Scared the heck out of me

Bob Gibson

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11,472
Location
Merrimack, New Hampshire
I was working on my router table routing out the prayer/concerns card holders for the back of the pews at my church (I know, I know, pics to come soon). I noticed the cut was going pretty slow and could smell a little smoke. I stopped, turned off the machine and saw smoke rising from the cuttings. I could also see the glowing of embers.

I had recently hooked up my router table to my DC collection system and realized that some of the smouldering chips probably make it into the collection bag. I emptied out the bag into a plastic trash bag and threw it outside. I also disconnected the 4" hose and blew it out with compressed air just in case there was something hiding in there.

The bag has not burst into flames yet and my basement hasn't caught on fire so I guess I'm safe.

When I think of the potential disaster that could of been, I shake in my boots and offer up a thanks.
 
That would be scary. My brother cut some oak boards on a table saw in my dad's basement once. When done, he left, was going to go back later to clean up. My folks were gone for the weekend. When he went back several hours later, the house was full of smoke. He ran downstairs and the sawdust under the table saw was smoldering. Could have burst into flames at any time. As it was it did cause quite a bit of smoke damage.
 
A couple of lessons in using sharp cutters I guess. Glad that wasn't worse.

It was a brand new Whiteside mortising bit. No excess pressure. I'm not new to doing this kind of work. I had done a few other pieces with no problem. All I can think of is maybe there was a real tough knot or something in the piece of poplar I was cutting :dunno:
Just happy I didn't burn my house down.
 
Wow, glad you caught it Bob. How is the sharpness of the bit now? I've always had good luck with their bits, so might be worth writing them to see if they will take a look at it or replace it? Good reminder to check the smoke alarm batteries too, but don't need these kind of reminders. :)
 
Bob, I recently had a brand new Whiteside 1/4" solid carbide bit spew out blue smoke. I was routing cherry about 1/4" deep and after three inches of cut the bit started spewing out smoke, I shut the router off and checked the bit, it was blue on the end and showed no damage other than being dull. I haven't ordered any more bits from them.
 
I don't own a router anymore (Mine burned out the motor a few years back and haven't replaced it), but sometimes I let my forstner's get a little too dull and I'll get embers when drilling a pepper mill... at any given time I'm likely to have a pile of shavings behind the lathe, so I watch carefully when drilling on the lathe. I don't have a fire extinguisher in my shop yet.... I think about it every time I drill and get a little smoke... by the time I get to Lowe's or Home Depot, I've forgotten AGAIN... guess I need to have a list tattooed on the inside of my eyelid so I can remember.
 
Wow! That's an eye opener! Never had that happen before with any tool. Guess I'm a bit lucky. With my shop setup, I have two extinguishers. On one side of the shop, which is a 3 car garage open in the front, is the lathe and air compressor. Also the breaker box. I have an extinguisher real close by there. The other side has my sharpening area, a bench top drill press, and the band saw. There's one for that area. My kiln is in the back and the table saw is only hooked up when needed. I have a router table as well, and it's the same as the table saw; hooked up only when needed. I've always been safety minded and am constantly doing cleanup of shavings. May be why I am lucky. Now I am going to be cleaning even more now that I saw this. Sounds like someone was looking out for you, Bob.
 
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