Flammable safety cabinet for finishes

[fredhargis]

Just wondering what you see the real danger here being.

~Kris

Speaking for myself, I'm concerned about a fire in the shop hitting the volatile and making matters a whole lot worse. I don't store gasoline or propane in the garage for the reason.

[CLETUS]

Speaking for myself, I'm concerned about a fire in the shop hitting the volatile and making matters a whole lot worse. I don't store gasoline or propane in the garage for the reason.

I have a wood stove in the shop and a shelf full of finishes and solvents on the other side of the shop. If a fire got to the finishes it's a lost cause at that point anyway.

[Koda64]

Exactly what the others have mentioned about storing flammable chemicals in your shop. You never know when something other than a flame will ignite materials. I've seen homes that could have been saved if the flammables where stored in a proper container. It's just like rags soaked in thinners, polyurethane etc. You dont just wade them up and toss them in the trash. They can self ignite. You air them out letting them to gas off aka cure.

For me it's either $600-700 for a container or $8,000 + for repairs or a new home...

[Koda64]

Heres the locker I use. Holds all my spray cans, thinners, lacker and fuel cans. As long as your storing the max allowable liquid weight your golden..

[meackerman]

I have a safety cabinet that I bought from a guy who's wife bought an abandoned storage locker.

seems like I should probably actually use it, its only half height so I need to build a stand for it .... and it buried under stuff that I haven't unpacked since I moved in 2012.

[Cooler]

The only real flammables I keep is shellac (seal coat).  I suppose I should put that can and the handful of aerosols in a cabinet of some sort, but I don't.  I don't think I will invest in a cabinet.

[packerguy®]

Just curious as to the dangers you all see with just storing these products in shop made cabinets or just having them on a shelf.

Do you smoke in your shop?  Do you have open flame somewhere in the shop?

I have maybe a half dozen quarts of poly and oil along with a few gallon of lacquer thinner, DA, mineral spirits stored in my wood cabinets.

Just wondering what you see the real danger here being.

~Kris

Flam cabinets dont necessarily prevent fire, but greatly reduce a fire that is easily put out from being an out of control mess.

I have a friend that was on the local FD and talked about my concerns about the fire load in my shop. He actually said they approach every garage fire as if there is a ton of flammables in there....and would be pleasantly surprised to see hardwood and a flammable cabinet. I always had a fire extinguisher in the shop but he encouraged me to get more. Its cheap insurance. I now have two 7.5 pounders and two 2.5 pounders. All positioned to be grabbed in seconds.

[Admiral]

Flam cabinets dont necessarily prevent fire, but greatly reduce a fire that is easily put out from being an out of control mess.

I have a friend that was on the local FD and talked about my concerns about the fire load in my shop. He actually said they approach every garage fire as if there is a ton of flammables in there....and would be pleasantly surprised to see hardwood and a flammable cabinet. I always had a fire extinguisher in the shop but he encouraged me to get more. Its cheap insurance. I now have two 7.5 pounders and two 2.5 pounders. All positioned to be grabbed in seconds.

I've got 5 extinguishers in my shop. One centrally located, one by the main panel, one by the sub panel, one by the door and one by the stairs.  Plus three upstairs, including kitchen, and another one in the garage.  Big believer in them. Thankfully, never had to use one.  Cheap insurance.

[professore]

With respect to extinguishers - there are arguments to not keep in the shop, or keep it next to the exit.  Better to use the extinguisher to fight your way in than to use it to fight your way out.

Frank S in IA

[mike4244]

Flammable safety cabinet for finishes.

I've been just storing finishes on my shop floor in milk and wooden crates.  What do you all recommend as a best practice to store them 
safely that won't break the bank?

I see cabinets like the following, but it's a bit more than I want to spend:

https://smile.amazon.com/Sandusky-SC450F...150&sr=8-3

Thanks,

      Dave

I worked in a shop that threw the rags in a small trash can with about a foot of water in it. Once in awhile the rags were pulled out and hung out to dry on a cyclone fence. The water was poured into a Vee shaped wood trough with a screen panel. The water evaporated. 
These precautions were after a dumpster fire .The rags then were just thrown into the dumpster. The only damage was to the siding. 
Some rags were used again, others were tossed into the dumpster after very little or no odor was detected.