Warning! Tumbler catches fire in Reloading Room

January 26, 2023 A fire in your home is something to be afraid of A fire in your reloading area can prove to be disastrous. You will likely find flammable solvents and gunpowder near your reloading bench. What would happen if there was an electrical fire in your reloading area? Would you be notified? Forum Member Joe O. shares his true story. Joe O. (aka Joecob) shares a valuable safety lesson. Joe had just started his old tumbler when an internal connector broke, causing an arc that started a fire in his basement. Joe was able to use a working smoke detector and a fire extinguisher. Most people don’t worry about fire when they plug in a tumbler, or any other AC-powered reloading device. There is always the chance of a malfunction or a fire. Joe’s reloading area and house were saved by quick thinking and a handy extinguisher. But, things could have been much worse if Joe hadn’t acted quickly.
I cleaned brass the same way I have always done, just a day before Sandy hit. I placed the vibratory tumbler on my basement reloading bench. I filled the media hopper up with 40 empty brass cases fired and walnut media, plugged in the cord, and then went upstairs to watch TV. I could hear the tumbler hum in the background. About half an hour later, I heard the basement smoke alarm sound. I ran downstairs. The melting plastic of the tumbler was igniting flames. I reached for the ABC canister extinguisher, grabbed it, and lit the fire. Then I soaked the burned areas with water. It was a good thing I had an extinguisher! I was happy to know that I kept powder and primers away from the bench (and everything else). What was the cause of the fire? It appears that the plastic caught fire from an internal AC connector. WHEH! That thing had been working perfectly for 25 years. I should have known that a thing that vibrates and plugs in for a living required regular inspection of its guts. Today, I bought a larger ‘Pro’ ABC extinguisher and a dual-detector smoke alarm and an ultrasonic cleaner. The storm was worse than the experience. I hope this account will help someone else avoid such a terrible experience. Joe refers to an “ABC” canister fire extinguisher in his account. The ABC stands for the fire classification rating. It includes Class A (trash and wood), Class B (liquids, gases, and Class C (energized electric equipment) fires. There are many brands that have ABC-rated extinguishers. The Kidde 210 rechargeable unit (sku 21055779) contains four ounces of a multipurpose monoammonium-phosphate dry chemical extinguishing agents. It can discharge in 13 to 15 seconds, has a range of 10 to 15, and operates at 100 PSI. The seamless aluminum cylinder measures approximately 4.5 inches in diameter by 15.7 inches high. The Kidde 210 comes with a 6-year limited warranty. This is the #1 best-selling Fire Extinguisher on Amazon. Similar Posts:Tags: Amazon, Blaze, Fire, Fire Estinguisher, Reloading, Reloading Room, Tumbler