fire safety

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Is it possible to do MIG welding in a wood building with wood floors?
Reply:MIG doesn't spatter as much as stick but it does throw little fireballs around.  However, I don't think anyone can answer your question.  Probably won't ignite a beam but sawdust, paper or other easily lit stuff is another story.  If they fall in the cracks in the floor and light something underneath, you could be in trouble.Get it hot and hit it hard...
Reply:i have wood flooring in my small shop and i've never set it on fire. There are tons of burn marks near my bench though. I have set shop towels on fire inadvertenly though, I have a fire extinguisher and water line within 15'.StangnetShop Full Of Stuff. Joey
Reply:I think you can buy a fire retardant tarp or drop sheet. I would also have a fire extinguisher around. I have a wooden building for a shop, but with a concrete floor and try to do all my welding outside.Bill W aka AntmanUp on the Mogollon Rim in Arizona. God and 4 Wheelers Country!
Reply:I think caution and common sense is the key. I don't have either.  Welding to me is cutting, grinding, welding, sparks, smoke and arc. Total focus on where I wanna go and little regard for what's going on around me. DON'T do that. Another caution would be what they call 'smokers'. Not flame yet but it may be sometime later. Shut down early and check back later. Make sure every thing looks and smells okay. No need to be paranoid, just cautious."The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:I'll tell y'all an interesting story related to fires.  I have done forge and anvil work for well over 20 years and used a coal forge for much of that time.  Some time ago, I had a forge with firebricks for the hearth and 1x6's for the edges to keep the coal from falling out on the ground.  The whole thing was about 3x4 feet with the firepot in the middle.  I finished working one day and after the fire had died down some, sprinkled enough water that I felt it was extinguished.  A couple days later, I came back in and smelled burnt wood.  I looked around for several minutes and could not find anything wrong until I looked at the forge.  All four sides had holes burnt thru the boards but the coal looked normal on top.  I eventually discovered that the fire had ignited the fine coal dust that was on the bricks and enough air was available between the bricks to feed the fire so the whole hearth was covered in fine ash.  The bricks were still warm so the fire had only just gone out.  All four sides burned thru and coals had fallen on the floor, which fortunately was dirt.  Like Sandy said, the slow cookers are the ones to watch.Get it hot and hit it hard...
Reply:Grinding is another one that gets overlooked.  Blowing hot grinding sparks can catch something on fire in a big hurry.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:Even A dirt floor can burn. Doing a bunch of piercing on 3/4 plate with O/A yesterday (carappy, old plate-rusty, laminated like crazy) ten pieces with anywhere from 3 to 5 holes in each. Since most of the holes neeeded to be properly sized at a tad over 3/4 square, I was obviously paying a LOT of attention to the process, not to the surround. Finished one plate and wondered why  It was SOOOO hot (like 90 in the sun isn't hot enough), looked down, and saw that the slag had ignited the dirt. Apparently, enough oil residue, coal dust, and organic material that it burned quite profoundly. Something to watch for with a dirt floor, especially around a coal forge or if oily machinery has been around.