treesner Posted November 2, 2020 Report Share Posted November 2, 2020 do you guys think its necessary to do a metal cabinet for chemicals? I'm accustomed to doing it that way but do you really think it would prevent a fire? If you have a favorite cabinet for chemicals let me know I need to buy 2 or build 2 not sure yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaDad Posted November 2, 2020 Report Share Posted November 2, 2020 2 minutes ago, treesner said: do you guys think its necessary to do a metal cabinet for chemicals? I'm accustomed to doing it that way but do you really think it would prevent a fire? If you have a favorite cabinet for chemicals let me know I need to buy 2 or build 2 not sure yet I think it really depends on what you plan to keep on hand, and in what volume. Also, in some cases a wooden cabinet may outperform a metal cabinet in terms of fire safety (see: https://finishing.tips/wooden-flammable-storage-cabinets/). If you need to be OSHA compliant there are very prescriptive requirements for both metal and wooden flammables storage. If not, I would personally steer more in the direction of a wooden cabinet, potentially retrofitting a thrift store find (to save time/$) or building a nice looking one at the expense of time/$. One of my next projects is a flammables cabinet (I'm going to build a wooden one like I had in a prior shop) that can be gently heated with a lightbulb so my glues and finishes don't go sideways over winter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesner Posted November 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2020 3 hours ago, VizslaDad said: I think it really depends on what you plan to keep on hand, and in what volume. Also, in some cases a wooden cabinet may outperform a metal cabinet in terms of fire safety (see: https://finishing.tips/wooden-flammable-storage-cabinets/). If you need to be OSHA compliant there are very prescriptive requirements for both metal and wooden flammables storage. If not, I would personally steer more in the direction of a wooden cabinet, potentially retrofitting a thrift store find (to save time/$) or building a nice looking one at the expense of time/$. One of my next projects is a flammables cabinet (I'm going to build a wooden one like I had in a prior shop) that can be gently heated with a lightbulb so my glues and finishes don't go sideways over winter. I dont have to be osha or anything. one will just have misc finishes and paints. the other will have oils and such for motorcycle. never heard of heated cabinets, luxury! but hear you on that cold thick glue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 2, 2020 Report Share Posted November 2, 2020 You should. Back in 1983 it was required a commercial shop to store plant and lacquer thinner out of the actual shop. We had a block building. Ever shop I've worked at since then has a yellow metal cabinet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaDad Posted November 3, 2020 Report Share Posted November 3, 2020 2 hours ago, BillyJack said: You should. Back in 1983 it was required a commercial shop to store plant and lacquer thinner out of the actual shop. We had a block building. Ever shop I've worked at since then has a yellow metal cabinet. I cost were a low importance factor I would definitely recommend buying one of those yellow commercial flammables cabinet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 3, 2020 Report Share Posted November 3, 2020 Sometimes the price isn't bad on craigslist. Sometimes there almost unrecognizable because of paint and chemicals. Sometimes the shelves are missing. Sometimes not.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesner Posted November 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2020 do any of the metal cabinets come in casters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted November 4, 2020 Report Share Posted November 4, 2020 They might, but the OSHA-approved ones are kind of heavy, so maybe not. We have some large, stationary ones at my workplace, as well as some smaller, wall-mounted ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaDad Posted November 4, 2020 Report Share Posted November 4, 2020 The latest FWW "Tools and Shops" shows a cool shop in a log cabin, and the woodworker who owns it uses a lot of recycled furniture for shop fixtures. She uses a metal three drawer file cabinet (low-wide, not tall-narrow) for finishes. It's obviously not an OSHA-rated cab but I imagine office furniture is going to start showing up for cheap all over. One could just put one of those things on a couple harbor fright furniture dollies, or make a mobile base for it if you needed it to roll around, @treesner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted November 5, 2020 Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 Keep in mind that being of metal construction alone does not make a cabinet "fire resistant". Those yellow boxes are double-walled, some are insulated, and the doors are constructed with overlaps to severely restrict airflow. The idea is to keep oxygen from enabling combustion on the inside, as well as resisting flames from the outside, for as long as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted November 5, 2020 Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 Several years ago, our Fire Marshal visited us and told us to get a cabinet for the one gallon cans of oil based paints and solvents we had laying around. We were Justrite distributors at the time and their cabinets were several hundred dollars, my cost. One day, shortly thereafter, I was at Office Depot and found a metal copier cabinet for less than $100. I bought it and found some round vents and installed them and bought a couple of flammable liquid signs. FM came back and approved them. And no, the one I bought was not double walled. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby W Posted November 5, 2020 Report Share Posted November 5, 2020 One of the big things that many people don't know is that there needs to be a vent to relieve pressure should something explode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesner Posted November 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2020 good idea or bad idea witht the door shelving? love the idea but wondering if it gets really heavy and makes a lot of noise shutting 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 7, 2020 Report Share Posted November 7, 2020 One has to ask them selves how safe they want t be. Personally i know if my garage is on fire I'm not going Iin there. Lumber , chemicals, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Beasley Posted November 7, 2020 Report Share Posted November 7, 2020 I wonder if there is an automatic fire extinguisher device that can be put in a cabinet that will deploy if the temperature goes up to ignition levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted November 7, 2020 Report Share Posted November 7, 2020 @treesner, the only issue I've noticed with cabinets like that at work, is that stuff in the doors sometimes tips out if you swing open too quickly. @Gary Beasley, I bet @Coop could answer that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted November 7, 2020 Report Share Posted November 7, 2020 7 hours ago, Gary Beasley said: I wonder if there is an automatic fire extinguisher device that can be put in a cabinet that will deploy if the temperature goes up to ignition levels. Yes sir, there are several on the market and are sized according to the cubic feet of the cabinet. The less expensive ones use a bi-metal fusible link to activate them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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