Steel Wool is dangerous.

Also tastes terrible, no matter how much Ranch you got on it

a reply to: charlyv

Im an idiot too, as in all my decades on this planet, had no idea this could happen.

Thank you for sharing what happened with your steel wool with us.

a reply to: Cymru

That would be metallic Sodium (Na). Fun times!!

a reply to: charlyv
I didnt know about this. Thanks for posting.

The smoke alarm battery reminds me of an ironic story where our local firefighters used to go door to door annually with free batteries for fire alarms. One of them told me they had absent mindedly stuffed them in their pockets to pass them out and found one very hot because its contacts had touched another battery. These were the little square ones so dont know if it makes a difference or is all batteries, but I always remembered that anytime afterwards when I put batteries in a pocket, bag or container and to make sure the terminals werent connecting anywhere.

a reply to: Cymru

Probably a chunk of Sodium, hopefully not Caesium

Should have read the 2nd page, erbdds beat me to it

I used to ride a unicycle all around as a kid. In the late 60s I taped a 9-volt battery to the Unicycle frame, and I rode down the middle of streets igniting small handfuls of steel wool and tossing them. It looked pretty cool in the evening. That old unicycle is hanging on the wall in the garage still.

a reply to: Insurrectile

I actually saw that happen once. I used to work in the optics field and sometimes lenses are polished with a type of pitch, Linseed oil is sometimes used to soften it. Anyway someone threw a rag soaked in it in a trash can and within a few minutes it started smoking like crazy. Thank god it happened while we were still there or it would have burned the shop down!

originally posted by: HilterDayon
a reply to: charlyv

I actually thought that you were going to describe occasions where you have eaten at a Chinese restaurant and found small pieces of steel wool in your meal. (Like I have) Luckily I chew everything very carefully and have felt them before swallowing. 3 or four times now. Always Chinese restaurants.

Soooo...do you still eat at Chinese restaurants?

a reply to: charlyv

Yeah we used that in scouts lol

Lint is good too if you have flint and steel.

a reply to: charlyv

Steel wool and a 9 volt batter are great at starting camp fires, plus they're easy to stow and carry.



Be safe!

originally posted by: charlyv
I wanted to post this, as it happened to me yesterday and I want to alert others of something that seems so inert, but can be deadly.

I was in my workshop the other day, took a 9 volt battery out of a smoke alarm and had it laying on the workbench.
I reached up to grab a new battery from a package hanging on a peg board. There was an open bag of steel wool also hanging up there, and I accidentally knocked a piece out of the bag, and the steel wool pad fell on the workbench and bounced off the 9 volt battery.

Instant bright flash !!!, and the steel wool began burning so hot and bright, I had to jump up and stomp it out with my foot. It would have started the wood bench on fire, if I had not immediately noticed it.

This was a weak battery as well, needing to be replaced for a fire alarm, but certainly had enough juice to ignite the steel wool.

I was amazed. I know the steel wool is flammable, but having it burst into flames for just touching the 2 poles on a battery so briefly, was a real eye opener.

Steel wool needs to be kept in a closed container and preferably stored away in a drawer or cabinet by itself.

I can imagine being in a hurry and not noticing what happened by immediately turning around and walking out of the shop.

Just posting this for the safety of all. I also wonder how many times steel wool and loose batteries have been the culprits in house fires.

More or less same happened in my workshop. Spark from a grinder hit a pack of steel wool. Had to use nearly a full can of beer to put it out. Nasty.

I don't need anyone to tell me that steel wool is dangerous, I learned that many times over the years. Steel wool is not good for cleaning battery terminals. Steel wool ignites with a torch. If you don't have a match to start a fire, you can use steel wool and a 6 volt battery from a flashlight. When trying to clean the contacts on a flashlight, make sure there is no steel wool left in it when you put the batteries back in...it is safer to use the gray or red flexible sanding pads for that.

screwed a few things up with steel wool over the years, that little fire/smoldering messes up electrical contacts

Steel wool is what they use in a electrical socket in the jail to light a cigarette

Boil your wee down and add sawdust and OJ to make nitro glycerine and read fight club

a reply to: Sparkymedic

No. I don't eat anything that I don't prepare myself nor drink from opened drink containers. Nor inject myself or allow anyone else to inject me. It works for me.

a reply to: Cymru

you reminded me that my science teacher accidentally put a big chunk of sodium in water and the glass exploded

a reply to: rickymouse

Yea, most of us know steel wool and electricity/sparks are a bad combo, but in the course of our daily lives, we rarely notice the possibilities that can bring them together. That is the point. Safely store them when you find them in plain site and most likely the future problem is avoided.

Someone mentioned that they thought it burned slowly.... The steel wool in this case was the super fine finish stuff like you would use after applying a finish. It lit up like a firework.

originally posted by: charlyv
a reply to: rickymouse

Yea, most of us know steel wool and electricity/sparks are a bad combo, but in the course of our daily lives, we rarely notice the possibilities that can bring them together. That is the point. Safely store them when you find them in plain site and most likely the future problem is avoided.

Someone mentioned that they thought it burned slowly.... The steel wool in this case was the super fine finish stuff like you would use after applying a finish. It lit up like a firework.

I've used some used fine steel wool to start a fire one time. It actually works pretty well. I don't know how that super fine steel wool catches fire so easily, but it does work. I read about it in a survival forum a few years back, so decided to give it a try in our fire pit to see if it worked and it did. Not as good as birch bark though for starting the kindling.

usually always have steel wool in stock, I just restocked the bins in the garage with whole packs of it. I still do a lot of work on cars and paint outdoor metal chairs and stuff. It works good to scuff between coats, then I use precleano to clean off any residue. I have a lot of bodyworking tools and supplies. This year I hope to paint some of the tractor equipment.