My Workshop Stinks

[Frank Pellow]

I mean it literaly.

When I opened the door to the shop for the first time today, I was hit with a terrible smell and considerable smoke.

Upon investigation, I found this:

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It turns out that I left a plastic dustpan on top of my propane space heater overnight.

I know that I am lucky that the only damage was a melted dustpan and a bad smell. :)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

That bad odor is a small price to pay! Whew Frank....you are, indeed, lucky!

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Wow Frank, thank your stars that's all you have!

[scott spencer]

Wow Frank...that was way too close for comfort! Thank God for watching over you. Even if you weren't hurt, the heartbreak, time and money of losing a shop or house has got to be devestating. Close call....glad things worked out the way they did!

Last year a good sized piece of my shop's roof truss fell 2 feet in front of me at my feet when I walked in. :eek: It ended up that the roof was collapsing under the weight of all the wood I had hanging from them. :eek: :eek: It's nice to be watched over from above....God must feel sorry for schleps like me that are too "destracted" to watch over themselves! He wound me up...I just go in the direction I'm pointed... :rolleyes:

[Jack Wood]

Frank I'm glad to hear that you and your shop are OK!:) It's good of you to post this as it goes to show how one moment of inattention can lead to trouble. I'm going to my shop today and make a safety survey.

[Steve Clardy]

Wheew. Glad it only smelled up the shop.

I had a little accident in my spray room the other day.
I keep a portable phone [or I did] in there for those calls I can't hear when I'm in there with the door shut.
Phone sits on my table where I mix my finishes, fill my spray guns.
I was cleaning up a spray gun with lacquer thinner, and sloshed it out of the container, all over that phone.:eek:
I just stood there for a moment, waiting for the flash fire.:eek:
Didn't happen luckily. All it did was fuse the buttons to the phone case, ruint.:(
I unplugged the charger from the wall, pitched it in the trash can.
Guess having something in there that could have started a fire wasn't such a good idea.;)
Guess I won't put another one in there.:)

[Art Mulder]

It turns out that I left a plastic dustpan on top of my propane space heater overnight.

Glad to hear that it wasn't worse. Really, when I saw the title of this thread I wondered if you were going to tell us about a racoon or some critter getting in and leaving you "presents".

I've seen in various magazines where people build a radiator cover. I wonder if some sort of cover for your heater might be a good idea. Maybe even an open wire shelf (like they sell at Home Depot in the "Closet organizer" aisle) just a few inches above the heater, so you can't lay things directly on the heater, would keep this (or worse!) from ever happening again.

best,
...art

[Sam Chambers]

Congrats on the near miss, Frank. I'm glad it wasn't much, much worse, and you and your family are OK.

[Bart Leetch]

I'm glad nothing was harmed. :)

I have cultivated a habit of stopping for a moment or two & looking around my shop for unsafe things like solvent rags & to make sure everything is turned off i.e. air compressor, heaters, glue guns, soldering irons, lights etc. One of the things I am trying to cultivate is stopping a little earlier & cleaning up & putting away things before going in for the night.
These habits make for a safer shop & a more peaceful sleep at night. In regards to the clean up every night I'm not there yet:eek: but I am trying.:D

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Time to get yourself one of these.....

http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/woodworking/assorted/03k1701s1.jpg

and a cover for the heater..... :D

[Jim O'Dell]

Frank, I had a similar experience about 6 weeks ago. I finally found the source 4 weeks later. Mine was a dead rat under the cyclone, behind some stuff where I couldn't see it. I don't have any poison on the property because of the dogs, so it must have gone in when I had a dor open, then got shut in and couldn't get out. Guess I did an ok job putting things together, huh?
Glad you didn't have any major problems, and I think the metal dust pan is in order. Just be careful whien you grab it!!!:eek: :eek: :eek: Jim.

[Anthony Anderson]

Frank, I am very happy that you still have your shop. That is a mistake that any of us could make. I too have a plastic dust pan, need to get a metal one myself (especially now). You have a beautiful shop, I get chills when I think what could have happened. I am glad that all turned out okay for you, and that luck was on your side. Regards, Bill

[Wes Bischel]

Frank, thankfully you only have one picture of a lost dustpan - whew. I'm surprised the heater has a flat surface - very easy to do exactly what you did - I know I would have. Suggestion: add a wire mesh from the front edge of the heater to the wall going up at a 45 degree angle. This will keep things from being placed on the top of the heater and yet still let the heat through.

Wow, close call. I'm glad that's all it was.

Wes

[William Lewis]

Glad all is ok Frank. I'am really glad you people post things like this, no matter how minor or major because it shows how anything can happen to anyone of us.
William Lewis

[Guy Boulianne]

Maybe even an open wire shelf (like they sell at Home Depot in the "Closet organizer" aisle) just a few inches above the heater, so you can't lay things directly on the heater, would keep this (or worse!) from ever happening again.

best,
...art

.... maybeeven better, convert that horizontal surface in a sloped one so you wont put anything on or over !!!

