# WARNING TO ALL WOOD TURNERS...



## Spec Grade (Apr 22, 2010)

I used some Nitrile (blue) gloves in my shop tonite for the first time. I used some CA glue to seal a turned blank.
There was a chemical reaction & the glove literally caught on fire. 

Luckily, I was paying close attention, and got the glove off before it could burn me.

I had to use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire.

Let this be a warning to you.
Do not mix blue (rubber) gloves & CA adhesive.


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## witz1976 (Apr 22, 2010)

wow, that sucks. Glad you are ok & no damage to the place


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## larryc (Apr 22, 2010)

I've used that combination and sometimes the glove will melt when glue touches it but I have never had one actually catch fire.
What brand / viscosity of CA and what brand of nitrile were you using?


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## Spec Grade (Apr 22, 2010)

larryc said:


> I've used that combination and sometimes the glove will melt when glue touches it but I have never had one actually catch fire.
> What brand / viscosity of CA and what brand of nitrile were you using?


I was using regular nitrile gloves & thin CA. The CA stuff every woodworking store sells under their own name.


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## Mark (Apr 22, 2010)

Wow, Glad you are okay. That sure is the a tough way of finding out.


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## Rfturner (Apr 22, 2010)

I have used that combo all the time, thanks for the info


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## el_d (Apr 22, 2010)

That thin CA is dangerous, I have had paper towls smoke with the CA only, during my finishing sessions. It would be a good Idea to discard any materiels that have the thin CA into a bucket of water. Probably wouldnt hurt to throw any CA in water.


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## TellicoTurning (Apr 22, 2010)

Spec Grade said:


> I used some Nitrile (blue) gloves in my shop tonite for the first time. I used some CA glue to seal a turned blank.
> There was a chemical reaction & the glove literally caught on fire.
> 
> Luckily, I was paying close attention, and got the glove off before it could burn me.
> ...



Charles,
That's good to know... I use the blue nitrile gloves all the time in my shop... haven't used them when working with CA though.... I'll definite keep your warning in mind.


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## Fred (Apr 22, 2010)

First ... glad you were not injured, and second, glad you suffered no loss in the shop.

Just imagine where you/others might end up if the reaction happened AFTER you discarded the gloves and were out of the shop.

The industry has already lost one good man this week due to a fire at his business, we certainly do not need to add to the list.

A water disposal bucket is a great idea and especially with the use of any and all wadded up oily rags used for finishing, etc.

Just cannot be too careful can we now!


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## Mr Vic (Apr 22, 2010)

Very inteeresting. I cut the fingers of the blue disposable glove so I can slip them on my index finger to apply my CA. Thick Medium and water Thin....Never had an issue. Can you post the composition of the gloves you had catch fire? Were there any other chemicals involved?


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## stolicky (Apr 22, 2010)

Mr Vic said:


> Very inteeresting. I cut the fingers of the blue disposable glove so I can slip them on my index finger to apply my CA. Thick Medium and water Thin....Never had an issue. Can you post the composition of the gloves you had catch fire? Were there any other chemicals involved?



I do the same.


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## Whaler (Apr 22, 2010)

I have used the blue nitryl gloves for many years with CA and have never had a problem, but I never use thin.


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## Bree (Apr 22, 2010)

I stopped using latex or nitrile gloves when turning.  And I also stopped using thin for CA finishing.  One day some thin burned the heck out of my finger.  That was the day I went to Medium and Thick for all but stabilization.


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## gketell (Apr 22, 2010)

I use blue nitrile gloves all the time with thin/medium/thin and never have any problems.  Very Very Odd.

But thank you for the warning, I will forever be extra diligent!!
GK


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## bitshird (Apr 22, 2010)

Must have been the composition of the gloves I use the blue nitride gloves when gluing but never for finishing, that may be the cause. I have had smoldering Viva towels stuck to my fingers which is very uncomfortable though.


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## bruce119 (Apr 22, 2010)

I too use the blur Nitride gloves from H.F. never had a problem.

Are you sure you didn't use a large amount of thin CA with Paper towels.

Now I can see a large amount of CA and Paper towels going up in smoke and giving you 3rd degree burns. I stopped use paper towels a long time ago. The paper towels is very dangerous. I now use thin packing foam like they wrap furniture and electronics in. Works great it doesn't accelerate the CA. Paper towels will accelerate it very fast you need to be careful.

