okay for mixing it with alcohol. I have it in a one-pint
tupperware like paint can from lowes. Is that not safe?
Hi Shawn;
Definitely NOT safe. Here's what can happen.
The container is open and accidentally gets set on fire. The plastic
container's topmost edge begins to melt and itself begins to burn.
Now you've got something much more difficult to extinguish. As soon
as the container begins to sag from the heat, the alcohol is now free
to pour out over whatever surface it's on and set fire to anything
it can.
Now if you'd had a small glass container, you could have even
smothered the fire by putting your bare hand firmly over the top of
the jar, or even your steel bench block if the lid isn't handy. But
if you do that to a burning plastic container, you're at least going
to get a painful burn and you might just end up setting your whole
arm on fire. Another problem. Suppose you work like I do,
occasionally getting carried away and waving the torch around a bit
Hit that plastic container with really hot torch and you might
have some serious excitement. Now, where did I put mount fire
extinguisher again?
A few jewelry suppliers make a nice little wide mouth jar with a
glass lid, designed specifically for boric/alcohol mixture. They are
dirt cheap, and if that's not cheap enough for you, get ahold of a
baby food jar. Frankly, unless you're working on large articles all
the time, it's best to keep only a small container of flammable
liquid on your bench... less fuel means smaller accidental fires.
David L. Huffman