Guy

[Joe Blankshain]

This one hits close to home as I have been thinking about a propane heater for the shop. Looks like another jacket or sweatshirt would be more appropriate. Safety is an issue we all need to "police" ourselves on daily.

[Frank Pellow]

Frank, thankfully you only have one picture of a lost dustpan - whew. I'm surprised the heater has a flat surface - very easy to do exactly what you did - I know I would have. Suggestion: add a wire mesh from the front edge of the heater to the wall going up at a 45 degree angle. This will keep things from being placed on the top of the heater and yet still let the heat through.

Wow, close call. I'm glad that's all it was.

Wes
That's a great suggestion Wes. And, I have acted upon it already:


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[Frank Pellow]

This one hits close to home as I have been thinking about a propane heater for the shop. Looks like another jacket or sweatshirt would be more appropriate. Safety is an issue we all need to "police" ourselves on daily.
There is nothing at all unsafe about the heater. The eposode was entirely due to my me being careless!

[Von Bickley]

Frank,
Glad you didn't have any major damage.

[Rob Blaustein]

Frank,
Do you have smoke detectors in there--I'm guessing you had to in order to get things "signed off" if you had a building permit. Do people put sprinklers in newly constructed shops, or does that just get too expensive?

[Frank Pellow]

Frank,
Do you have smoke detectors in there--I'm guessing you had to in order to get things "signed off" if you had a building permit. Do people put sprinklers in newly constructed shops, or does that just get too expensive?
I do have a smoke detector and it was ringing. :) But, it was ringing in the shop and not in the house :( . I will look into getting a detector that rings remotely -assuming that they must have such things.

There is no water in the shop, so I could not put in a sprinkler system.

[Howard Rosenberg]

It could'vre been MUCH worse.
Equipment can always be replaced.
Your health can't.
Thank you for sharing here.
Howard

[Jerry Todd]

Frank,
You should be thankful that you still have a shop. While your lucky streak continues you may consider it a good time to purchase a Lotto ticket.:)
Jerry

[Frank Pellow]

Frank,
You should be thankful that you still have a shop. While your lucky streak continues you may consider it a good time to purchase a Lotto ticket.:)
Jerry
Jerry, I am very thankful, but not that thankful.

Since I consider myself to be a statistician and I know the negative odds very well, I think of lotteries as a "tax on the desperate and/or stupid". On ocassion, I do buy such things, but I consider such purchases to be charitable donations.

[Eric Shields]

Frank,

I would certainly say you dodged a big one this time. Glad it was only the dust pan, whew!!!

[Greg Mann]

Actually Frank, I really enjoyed your wonderful threads on the building of your shop. I suppose a thread on the RE-building of your shop would have been well received too. ;)

All kidding aside, I am glad you dodged a big bullet.

Greg

[Peter Pedisich]

Frank,

After all the work you put into your shop I'm glad there was nothing worse than a melted dust pan.

Pete

[Frank Pellow]

Actually Frank, I really enjoyed your wonderful threads on the building of your shop. I suppose a thread on the RE-building of your shop would have been well received too. ;)

All kidding aside, I am glad you dodged a big bullet.

Greg
I do like to entertain the folks at Saw Mill Creek :) , but I don't want to go to that extent to do so :o

Greg, it's nice to hear from you. It's one year ago tomorrow that we last visited. Any chance of you getting to Toronto sometime? If not, I might need to find an excuse to go to Michigan again.

[Dev Emch]

Time to get yourself one of these.....

http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/woodworking/assorted/03k1701s1.jpg

and a cover for the heater..... :D

Yah Frank, you need to get one of those. And I take my eggs sunny side up please.:D

[Frank Pellow]

Yah Frank, you need to get one of those. And I take my eggs sunny side up please.:D
Stu and Dev, I will get one.

Dev, If you ever get a chance to visit me, I would be happy to cook you some
sunny side up eggs (that's how I like them too). I could even cook them in the shop -but it will be on the woodstove and not on the propane heater.

[Dev Emch]

Only been to Toronto once on the way up to the General Factory in Drummondville. Wasnt a real difference between the US and Canada except the roads were much nicer and gas was sold in Liters. OUCH! Had to camp out in truck stop just outside Drummondville. Lots of french speaking truck drivers. Got some coffee to wake up. H-O-L-L-Y C-O-W! That was the best coffee I have had in quite some time. Those qubec truckers sure know their coffee! Starbucks had nothing on this stuff.

[Frank Pellow]

Only been to Toronto once on the way up to the General Factory in Drummondville. Wasnt a real difference between the US and Canada except the roads were much nicer and gas was sold in Liters. OUCH! Had to camp out in truck stop just outside Drummondville. Lots of french speaking truck drivers. Got some coffee to wake up. H-O-L-L-Y C-O-W! That was the best coffee I have had in quite some time. Those qubec truckers sure know their coffee! Starbucks had nothing on this stuff.
I make very good (and strong) coffee to go with the eggs. So, now you have an excuse to come to Toronto again. :D