Bluebeetle Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 This is my friends garage. Or what is left of it. There was a lipo charging on its own, he was out cutting some tree down. When they noticed the fire the flames already came out the door which was not completely closed. Lost everything rc, plus quite a bit.. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumper Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Fail. Don't charge your batteries near flammable things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valyno Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Was the battery in a safety bag during the charge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bajadre Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 aww feel for him but its always "i left a lipo alone" DONT EVER DO THAT FULL STOP mines next to me at all times in a ammo crate every time 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fnknan Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Yeah that's awful but it just shows how important it is to never take your eyes off them while charging. I Store all mine in an ammo crate and always keep an eye out for the ones that are charging Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m4inbrain Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 (edited) As already mentioned, it really sucks for that guy, but in the end, he's to blame. We all know what a LiPo does, and judging by the amount of RCs he lost, he's not new to LiPos either. I charge my lipos in fireproof bags inside an old metal ammo crate in the garage, and monitor them via wifi camera (the camera is actually for my 3d printer, but i use it for that too). All it takes is one day of "ah, don't bother, it'll be fine" to lose all your stuff, not taking chances there. edit: lol, looks like everyone here has an old ammo crate, interesting. Edited October 29, 2019 by m4inbrain 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninetiesbeard Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Never charge near flammables or out of sight. Personally i charge mine on concrete in the middle of the garage floor while im working on the trucks. Always in the peripheral. Even fully charged batteries are never left out, always either being ran in the car or in their ammo crate. Hopefully his house insurance (which he should have,) covers it and nobody was hurt. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tug Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 I'm no lipo noob, but are all these fires during charging? What about cells at storage voltage and just left on a shelf? What risk do they pose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumper Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Just now, Tug said: I'm no lipo noob, but are all these fires during charging? What about cells at storage voltage and just left on a shelf? What risk do they pose? its much much more likely to set on fire while charging or discharging as the energy is being transferred and heat is generated. In storage its very unlikely to go up, but i still wouldn't keep it under your bed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 2 hours ago, Valyno said: Was the battery in a safety bag during the charge? I use those "fire safety" bags myself but tbh they're a waste of time, ...if a Lipo goes up in one of them it will just jet out a solid flame. All they're good for is hopefully giving you a few seconds to disconnect from your charger or throw it clear. I still keep mine in the fire safety bags when charging but have now got an old ammunition can for added safety which I will be using most likely when charging as well as for storage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bajadre Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Quote edit: lol, looks like everyone here has an old ammo crate, interesting. yeah i just popped along to our local army surplus store and they sold them for a couple of quid each well worth it for peace of mind also picked up some army camo waterproof bottoms too for bashing hehe great for winter time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebeetle Posted October 30, 2019 Author Share Posted October 30, 2019 Yes, we all (even the house owner) knows who to blame. No, the battery was not in a bag because nothing ever happened before. And yes, he had been warned several times about charging etc. This was just a reminder that sometimes **** can really hit the fan. Of course not to perfect people, just the rest.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m4inbrain Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 That has nothing to do with "perfect people", no reason to get sassy. People know that **** can hit the fan, and you said yourself that your mate did know that too. That's the reason why we (well apparently all of us, lol) have ammo boxes. Does it suck for him? Absolutely, and i understand that it sucks big time to lose all your (or a lot of your) stuff. But in the end, he played russian roulette and lost. That's what it boils down to, i don't see why that can't be pointed out without you getting offended or something? 3 hours ago, Bajadre said: yeah i just popped along to our local army surplus store and they sold them for a couple of quid each well worth it for peace of mind also picked up some army camo waterproof bottoms too for bashing hehe great for winter time Got mine from my sister in laws husbands father, i think he might've nicked it back when he was in the army - it certainly looks vintage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mond Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 This is why, despite ammo boxes, I charge mine on the concrete floor of my garage and have a bucket of sand in the corner. The lipo bag is just a few extra seconds decision making time. If it's dry I always charge them outside the garage on the drive. I do actually charge batteries unattended sometimes but I only do that in the summer, where I leave the battery outside in the middle of a courtyard, 10ft away from anything else, via an extension that's on a separate circuit from the house. I would never leave them unattended in any other circumstance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Busby Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Out of pure curiosity, what caliber ammo boxes (if perhaps if were being less interesting, how big are the boxes) does everyone have, and how many batteries do you put in them? Is it better to have lots of fairly small boxes if you have lots of batteries? Quick look on Google seems to suggest you can get boxes used for Mortars 😁 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyboy_uk Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) Make sure to drill holes in the lid or remove the seal. A sealed ammo box and a lipo fire is basically a bomb. Edited October 30, 2019 by monkeyboy_uk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mond Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) Most on sale are 5.56 and 7.62 200 round tins. I picked up a Swedish mess tin several years ago at a military show which also does the trick. They are actually pretty good for lots of things if brand new as they come with a rubber seal. Perfect for keeping something dry and clean over the winter. Either way, if keeping batteries in them, drill a hole in them at it will stop them becoming a bomb. There's always ones on sale on eBay. Edited October 30, 2019 by mond 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m4inbrain Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 27 minutes ago, Paul Busby said: Out of pure curiosity, what caliber ammo boxes (if perhaps if were being less interesting, how big are the boxes) does everyone have, and how many batteries do you put in them? Is it better to have lots of fairly small boxes if you have lots of batteries? Quick look on Google seems to suggest you can get boxes used for Mortars 😁 I got one of those. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Busby Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) Seems to be a pretty good range of options here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Army-Ammo-Storage-Ammunition-Tin-Tool-Box-Various-Sizes-30-Cal-Upwards/282541642135?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3Da79072b9cc524ab0b1af081b138abb53%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D8%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D123903845468%26itm%3D282541642135%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2045573&_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042 Im thinking even the small 30cal ones would be fine? Edit: Just dont make the mistake of thinking all ammo storage solutions are made equally: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-WOODED-SMALL-ARMS-AMMO-BOX-EMPTY/283466413270?hash=item41ffea34d6:g:VpsAAOSw17paw8eb 😁 Edited October 30, 2019 by Paul Busby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mond Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 30cal is larger than 5.56 but the box will probably be quite old given it's not a calibre used by NATO any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m4inbrain Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) 30cal is indeed larger than 5.56, but i'm not sure why you'd say that it's not used by the NATO anymore. Most, if not all countries in the NATO use 30cal (or 7.62x51) for battle rifles and/or their heavier machine guns. That ebay link is selling "M13" boxes, which is 7.62x51 NATO, belts for the M60 (amongst other weapons, but it's a 7.62x51 belt). Edited October 30, 2019 by m4inbrain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Busby Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 7 minutes ago, mond said: 30cal is larger than 5.56 but the box will probably be quite old given it's not a calibre used by NATO any more. Well the boxes are probably advertised wrongly, and are actually just for 7.62 x 51 (still technically a 30cal round) which is still used in various platforms, rather than the old 30-06 or carbine... they are marked as "new" so I would expect them to be fine for this usage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m4inbrain Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Too slow mate. That said, i'd just go for a 12.7/50cal box. Slightly wider, so easier to charge multiple batteries. In more narrow boxes, you might need to stack to charge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Busby Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 How do you get the cables in, do you just use quite long ones, or drill holes in the side or....? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m4inbrain Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 (edited) I use long ones plus "long cabled" balance boards, charger sitting on top of the box. Drilling holes kinda defeats the purpose, but if you have a concrete corner in the garage where nothing is flammable, that'd work as well. I think a drilled hole would turn this into a flame thrower for a brief second or five, since the flame/pressure is nozzled out. Edited October 30, 2019 by m4inbrain 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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