heart attack(almost)

Michael S Murray · Post by **Michael S Murray** » Fri, Nov 30 2007, 6:09PM

Hey everyone,
I read a lot of other forums and I hear about these guys who start there routers and go home or go to dinner, whatever. Today my operator started a full 48 x 96 sheet of 5/8 baltic birch drawer parts. Knowing that it would take 30 to 45 minutes he went to the edgebander 50' away and had his back to the router for quite a while, mostly just listening to it.Well, he never heard anything different than usual, but he did smell something. To any one who leaves there router running unattended, please look at this picture, and this was after the mess was cleaned up, Burnt through the waste board, through the spoilboard and stained the aluminum table. We really dont know what happened, no tools were broken, none were really burnt, although a 3/8 compression looked like it had got a little hot. I can only imagine that there was a piece of metal imbedded in the baltic birch and when the tool hit it it started smoldering and then the vacuum just kept it rolling. When I shut off the vacuum it died out almost imediantly. WE immediantly dumped our dust collection, trash cans after clean up, anyway, I would think twice about getting to far from your machine, it could of been a real bad day in my life and my employees lives.....

Damon Nabors · Post by **Damon Nabors** » Fri, Nov 30 2007, 6:20PM

Mike, glad it wasn't more serious. When I was at machine training a couple of weeks ago, Josh told us that he has started fires while drilling with the wrong type of bit. He did it on purpose to prove it could be done. And yes the vacumn pump pulls enough O2 through there to get it hot.

I will remember that when I think about walking too far away.

Damon

Steve Dyches · Post by **Steve Dyches** » Fri, Nov 30 2007, 6:22PM

Thanks for the warning and pics Mike. I'm glad it didn't do more. 'll share this with our guys and hopefully learn from your scare.

Steve

Michael Rice · Post by **Michael Rice** » Sat, Dec 01 2007, 5:11PM

That looks like something I did in the widebelt once.....

Sure glad the damage wasn't any worse. I'm sure it's a good learning experience.

Mike

Rob Davis · Post by **Rob Davis** » Tue, Dec 04 2007, 5:11PM

Mike,
I've been there. I would post a link if I knew how but look at July 11, 2005 post by me in the Thermwood Forum for machine owners. We burned our table out with a dull bit and wrong tool application. Operator heard whistling as air rushed through the hole to the vacuum. SCARY!!!!!

Glad you dodged that bullet too. I hated to confess ours but I figured that somebody else might avoid my stupidity and save their shop!

Bet your Dad was mad he had to clean up all that sawdust you guys dumped!

Michael S Murray · Post by **Michael S Murray** » Tue, Dec 04 2007, 5:34PM

Hey Rob,
Read your post, what a blast to experience HUH! A Lot of things went through my mind after that, I am already paranoid about fire as it is...
I still have to blame mine on something in the plywood as I just cleaned up the mess, reloaded the program and cut the same sheet with the same code and same tools, Of course standing over the machine like a mother hen..I have cut hundreds and hundreds of those drawers with the same set-up..Not the kind of excitement I am looking for..
I once saw a article in one of the trade mags that showed a sheet of particle board ripped part way, althought the saw operator had to stop when he hit a nut,washer and BOLT that was layed up in the sheet....
Hope things are going well for you.

Joe Soto · Post by **Joe Soto** » Tue, Dec 04 2007, 6:24PM

I'm glad both incidents turned out OK and Mike didn't really have a heart attack.
Mike you are probably right about the metal in the plywood but something caught my eye in one of the photos. See the small disk of plywood, I could see one of those getting stuck on the bottom of 3/8 bit. At 18000 rpm it wouldn't take long to build up enough heat to start fire. Just something else to think (worry) about. Joe

Michael S Murray · Post by **Michael S Murray** » Tue, Dec 04 2007, 7:04PM

Gee thanks Joe,something else to worry about..

Actually I think that is the .030 skin that just never got second passed. i did break the sheet apart, clean it up and kind of reconstruct the crime scene a little..

Funny thing is I still see and smell smoke everytime I walk past that machine!!!

Mark Hesketh · Post by **Mark Hesketh** » Wed, Dec 05 2007, 9:11AM

We ran into a similar incident a while ago... but it was because I had accidentally entered a wrong value in Panelmetrix and plunged my 2\" dia pocket cutter right through my 1-1/4\" mdf and through the spacer board and into the spoilboard... and it still tried to cut the pocket... so the shaft and the tool holder were actually ripping right through the material. Had my back to the machine, but nearly had my own heart attack when the spark detectors slammed the dust collector dampers shut. Makes a pretty load bang and all the duct lines shudderpretty bad. I think just about everyone in the shop had their hearts skip a beat or two. Took forever to surface the damage out of the spoilboard. Never been happier to have that spark detector there though.