dgman Posted September 1 Report Share Posted September 1 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! jollyred, Scrappile, wombatie and 5 others 2 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappile Posted September 1 Report Share Posted September 1 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. OCtoolguy and dgman 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry walters Posted September 2 Report Share Posted September 2 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 OCtoolguy, danny and dgman 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted September 2 Report Share Posted September 2 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.. dgman, ChelCass and OCtoolguy 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatie Posted September 2 Report Share Posted September 2 Thanks for the reminder Dan. Glad it turned out well for you, rather a few books than your house. Marg danny, OCtoolguy and dgman 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomanydogs Posted September 2 Report Share Posted September 2 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. OCtoolguy and dgman 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe W. Posted September 2 Report Share Posted September 2 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. OCtoolguy, dgman and danny 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denny Knappen Posted September 2 Report Share Posted September 2 Never thought of that with the magnifying light. Thanks for the heads up. danny, OCtoolguy and dgman 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm Fengstad Posted September 3 Report Share Posted September 3 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 OCtoolguy and dgman 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak0ta52 Posted September 3 Report Share Posted September 3 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. dgman, danny and OCtoolguy 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirithorse Posted Saturday at 06:30 PM Report Share Posted Saturday at 06:30 PM Thanks for the info, I am glad I saw this! God Bless! Spirithorse dgman and OCtoolguy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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