In addition to the regular tip of the month, there's a really hot tip for those in the South Sound area. Michael Dresdner will be teaching a basic finishing course over four weeks, one night per week in February. The course begins Wed, Feb. 7th. I was saddened to hear that a member of my own guild lost his shop and tools last month to a fire started by a bunch of oily finish rags. It is a common cause of shop and worksite fires, but it is easy to prevent.
Oily rags are spontaneously combustible.
That means that even in a very small pile, they will generate enough heat to ignite themselves in about two hours or less. Oil cures by oxygen polymerization, which is a fancy way of saying oxidation. This is the slower version of the same thing, and it too generates heat. In fact, it generates enough heat to catch the rags on fire. Drape them over the edge of your workbench, trashcan, or even a clothesline.