CAUTION! Fiberglass Wick

[Dan Yeruski]

Be carefull when using fiberglass wick to wrap stoves and Heineken Pots.

I recently had to have my eyelid treated for imbedded glass particles that came off some 1/16 inch dia. fiberglass wick. I was lucky not to have gotten them into my eyeball says the doc.

Be sure to use safety goggles, disposable gloves and wash your hands thouroghly before eating and drinking from your heiny pot it it has been wrapped with wick. Stoves also wrapped with wick should be treated with caution, especially when new.

Here are some photos taken today to show what the fibers look like that are on the wick material. They fall off easily and stick to everything and anything. Same thing with home fiberglass insulation, wear gloves when using it. Wash hands and clothing afterwards.

This is not a dooms day alert, just passing along some personal experience.

Take a close look at the tiny fibers.Click on each photo. The one on the far right shows them the most clearly.

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[Unknown abc]

Oh my.

[todd]

Thanks, Zelph.

[Diplomatic Mike]

Glad it worked out ok. I've worked with the stuff and it can be nasty.

[Tony Beasley]

Hi Dan,

Thanks for that information, it is too easy to become complacent when working with dangerous substances especially in the home garage where there is usually no OHS systems.

I hope your eyelid has recovered fully.

Tony

[Dan Yeruski]

Hi Tony, all is well, the eye has recovered 100%.

Somebody should alert Tinny of these photos shown in this thread. He has a recent video that shows him licking his wick wrapped stove and rubbing it on his face.

Excercise caution when wrapping and using your stoves and pots. The photos I have provided are real time!!!! You don't want to ingest glass fibers or get them in your eyes. Use a glove as shown by Skidsteer or a bandana or a bail attached to the rim of your pots.

Use a primer pan if necessary to get your stoves going. Ditch the wick.

[Dennis Hiorns]

Is there any alternative to fiberglass wick? I would like to use the Heiny pot, and the fiberglass wrapping not only allows you to pick it up, but also insulates the pot somewhat. What else could I use? Probably anything nonflammable will be hazardous…

[Nia Schmald]

Silicone and neoprene have both been used to wrap a heiny. See this thread.

[Dan Cunningham]

Zelph – I have been reading your homemade alcohol stove posts for years. I could have tried to predict many potential stove-related injuries (burns, cuts, scrapes, etc), but probably won't have put "fiberglass in the eye" on my list. Glad you are okay.

[Fred eric]

thanks much for the advice

i looked at the "snow plateform" that comes with the tigoat cylinder stove and they are loose fibers too on the sides
i will have the same problem i guess on the stove boot after i cut it i guess.

i tried aluminium adhesive but it wouldnt stick so i am looking for any ( heat resistant) idea to avoid those loose fibers.

[Ron D]

I've used these
http://www.firemecca.com/c-36-wick.aspx

[Michael Meiser]

I've been looking for some good fiberglass cord, kevlar had not occured to me.

So how well does kevlar cord work in comparison to fiberglass as an insulator?

Tough I'm not sure how the cost would break down for a decent quantity, nor how strong and heavy it is it does occur to me you could just store a bunch of kevlar tread around your pot as insulation and multi-use it for sewing torn gear or even tieing down a tent or tarp.

[bill smith]

Try NOMEX. Fire retardent, insulates well, and its not fiberglass.

Fiberglass is just a bad idea for anything to do with camping (anything that requires human interaction really). Besides the aforementioned piece in eyeball, it can easily give you splinters that are hard to find and get out/easy to get infected.

[tommy d]

I've used BernzOmatic Heat Cloth that I found at Home Dept. The package claims it "protects against flames and sparks" up to 2,192 degrees F (1,200 degress C) for up to 3 minutes. Also, it claims that the "heat cloth won't burn, melt, curve or allow heat to penetrate when exposed to flames." And that it doesn't give off any toxic materials when burned.

It's not cheap at $15 for a 9" by 12" cloth, but I've been using the same piece on my pot for 2 years now and it's still just fine.

Also, the cloth has a nice feel. It's like a heavy felt.

[Michael Meiser]

I can't find any description or product info on that Bernzomatic "sand cloth". Not even on the manufacturers site.

http://www.bernzomatic.com/PRODUCTS/SOLDERANDACCESSORIES/ACCESSORIES/tabid/283/ctl/Detail/mid/1275/xmid/6969/xmfid/3/Default.aspx

I think in te meantime I'm going to try High heat Permatex. It's supposedly good up to 700 degrees. My only concern is any potential health issues.

[Dave Chiarelli]

There is a slight danger and caution should be used. I would warn against rubbing your eyes while wrapping pots and stoves. However, the small fibers can be controlled. Use a Berz-O-Matic torch to cut your wick by melting. Never cut using knife, scissors or shears. After wrapping your pot or stove, "brush" the wrap with a propane or butane torch flame. Because the wick is now stationary, there should be no relative motion within the braid to loosen any new fibers. Some abrasion may occur over time and simply re-brushing the wrap with a hot flame will melt all errant fibers back. BE SURE TO FILL THE POT WITH WATER PRIOR TO APPLYING THE FLAME.

Also, carbon felt is fantastic for wick stove systems, but is not recommended for pots because the felt drops fibers that should not be ingested.

Fiberglass wick is great for the job and with some minor precautions can be VERY safe to use.

I am glad your eye is healing and that things did not turn out worse for you. Thanks for the warning.

EDIT: I suppose I should add warnings about the dangers of flames and torches and molten glass….

Please read all the safety information published by the manufacturer of the torch and familiarize yourself with safe practical use. Do not touch the glowing hot surfaces of molten glass. Also, it is possible to create a long tough needle-like barb if you "pull' the wick when flame cutting. If this occurs, reheat both ends and allow the glass to form a slight ball on the end. Overheating the end of the wick to a large ball can create a situation where the glazed end will break off and create loose fibers. Just don't be over-zealous when melting the ends. Yes, leather gloves and safety glasses are standard safety gear for this type of procedure.

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