Not a good idea. I use an electric radiant heater with a fan. I have always avoided staining with that thing running. However, I am into a situation where I am most likely going to need to have a heat source to stain the current project.
I’d like to know if you agree that I should not use the heater while I am staining, or if I have been overly cautious.
In the past, I would usually crank up the shop somewhere north of 70, and when it fell back into the 50’s I would either vent the shop and crank it up again or just bring the pieces into the house for the remainder of the cure period.
Some thoughts would be appreciated. I will start applying finish on Wed. Dec. 12, so comments on or after that date won’t be much help for the current project.
Thanks, I’ve read the first four replies. The heater is not fully enclosed. It is an older electric, and it always reminds me of a toaster, where you can see the heating element glowing when it is on. As for this job, a quart of wipe-on oil based will be plenty. Sounds like I should stick with what I have been doing, but maybe not heat it up so much to start. It is a small project, and I should be able to finish well before temp drops back to 50’s. I have about 5000 cubic feet in the shop with a 12′ ceiling. Of course, with all the machines, there never seems to be enough room …
By the way, the only time I got dizzy out there was about 10 years ago when I tried a LP heater. even allowing for cross ventilation, I don’t think I lasted 30 minutes. That’s when I found this electric baby and it has done the trick.
Edited 12/10/2007 1:47 pm ET by Redwoodie
Replies
or if I have been overly cautious.
You can NEVER be overly cautious.
Bring it inside if no little children there and if the little lady will put up with it.
Gee.. My wife would have let me do it all inside so she could send the kids to her friend for a day or two!
So you mean, spraying lacquer in a closed garage in the middle of winter with the Kerosene torpedo on full bore . . . bad? Rats.
Seriously, sparks, flame, bad. I dont think an enclosed electric heater would bug me. Those I use all the time. But a Kero, LP, LNG fueled heater, that I would feel pretty foolish using anything around that generated fumes.
Real trucks dont have sparkplugs
You asked, "I'd like to know if you agree that I should not use the heater while I am staining, or if I have been overly cautious."
Presumably you are using oil-based wiping stain (Water base would of course pose no fire hazard) which is composed of oil, pigment and/or dye and probably about 80% solvent = 5.12lb/gal. The solvent in oil based stains is usually mineral spirits, which has a flash point of 100 deg F.
For your electric heater to ignite vapors from your stain, the concentration of solvent in the air would have to reach above 1%. A quart of stain, completely evaporated in a non-vented room, could reach explosive limits in a 200sq ft room (14'x14'x8').
So, how big is the room?
How much stain are you going to use?
Is there any ventilation in the room?
I once varnished a tiny 5'x5'x7' bathroom in cold weather with door closed and an electric wall heater going. Vapor concentration was enough that I started to feel high from breathing the fumes, but I did not blow up the place.
You said, "In the past, I would usually crank up the shop somewhere north of 70, and when it fell back into the 50's I would either vent the shop and crank it up again or just bring the pieces into the house for the remainder of the cure period."
Once the solvent has evaporated, there is absolutely no danger from your heater, so you can ventilate the room until you don't smell mineral spirits any more and then keep the heat on as long as necessary for the stain to be ready for finishing.
Redwoodie,
OK the answer is yes can waste time being too safe.. the requirement for an explosion is very specific regarding fuel to air mixture,, too rich or too lean and nothing will happen..
The amount of fuel required is so thick you almost can't breathe. Now most stain that I know isn't very flamable.
That's not true of all finishes, shellac for example is one that is nearly impossible to have an explosion with , you see by the time the fuel air ratio gets to near the explosive level the moisture in normal humidity dilutes the fuel to the non-explosive level.. (if alcohol is burning simply toss some water on it and it dilutes it down to the point where flame cannot continue)..
Sprayed lacquer isn't blessed this way and yet in decades of spraying lacquer finishes I never once approached the point where an explosion would have been possible.. {in part because I used an exhaust fan to remove fumes from the homemade spray boothe}
The best way to see if something is extremely volitile or not is try to ignite some srayed with one of those plastic spray bottles (do this outside) You've all seen the ligter and can of spray paint trick (or hair spray or etc) do that with whatever you are painting. If the thing bursts into flame you have your answer, note how thick the mixture needs to be and that's your guideline..
Don't do this if you aren't sure of what you are attempting.. use reasonable amount of caution, but yes you can stain things inside.. ,.... sometimes.. check to be sure..
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