WARNING!!!

[dgman]

A few weeks ago, I smelled smoke in our family room. I looked around and found nothing. There was no smoke, just a smell. This happened a couple mornings for about an hour, then would go away. On the third day, I came in from the shop to get a drink, and this time there was actual smoke. No fire just smoke. It was coming from my wife’s area where she sits and stitches her cross stitch projects. She uses a lighted magnifying glass on a stand. The way it was standing, sunlight coming in through the window was focused on some books next to her chair. Fortunately, there was no real fire but it did burn several of her books but nothing else. I’m just happy that I was at home and caught it before there was actual fire!

This reminded me of another incident. A few years ago I was at a friends shop that had the same thing happen to his DeWalt saw. He had a magnifying light mounted to his saw sitting in front of a window. Sunlight from the window shining through the magnifier melted all the plastic on his saw!  So, this is a warning, if you use a lighted magnifier, make sure it does not sit next to a window!

[Scrappile]

Good a lot of us have those lights.   Good to make sure they are not where the sunlight will hit them.  Thanks for the reminder.

[jerry walters]

WOW, that is something I never thought of.  We need to pay heed.  I remember as a kid I would purposely try to burn paper with a magnifying glass.  Successfully burned the paper.  I was outside and just had the paper on the ground.  When I finally succeeded did't try it anymore.

Thanks for the warning.

Jerry

[kmmcrafts]

I've posted about this some years ago and so has a few others over the years. I've kinda wanted to look into the magnifier lights that have the flip-up lens cover.. but back then many folks said that cover is cheap and most get broken off. For a while there I was putting a square piece of plywood over the top so it'd block the light from getting to the lens but I used the wood for a project and never replaced it with something.. So thank you for that reminder. The way I found it is one time on my old DeWalt saw the table top burnt me as the light was shining just on the edge of the table and made it hot.. so thankful it was only hitting the top of the table and not something flammable.. Many times I would get up from the saw and just leave my project setting on the top.. That could start that wood on fire very easily.. 

[wombatie]

Thanks for the reminder Dan.  Glad it turned out well for you, rather a few books than your house.

Marg

[Tomanydogs]

I had the same thing a few years ago but instead of a magnifying glass it was a magnifying Mirror. I had left it on the counter in the bathroom the sun was shining on it reflecting back on the bathtub and the bathtub started to smoke. I too am glad I was home that day. 

[Joe W.]

I was driving by a neighbor's house a couple years ago and saw faint smoke coming out of the basement window.  Stopped and discovered it was actually the wood mulch on the ground in front of the window catching on fire from a gallon glass jar filled with water with the sun shining on it and the light passing thru the water in the jar and focused on the mulch on the ground.  Fire Dept responded and put it out.  My son-in-law is a Firefighter and he told me that happens (glass bottles acting as a magnifier) more than people realize.

  

[Denny Knappen]

Never thought of that with the magnifying light.  Thanks for the heads up.

[Norm Fengstad]

It is unusual for that to happen. When we were kids my brother and I would use a magnifier to light fires in the pasteur that is until our dad found out what we were doing

[Dak0ta52]

The sun shines though my bay door in the mornings when I have it open. My magnifier light is in the sun for a short period. It may be a good idea to cover it during that short period when the sun is shining through. Glad you didn't suffer any additional damage than a few books.

[spirithorse]

Thanks for the info, I am glad I saw this!
God Bless! Spirithorse

[Roberta Moreton]

I clamp a microfiber cloth over mine. That plastic flip cover broke off. 

[kmmcrafts]

Now that we're going into fall and the position of the sun is changing it now comes through my window..  I never thought to clamp a cloth to it.. that is exactly what I use but I just having it setting by my saw and when I'm done I cover it. 

Just thought I'd mention the sun being in a different position since some might have checked and it wasn't coming in through the window when they checked.. but it could be now.. just something else to think about.

[Wichman]

I dug out the cover that came with the magnifer that I bought with my Hegner, it looks like an old time shower cap. I looked up shower caps on Amazon, you can get a three pack for $3.50. Pretty cheap solution.