I recently picked up a good old wood stove to finally get some heat in my shop. Now, before I get the flue and roof jack installed, and fire it up, I got to looking around in my shop and realized I had a virtual inferno waiting for a chance to ignite. Meaning …. several gallons of lacquer, various cans of tung oil, varnish, … you name it. So I says …
Maybe I should store this stuff outside?
I have a large metal cabinet that I store these finish materials in. I’d move this outside, under cover, to get it all out of the shop. We don’t get many days of freezing or sub freezing weather where I live but it is cold. Mid 30’s typically overnight and days sometimes don’t get over 45. Will this kind of cold adversely affect solvent based materials like lacquer, et.al.? Will sub freezing weather, when/if it occurs, cause problems with the material?
Thanks for any insight ….
From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
Dennis
Replies
Finishes stored in a metal cabinet is good safety practice. For years I used a wood stove in winter with similar gallons of finish stored at the opposite end of the shop, no problem.However, spraying solvent based finish is something I'd never do with the wood stove going.Brushing is different, but still use precaution.
Freezing weather has not affected any lacquer I've used or other finishes, can stiffen some until they're stirred up. Glue is another matter and has a limited capacity to deal with freeze-thaw cycles until it becomes useless.
Thanks for the reply, JP.My shop is 45' long with the stove in one corner and the cabinet in the other on the same wall. Beyond the fire safety issue is the situation of space. Since I have a covered area outside the shop my thinking was that not only would it be safer to store the materials out there but it would free up a little room in the shop as well. So, based on your experience, about all I'd have to do is to 1) extinguish the stove [duhhhh] and 2) bring the material inside a few hours before use to let it aclimate a bit before use.Thanks for the reply............
From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
Dennis
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