16 thoughts on “Oily rags: spontaneous insurance scam?”
So I know it’s really hard for this actually happened, I had an art major in college, and we use refined linseed oil and some lacquer thinners for our oil painting class, this did happen in one of our metal trashcan’s at campus. Luckily, it was caught when I was smoldering and smoking no fire and we just threw it in the sink. I have honestly tried to re-create the fire myself just like you did and I’ve had no luck, so there must be some magic to it.
Boy howdy are you wrong on this one. Linseed oil soaked rags can absolutely combust, albeit in the proper setting. 24c is not much here in southern California, but get those bad boys out in 34c and watch 'em smoke up. It takes a bit, but don't bet the family farm on if and when they let the smoke out. Sometimes the warning labels are there for a reason.
My dad (carpenter) had big glass jar for soaked oil rags. He stored these rags for month like this with a closed lid. One night his van had a small fire witch we caught just by chance. The smoldering fire was right around the broken jar. Sure we jumped to the right conclusion of the oil soaked rags being the cause.
My shop teacher in school had the ray barrel ignite. However it was by a window, and the sun had refracted a death beam ants would be scared of. Lit the barrel up, and charred a good section of the wall before he could get to the ol trusty ABC extinguisher. He moved the barrel to the concrete block exterior wall, away from the windows and it never lit up again.
It is no myth, brother; it actually happened in a shop where I worked. We used Watco oil, and we would throw the used cotton rags in a 20 gallon drum. When I came in one morning, the shop was filled with smoke; the guy that had come in 15 minutes before me had found the barrel blazing, and he got it smothered before it caught the shop. In your experiment, the scale was too small to build up enough heat. Also, you were using partially polymerized oil, probably with less dryers remaining in it. But oily rags will go up, if you have a big enough pile of them and they have the right amount of air.
So I know it’s really hard for this actually happened, I had an art major in college, and we use refined linseed oil and some lacquer thinners for our oil painting class, this did happen in one of our metal trashcan’s at campus. Luckily, it was caught when I was smoldering and smoking no fire and we just threw it in the sink. I have honestly tried to re-create the fire myself just like you did and I’ve had no luck, so there must be some magic to it.
Frankenstein 🙂 I say that too.
But I am from Oz….. So you know, the whole Queen thing!
You’re supposed to light a frito chip for the insurance scam I hear
If you started a podcast I’d sit around waiting for the next episode & listen to every one
Boy howdy are you wrong on this one. Linseed oil soaked rags can absolutely combust, albeit in the proper setting. 24c is not much here in southern California, but get those bad boys out in 34c and watch 'em smoke up. It takes a bit, but don't bet the family farm on if and when they let the smoke out. Sometimes the warning labels are there for a reason.
Pack tight or put a lid on it
Way of the road boys if she don't chooch she ain't gonna chooch
try again with Cotton rag, it will go up, may take a few hours though
My dad (carpenter) had big glass jar for soaked oil rags. He stored these rags for month like this with a closed lid. One night his van had a small fire witch we caught just by chance.
The smoldering fire was right around the broken jar. Sure we jumped to the right conclusion of the oil soaked rags being the cause.
“Already been chewed.” 😂
Will you not get a different result if u use fabric rags and not paper kitchen towels?
My shop teacher in school had the ray barrel ignite. However it was by a window, and the sun had refracted a death beam ants would be scared of. Lit the barrel up, and charred a good section of the wall before he could get to the ol trusty ABC extinguisher. He moved the barrel to the concrete block exterior wall, away from the windows and it never lit up again.
It is no myth, brother; it actually happened in a shop where I worked. We used Watco oil, and we would throw the used cotton rags in a 20 gallon drum. When I came in one morning, the shop was filled with smoke; the guy that had come in 15 minutes before me had found the barrel blazing, and he got it smothered before it caught the shop. In your experiment, the scale was too small to build up enough heat. Also, you were using partially polymerized oil, probably with less dryers remaining in it. But oily rags will go up, if you have a big enough pile of them and they have the right amount of air.
AvE’s research into Cunningham’s Law… postulate a pair of scientists
A linseed oil fire insurance scam would be a tale from rags to riches.
I'd like to think if they had ignited and burned down your hacienda there would have been something on the news.