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September 18th, 2018, 12:50 PM #1
Can Used Gun Cleaning Rags Spontaneously Combust?
Spontaneous combustion of oil soaked rags is a real phenomenon but can it happen with our gun solvents? This issue rings louder with me because I lived near a solvent factory as a kid and the thing went up every couple of years. As I finish up with my gun cleaning rags I seal them up in a glass bottle for now but I don't really know enough about the solvent I'm using (Hoppe's #9) to know if it's an issue or not. I looked around a little and didn't find an answer to this one. What sayeth ye?
Gender confusion is a mental illness
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September 18th, 2018, 01:03 PM #2
Re: Can Used Gun Cleaning Rags Spontaneously Combust?
I dont know if it would with gun cleaning solvents but I wouldnt leave them soaked in my house.
I was on a job in ridley creek state park last year where the house behind the house I was working on burned to the ground overnight.
The guys stripping paint from a deck left the rags in a can on the deck. The only thing standing was the stone chimney.
Put the rags in a ammo box or wet them.
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September 18th, 2018, 01:04 PM #3
Re: Can Used Gun Cleaning Rags Spontaneously Combust?
Funny you should bring this up. I wash all my gun and car cleaning rags/towels right after I use them. Particularly because I waa wondering about that myself.
Don’t like me ???? Tough, I don’t give a flying f@@k about ya.
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September 18th, 2018, 01:10 PM #4Grand Member
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Re: Can Used Gun Cleaning Rags Spontaneously Combust?
Maintenance Dept of our Patrol Vessels was guilty of this and occasional oil rag fire was an occurence too frequently !
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September 18th, 2018, 01:12 PM #5
Re: Can Used Gun Cleaning Rags Spontaneously Combust?
This usually happens with boiled Linseed oil, which is a drying oil, and a pile of rags, or if they are confined.
However, error on the safe side.Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges
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September 18th, 2018, 01:17 PM #6Grand Member
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Re: Can Used Gun Cleaning Rags Spontaneously Combust?
You're combining two totally different compounds in one question. Oil and solvents are not the same. To answer the question you also have to understand the true definition of spontaneous combustion.
According to the web the definition of spontaneous combustion (spontaneous ignition) is a type of combustion which occurs by self-heating (increase in temperature due to exothermic internal reactions), followed by thermal runaway (self heating which rapidly accelerates to high temperatures) and finally, auto ignition.
In your case neither gun oils or gun solvents are self heating. If you toss them in a dryer at a very high temperature you would potentially create the right atmosphere for ignition. Most cases of what is assumed to be spontaneous combustion are ignited by spark. The case of the solvent factory you mention... this was most likely a situation where the LEL (lower explosive limit) is present meaning the particulate concentration, O2 level, etc are perfect and just need a spark or flame to ignite. The conditions must be just right with the airborne concentration falling between the LEL and UEL (upper explosive limit). When I was a kid I had a friend who's family owned a large saw mill. The saw dust collection system was prone to this and resulted in several fires over the years.
Materials only spontaneously combust when there is a heat source. As long as your rags aren't near a heater, flame, extreme sun... you're ok.
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September 18th, 2018, 01:30 PM #7
Re: Can Used Gun Cleaning Rags Spontaneously Combust?
MT1, a lot of that makes sense to me. From what I have been able to dig up I found that the substances in question need to oxidize as they sit and the process of oxidation causes the temps to rise to the point of ignition, then spontaneous combustion will occur. I also saw something about an iodine index that identifies an oil or solvent's propensity to oxidize.
There was a time when I was young and ummm less knowledgeable than I am today and I was puffing away on my pipe in a grain shed while taking a break from filling bags of oats with a shovel. Darwin was on break that day.Gender confusion is a mental illness
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September 18th, 2018, 04:32 PM #8Grand Member
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Re: Can Used Gun Cleaning Rags Spontaneously Combust?
Switched to Froglube. No longer an issue.
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September 18th, 2018, 04:38 PM #9
Re: Can Used Gun Cleaning Rags Spontaneously Combust?
If you do what EM does, this isn't a concern at all.
Rules are written in the stone,
Break the rules and you get no bones,
all you get is ridicule, laughter,
and a trip to the house of pain.
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September 18th, 2018, 04:39 PM #10
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