I would like to hear if you were using paper towels or not.

.


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## Padre (Apr 23, 2010)

I use the blue nitride gloves all the time with CA also.  No problems so far.


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## pensmyth (Apr 23, 2010)

I use blue and black nitrile gloves when doing glue ups with CA and the only problem I've had is when I get some glue on the glove and hit it with some over spray of accelerator. My question would be were you using powder free gloves? The smoke you see from using paper towels is due to a reaction to the chemicals present in the towel from their manufacture. 
Nitrile gloves are known for their resistance to many solvents, much better than vinyl or latex ones. Many companies use corn starch on their gloves to prevent sticking. If your gloves weren't powder free that could be an issue. I'm curious to see if anyone else has had this happen.


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## Grizz (Apr 23, 2010)

el_d said:


> That thin CA is dangerous, I have had paper towls smoke with the CA only, during my finishing sessions. It would be a good Idea to discard any materiels that have the thin CA into a bucket of water. Probably wouldnt hurt to throw any CA in water.



The chemicals in the paper towel can react to CA.  A local shop switched the brand of CA they carried and I used the same towel.... WhoA  Nellie!

I think it depends on the exact combination for it to ... go up in smoke..


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## TXPhi67 (Apr 23, 2010)

Very interesting.  First off - thanks for a heads up.  

I use thin CA from time to time and have noticed it smoke (paper towels, cotton rag, nitrile glove, latex glove, bare finger....) and have always just assumed that the CA was what was volatile (especially when hit with accelerator).

However, I have never had open flame.

Glad you are okay and glad the shop is okay.

Just one more reason to be aware and don't assume I've seen it all.  

Take care,


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## AceMrFixIt (Apr 23, 2010)

I use that combo alot, no problem yet, but it may make for a interesting experiment, outside of course............


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## wizard (Apr 23, 2010)

Could you tell me if you were using a papertowel, microfiber cloth and/or using BLO when this happened. I am really glad you weren't hurt !!!


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## jttheclockman (Apr 23, 2010)

Spec Grade said:


> I used some Nitrile (blue) gloves in my shop tonite for the first time. I used some CA glue to seal a turned blank.
> There was a chemical reaction & the glove literally caught on fire.
> 
> Luckily, I was paying close attention, and got the glove off before it could burn me.
> ...


 

Can you give us abit more detail as to what you are doing that caused this. I ask because many of us do use those gloves when applying CA and have not had this occur. There must be a certain thing that caused this. Thanks.


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## Texatdurango (Apr 23, 2010)

jttheclockman said:


> Can you give us abit more detail as to what you are doing that caused this. I ask because many of us do use those gloves when applying CA and have not had this occur. There must be a certain thing that caused this. Thanks.


 
I too would like some more details as I have used these gloves for a long time around CA without incident.  I just went to the shop and tried to deliberately start a fire but all I managed to do was stick a perfectly good pair of gloves to the table! :biggrin:

Many members take for gospel every word that is typed on the forum and I can see half a dozen right now going out to their shop and trashing a brand new box of gloves!


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## wolftat (Apr 23, 2010)

I would have paid to watch that. :biggrin:


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## jttheclockman (Apr 23, 2010)

Texatdurango said:


> I too would like some more details as I have used these gloves for a long time around CA without incident. I just went to the shop and tried to deliberately start a fire but all I managed to do was stick a perfectly good pair of gloves to the table! :biggrin:
> 
> Many members take for gospel every word that is typed on the forum and I can see half a dozen right now going out to their shop and trashing a brand new box of gloves!


 


I am glad you did it George because I was going to do the same thing and now I can save a pair of gloves to finish some more pens or make balloon animals:clown: 


Yes I know it is serious and should not be taken lightly. If more details as to how this occured would be beneficial in the statement or claim made.


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## Spec Grade (Apr 23, 2010)

OK, here's what happened. Step by step.
I bought some Optiderm brand Nitrile (blue) exam gloves from a local store. I use them for various projects, mainly gluing up pen blanks.
Anyway, I had one on last night, and I was using generic blue label thin CA glue to finish a turned blank.
I was using a paper towel to apply the CA.
I noticed a whiff of smoke from the CA when it hit the paper towel.

Here's where it gets interesting.

I applied the CA to the pen blank, & noticed brown smoke as soon as I did it. The CA soaked thru the paper towel & onto the nitrile glove. No big deal. 

