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  • #988372

    The topic of fires, safety, mishaps, and prevention came up on the Oily Rag today. I thought it might be good to re-post some of the info, especially for new painters who might not be aware of this.

    Please dispose of your oily rags/paper towels responsibly.

    Remember it is the linseed oil that heats slightly as it dries (oils dry via a slow combustion process) and if the heat is trapped fire is a possibility, especially combined with highly flammable substances such as solvent. Whether you use solvent or not, soak your oily rags/paper towels in water or spread them out to get air.

    Whether it is paper towels, oily rags, phone books etc, it’s just one of those things we have to be aware of and can very easily prevent.

    Lady Mars Orange Marmalade Stapleford
    Moderator: OIls, Pastels, Plein Air

    Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. -Oscar Wilde

    #1131542
    lovin art
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        Very good advice Jess, i tend to use mainly old face washers for wiping my brushes with and i wash then also to reuse them, and babywipes also but i’m not so sure thats a good thing as the wips may already have some type of solvent on them they are wipes after all….and i just usally bag them, tie them up and bin them….

        #1131545
        Robotus
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            Are there any known instances of this effect causing fires?

            (beautiful plant and flowers btw. Somewhat stinky though.)

            "I will stop up all the windows and doors with earth."
            -Pablo Picasso

            #1131527

            Are there any known instances of this effect causing fires?

            (beautiful plant and flowers btw. Somewhat stinky though.)

            Yes, there are known instances. Someone in this forum had it happen.

            You know about stapeliads, awesome! :clap:

            Lady Mars Orange Marmalade Stapleford
            Moderator: OIls, Pastels, Plein Air

            Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. -Oscar Wilde

            #1131535
            !becca
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                Yes, I experienced such a fire a few years ago. I do use a fairly volatile medium which probably enhanced the probability of fire, but it can and does happen. Careful handling can prevent such mishaps.

                Becca “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined.” ........ “Not till we are completely lost or turned around... do we begin to find ourselves.” ........ “All good things are wild and free.” ........ “This world is but a canvas for our imagination.” ...... "Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.” Henry David Thoreau
                Becca's Fine Art

                #1131543
                lovin art
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                    Scary stuff Becca…….:D

                    #1131546
                    Ken Nielsen
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                        A friend of mine had their entire newly build house burn to the ground, all got out safely, because of oily rags in a pile in the garage. This is nothing to take lightly. I ‘spread out’ my rags and paper towels outdoors, away from trees or anything combustible, so they get fresh air and even in the rain overnight. Do not put them in a ‘clump’ or pile where spontaneous combustion can occur.

                        Be extra cautious everyone.

                        #1131536
                        wetbob
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                            This sounds like something for the Myth busters(;
                            Its hard to believe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed_oil

                            it is paper towels, oily rags, phone books etc

                            soak your oily rags/paper towels in water

                            My phonebook too? Where do i have to store it?

                            Remember it is the linseed oil that heats slightly as it dries

                            What is the temperature for spontanious combustion

                            Whether it is paper towels

                            Can you throw toiletpaper (with paint) in the toilet? Where else?

                            Thnx for warning Stapeliad

                            ALL COMMENTS WELCOME:thumbsup:
                            #1131524
                            dcorc
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                                Can you throw toiletpaper (with paint) in the toilet?

                                No. Absolutely not. Do not dispose of paint waste down the sewerage system.

                                This sounds like something for the Myth busters(;
                                Its hard to believe.

                                No. It is accurate, and true. Furthermore, the post immediately above yours is from someone with direct personal experience of it.

                                The “drying” process in oil-paint is exothermic. It creates heat. When paint is drying on a canvas this is not a problem because the heat is dissipated by the geometry, and a significant temperature rise does not occur.

                                However, in paint-rags bundled up, the temperature rise can be sufficient for spontaneous ignition to occur. This is not a theoretical hazard, but a real one.

