if the restoration company will do all the work or will sub it out. If it is sub out get confirmation that they paid the subs for work preformed.
Ed

[andyb]

Update:
We have to move everything out of the shop before the county will let us start rebuilding. The whole roof and trusses are going to need replace. It is going to take a month or two to have the shop back in working order.

We have temporary shop space that we are moving into. Got out and started cleaning out the shop yesterday. We got the bot ready to move thanks to the help of friends. I know that the VFD is gone. The front panel is completely melted. The shop is so dark that we can't see everything that may be bad. We will be able to evaluate it more in the temporary shop. I lost my design PC and monitors, the monitor for the Bot PC too. I expect the bot will be down awhile since I have to get the parts on order and wouldn’t you know it. I’ve had several people call me looking to have some work done. Go figure.

Thanks for all the emails and help that people have offered.

Andy B.

[rb99]

Does keeping track of the lost orders help with your insurance company?

RIB

[gene]

What was the cause of the fire or have they determined it yet?