I took the glove off & laid it on the paper towel on the workbench. As soon as I got it off, it ignited into flames. Good thing I had a fire extinguisher next to my work bench, or it could have been good bye house.


Hopefully, this will help someone avoid what happened to me.

EDIT: These are un-powdered gloves.


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## jttheclockman (Apr 23, 2010)

Spec Grade said:


> OK, here's what happened. Step by step.
> I bought some Optiderm brand Nitrile (blue) exam gloves from a local store. I use them for various projects, mainly gluing up pen blanks.
> Anyway, I had one on last night, and I was using generic blue label thin CA glue to finish a turned blank.
> I was using a paper towel to apply the CA.
> ...


 

What is not making sense to this is you had smoke when placed on paper towel. I think the paper towel was the culprit here. What kind of towels were they and was there anything on the towels such as grease or other chemical. I use thin CA all the time. I apply with a Viva paper towel and never has the towel even gotten warm. I do not burnish the CA with a towel. I just apply it and that is it. I place the piece on the side and wait for the next layer to be applied using a different section of the towel. I have also used the blue towels but have stopped using them because I found the leave minute scratches and ridges. More investigation is needed.


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## wizard (Apr 23, 2010)

*Possible Explanation*

As someone who has training in polymer chemistry, I humbly submit this as likely explanation. Cyanoacrylate glue is a a compound which polymerizes to a form of acrylic. The reaction of polymerization is exothermic or releases heat even without turning on a lathe. CA glue if dropped in larger amounts or in a "clump"  on a absorbent paper towel or cloth (without a flame retardant with many micropockets of air) can generate enough heat to, on rare occasion, to ignite. A review of one large manufacturer ( Loctite Corp) MSDS (Manufacturers Safety Data Sheet) lists CA as a Class 2 fire hazard and describes this process. A search on Google revealed a woodworker in another state reporting a similar incident with CA glue dropping on a rag.
I hope that helps....


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## Bree (Apr 23, 2010)

I have had smoke come off an ordinary Bounty towel with thin.  I guess a lot depends on circumstances... what kind of CA, how old, room humidity, moisture in the object CA is being applied to, moisture in the towels etc.

But the lesson I am learning is this... where there's smoke there may well be fire!  CA finish entails some risk... sometimes risks that we don't readily perceive.  I kind of thought that use of BLO would reduce ignition of the CA.  But then I thought... heck... the BLO itself is highly flammable.  It is also prone to spontaneous combustion.  So I doubt that BLO helps one bit when the smoke starts pouring out of the CA soaked towel.

The comment about having a fire extinguisher is spot on!  From now on I am going to have a bucket of water close by on the workbench... just in case.  If forexample I did have a glove on and it caught fire, I could immediately stick it into the bucket of water to douse the flames and then figure out how to get the darn thing off.

I usually have a bucket of water on the bench when I am doing acrylics so I can dip my wet-dry papers in the bucket.  I guess i'll just have one no matter what kind of pen I am turning.
:wink::wink::wink:


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## bruce119 (Apr 23, 2010)

Spec Grade said:


> OK, here's what happened. Step by step.
> I bought some Optiderm brand Nitrile (blue) exam gloves from a local store. I use them for various projects, mainly gluing up pen blanks.
> Anyway, I had one on last night, and I was using generic blue label thin CA glue to finish a turned blank.
> *I was using a paper towel to apply the CA.*
> ...


 
There's your problem "The CA soaked through the paper towel" if you put thin CA on so heavy that it soaks though paper towel you are asking for trouble. Even with gloves on you are very lucky you you were able to get your gloves off and the CA didn't melt through and stick to your fingers.

*THIS IS THE WARNING DON'T PUT SO MUCH THIN CA ON TO THE POINT IT SOAKS THROUGH. YOU WILL GET BURNT.*

I stopped using paper towel a long time ago just too dangerous. Like I said the best way is to use a thin foam packing such as that is wrapped around electronics as an applicator and a thicker CA. I use thick CA and with the foam it does not accelerate it like paper towel. Even a plastic bag would be better than paper towel.

We need to get this paper towel that has been taught us out of our heads. *PAPER TOWELS ARE DANGEROUS WITH THIN CA.*

.


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## Texatdurango (Apr 23, 2010)

Yep, now we know more of the problem and it does indeed sound like the culprit is more the paper towel than the glove.  Maybe the glove just helped the towel trap the heat enough to cause combustion.

