Dangers of Modeling in an Apt building

General Discussion General Modeling Discussion
1

Last week, an apt building in my town went up in flames leaving about 12 families homeless.

The fire was started by some kids playing with a lighter, when their mother left them alone to go get some beer(yea I know nice lady)

However, the apt above theirs had a model rocket hobbiest who lived there.
The fire reached his apt and several paints, thinners and fuel went up…some even exploded.

Even tho the kids below started the fire, they are considering charging the hobbiest, for illegally storing hazerdous materials in his apt.
(not a word about the mother going for beer).

I want to remind those that live in apts, that your solvents can be a fire hazard, and even if you don’t start it, you can be held responsible if your equipment does damage in a fire caused by others.

I suggest a small fireproof safe to store flamible solvents, if you live in such a community.

2

That has to suck. Thank God I live in a house thats on a 2 acre lot with no one around.

3

thats just great!! i just took a new job and i’m moving from a house to an apartment for a year in the relocation phase!! i was just thinkin’ about how i’m gonna go about modelling in a 2 BR 2 Bath cramped apartment!! later.

4

Well this is also one of the reasons why I use mainly acrylics.

But even then we should always think about “safety first”.

Thanks for the reminder.

5

I modeled on the balcony mostly (of course it was in DC and it was comfortable 9 months of the yr) … but for storage I just never kept a lot of stuff around… I figure the aerosol cans of misc stuff in the house are more dangerous than a bottle of thinner…

6

I model on a Corner PC desk which is right next to the Balcony door, the spray-booth vents out that way.

7

So does that mean that anytime there is a fire that the people should be charged like that? I can;t think ofanyone that does not have hazardous materials in thier home. Just look under your sink or where ever else you keep the cleaning supplies. I have yet to go to a house fire where things where not exploding. Canned veggies do a pretty good job. We even had a piggy bank explode on us in one house fire, try being pelted with a couple hundred dollars worth of those.
Hate the loss for all those families , but I hope that guy fights that for all its worth. Can;t say here my opinion on the mother though. There was a similar situation in a local town where a mother left her kids at home to go do something similar and the house caught on fire killing all the kids. Things like that just get to me.

8

That seems really unfair and I have to agree with Chris, for everyone has some sort of combustibles in their home. Did anything happen to the brats?

9

I think it depends on WHAT type of combustible materials you got at home, abything within reasonable amoutns should be fine.

Model Rocketry, AFAIK, can use some really hazardous chemicals and solid fuel rockets that I think require special storage methods and some might even need a licence to be purchased and handled.