                                http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2009/07/oily_rags_believed_cause_of_pu.html
                                http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/30/AR2007103000400.html
                                http://www.westmetrofire.org/index.cfm?main.page=article&catid=15&detailsid=86

                                #1131526
                                Carey Griffel
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                                    Jessica, this is a great reminder which is good to post regularly afresh on the forum. :thumbsup:

                                    It does depend on how much medium you use, too, wetbob. I use a phone book to wipe brushes on (thus Jessica’s reference :D)…but I don’t use any added medium. So, I crumple the pages very loosely, and especially since I don’t paint everyday, the thin smeared paint *is* dry by the time it reaches a point in my little open-top oil-paint-only trash where it is at all compacted where the build up of heat could be a problem. If you have oil-soaked wiping things, then either lay them out where they have air circulation, or many people will submerge them in a water-filled bucket with rocks or something of that nature.

                                    Probably the sanitation people would not thank you for putting them down the toilet.

                                    I don’t know what the temperature point is (and how you would even know if it’s building up, really, because no one gauges the temperature changes of their trash :D), but when you have them bunched up in an area (such as in the trash, or even if it’s just bunched in a pile), then the heat from the chemical reaction of oxidizing oil can build up. If you submerge in water, the oxidation process is slowed and the heat is absorbed by the water. Or, if you give them enough air to breathe, then the heat cannot build up.

                                    ~!Carey

                                    * Zaney Zebras (blog) * facebook art page * facebook floral design page * Recipe Blog *
                                    "...I wished to live deliberately...and not, when I came to die, discover that I have not lived." ---Henry David Thoreau

                                    #1131537
                                    wetbob
                                    Default

                                        No. Absolutely not. Do not dispose of paint waste down the sewerage system

                                        Where?

                                        It does depend on how much medium you use, too, wetbob

                                        Very, very little

                                        I use a phone book to wipe brushes on (thus Jessica’s reference :D)…but I don’t use any added medium. So, I crumple the pages very loosely

                                        Thats a good idea, but a guarantee?
                                        Thnx Carey and Dcorc

                                        ALL COMMENTS WELCOME:thumbsup:
                                        #1131534
                                        Caf?® LoLa
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                                            Where?

                                            Have you check your municipal waste system? Many municipals have a waste disposal system in place, whether is basically put your paint waist in a container, take it to the disposal centre, and drop off it off there.

                                            For example, in BC, there is a website called Recycling Council of BC, which offers a database of what to dispose of (paint, solvents, etc).

                                            There are often drop-off points for them, and they deal with the safe disposal of them. It might be a hassle to do all that, but it keeps the water safe.

                                            Laurie Landry
                                            laurielandry.com

                                            #1131544
                                            lovin art
                                            Default

                                                Have you check your municipal waste system? Many municipals have a waste disposal system in place, whether is basically put your paint waist in a container, take it to the disposal centre, and drop off it off there.

                                                For example, in BC, there is a website called Recycling Council of BC, which offers a database of what to dispose of (paint, solvents, etc).

                                                There are often drop-off points for them, and they deal with the safe disposal of them. It might be a hassle to do all that, but it keeps the water safe.

                                                This is a very good point to make about this subject….its not always as simple as just disposing of it in the bin, and with the world becoming more eco friendly this should be a priority….

                                                #1131533
                                                AnnieA
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                                                    Thanks for this, stapeliad! Although I’ve not been doing much art for too long now (and not posting much either, although I sometimes lurk), last weekend I carted home a metal container with snug-fitting lid that I found at a garage sale. I had read previously that such a can was the proper way to store used oily painting rags. I wondered later however, what to do to dispose of the rags once I was done painting.

                                                    It would seem, from what’s been posted in this thread, that the metal can method would concentrate heat and therefore the rags would be more inclined to ignite. I suppose it wouldn’t be as much of a problem, since any fire would be contained, but still, I’d like to avoid any fires, whether inside or outside of my storage can.

                                                    :sigh: So now I have to revise my methods once again, before I ever manage to use them in an actual painting! :laughing at self: I had thought though, that the most risk was as a result of solvent use. So this is extremely important and useful information that you’ve provided. Many thanks.

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                                                    #1131528

                                                    Sure thing Annie. I’m glad it helped. And you can still use the new storage can, just put some water in it. :)

                                                    Lady Mars Orange Marmalade Stapleford
                                                    Moderator: OIls, Pastels, Plein Air

                                                    Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. -Oscar Wilde

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