This probably explains why I go through less than half of a 2oz bottle of thin CA in two years yet will go through 16oz or more of medium CA in six months!

When I first started making pens I can't remember how many times I burned my fingers by thin ca gluing a paper towel to my finger then having to peel the towel from my finger using debonder.

I have absolutely no use for thin CA when making pens!


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## EBorraga (Apr 23, 2010)

I actually got rid of my thin CA because I never use it. I prefer Med. CA and only use that for finishing pens.


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## jttheclockman (Apr 24, 2010)

Now everyone is going to have a preferred method so to say don't do this or don't do that is plain wrong. I use thin CA and paper towels all the time and it is not a luck thing that it never has caught fire or I don't stick the towel to my finger. I will continue to do this. It is my method. I wipe on in one swipe a small drop.And walk away. I don't breathe fumes I don't have fires because the word is small amounts. I don't use that  accelorator stuff. To me that just asks for trouble using that but here again that is my opinion. Idid not say don't use it. So I have to do 5 coats instead of 4 big deal. 

Now if you want to do a warning thing then you better start putting up stop signs with the use of BLO. Highly flamable and spontaneous combustion is possible well after you left the shop. Dispose of towels and rags properly. Caution is the key word and fire extinguishers is always a good idea.

While we are at it for warnings lets not forget those that make metal pens and mixing metal shavings with wood dust is not a good combination so those that do segmenting and also metal pen turning beware. Hot metal slivers can cause fires.


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## jttheclockman (Apr 24, 2010)

Anyone who wants to get rid of their thin CA after this please send them to me. I will take all you have. :biggrin:


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## TellicoTurning (Apr 25, 2010)

bruce119 said:


> There's your problem "The CA soaked through the paper towel" if you put thin CA on so heavy that it soaks though paper towel you are asking for trouble. Even with gloves on you are very lucky you you were able to get your gloves off and the CA didn't melt through and stick to your fingers.
> 
> *THIS IS THE WARNING DON'T PUT SO MUCH THIN CA ON TO THE POINT IT SOAKS THROUGH. YOU WILL GET BURNT.*
> 
> ...



My thoughts too... I only use thin CA to stabilize punky wood... I finish with medium CA and never use paper towels.. I started using the foam pads you mentioned years ago when I discovered that the CA won't soak into them and I use lots less CA using the foam pads.   The only thing I use the paper towels for now is the final step when I'm applying plastic polish.


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## jskeen (Apr 25, 2010)

Charles;  Thanks for sharing a warning with us, and again for coming back and providing more info to clarify what probably happened.  All of us are aware that this is not a risk free hobby, and are (usually) smart enough to put safety measures in place to minimize the risks, AS LONG AS WE KNOW THEY EXIST.  Finishing products like BLO, danish oil, and such are known to smolder to life long after use if a critical mass is left together along with a suitable fuel source.  CA is also well known to smoke when applied to paper towels.  We now have heard of it actually producing open flame.  Let's all try to keep that in mind and be sure not to drop our application medium, whatever it is, somewhere where a flame might be a problem.


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## AceMrFixIt (Apr 25, 2010)

I took a glove outside and poured thin ca on it to see what happened. No flaming reaction.


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## HaroldD (Apr 25, 2010)

Thank-you for sharing the info.  It's certainly something to be aware of.  I'm glad you and your shop came out unscathed.


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## Monty (Apr 25, 2010)

I have two different brands of nitrile gloves (from Harbor Freight). I took one of each out and layed them on the sidewalk and literally poured thin CA on them. No reaction. I then hit it with accelerator. They gave off the usual white smoke and the CA foamed up and hardened. No combustion.
I thought maybe there was some BLO present so I placed a small amount of BLO on  the gloves added a liberal amount of thin CA.......nothing. Sprayed with accelerator and got the same reaction as before but still no combustion.
For a final try, I sprayed the glove with accelerator until it was "wet". Added thin CA and got the same reaction but it was a little more "violent", but still no combustion although I could hear it sizzle.
After every test, the glove was very hot to the touch, enough to be very uncomfortable but not to burn. I imagine if I would have had them on, it might have blistered me during the reaction.
In none of the tests did I get a brown smoke, only the "normal" white that is sometimes seen.
The only explanation I can offer is the brand of CA you are using reacts hotter than mine or your glove may have been contaminated with something else or there was something on your bench that ignited.


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