# Odd Safety Tip



## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

For more on this, you'll need to do research for specifics. I get an occasional e-newsletter from Highland Woodworking and a guy wrote this in there. . .
Avoid sparks around steel wool - especially the finer types - it is covered with a super light oil and can ignite easily.


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## vzbingo (Mar 1, 2012)

Yes, it also works well for starting campfires in emergencies!


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

I did not know that.............


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## japa62 (May 9, 2012)

Started a camp fire with a grinder once (by design). Would've looked better with steel wool as tinder.


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## Wildwood (Aug 14, 2010)

Otis - it has nothing to do with oil - the steel itself is highly susceptible to combustion when it is in a very fine form. Due to its fineness, individual strands will achieve red heat very easily, and with plenty of airspace between strands, combustion occurs.
I lost a whole roll of Liberon 0000 grade, when a spark from my grinder set it alight. They even warn you on the packing. Rob


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## LiLRdWgn (Dec 31, 2011)

OPG3 said:


> For more on this, you'll need to do research for specifics. I get an occasional e-newsletter from Highland Woodworking and a guy wrote this in there. . .
> Avoid sparks around steel wool - especially the finer types - it is covered with a super light oil and can ignite easily.


I was not aware about steel wool. But I have seen titanium lighting up. Drilling it with power feed drill in the air craft industry. I was the operator and all of a sudden we had flames everywhere.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Thanks everyone! Rob, you may be correct - I just restated "oil" from the article, but had never had the problem. It seemed like one of those "Wow! I didn't know that" kinda things. When speaking of this to a neighbor friend he said he actually starts campfires using fine steel wool and a 9 volt battery. I haven't seen this, but it does seem plausible.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

OPG3 said:


> Thanks everyone! Rob, you may be correct - I just restated "oil" from the article, but had never had the problem. It seemed like one of those "Wow! I didn't know that" kinda things. When speaking of this to a neighbor friend he said he actually starts campfires using fine steel wool and a 9 volt battery. I haven't seen this, but it does seem plausible.



Starting a Fire With Steel Wool and 9V Battery - Urban - Suburban Survival - YouTube


Steel wool and 9 volt battery fire - YouTube

:wacko::wacko::wacko:


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

James, Thanks for posting those YouTube links. It appears the stuff ignites easily and burns well, too. I had visualized the 9V battery taking a bit longer than that! The guy that had initially written the article that I read reported his actual inadvertant fire began as a result of grinder sparks landing in his container of steel wool. Sometimes sanding odd composites produce sparks, as well. I now know to keep my steel wool stored safely away from sparks or flames.


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## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

One of the most impressive displays is using a lit cigarette stuffed in the end of an oxygen tube to light steel wool. Demonstrates the effect of introducing pure O2 to a small fire and the flammability of metal at the same time.

Aluminum shavings are pretty impressive too--but don't throw water on it once lit!!


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

I just use a BIC lighter to start fires.. just put 3 or 4 in the back pack in a plastic bag and you are set..

===


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

And it's not even Oct. 31st!
Let's see; going camping, got my battery and steel wool. Won't need matches.


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## Knothead47 (Feb 10, 2010)

My father worked at a place where a guy tried to weld magnesium. The results were rather spectacular!


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

John, interesting you mentioned that! There once was a time when some chain-link fences were made of magnesium. When I was a kid, I had a "crystal-radio" and the antenna was run through my bedroom window and anchored to our (magnesium) chain-link fence. Lightning hit the antenna and burned up my bedroom furniture and some of the interior of my bedroom. As an added bonus, it burned-down to the ground our chain-link fence - all that was left was some black grass and a few burned tree limbs! When I got home from elementary school, my mother was not very happy; and when my dad got home from work - I learned a lesson about electricity and magnesium! That was the end of my crystal radio.


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## joliebayer (Oct 15, 2012)

Oh! This is new for me


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