Model Railway Forum

The other day I went into my "engine shed" and noticed a black bubbled patch on my cutting mat. I don't remember spilling anything to cause the mat to bubble. Whilst looking around I noticed that my helping hands was at the back of the mat which is located near a window so I get some natural light. The black bubbles were caused by the sun through the window also concentrated by the helping hands magnifier burning a pathway across the mat. Lucky it was only the mat. Could have been much more serious. Just wanted to pass this on to warn others to make sure magnifiers are kept well away from windows.

We once had s table start smoking, burned buy the sunlight shining through a paperweight , so it can easily happen.

Paul

Good advice Conn-rod. I keep my magnifier glass in a drawer, and the huge one fitted to my table lamp has a protective cover over it. Even a small piece of broken glass can have same effect and been known to start forest fires.

Shaving mirrors can have the same effect.

Walkingthedog wrote: ↑Wed Jul 03, 2019 8:33 am Shaving mirrors can have the same effect.

As my mirrors don't grow any hair I don't have to do this.

That’s very funny, you should be on the stage, there’s one leaving in 20 minutes.

Well I'll be blowed ............. I thought all good boy scouts knew about the dangers of magnifying glasses being left the sun. Dont leave lenses in places the sun can get to them you may come home to a smouldering home. Or worse somebody may have been asleep up stairs. Put things like that in the cupboard safely.

Wonderful thing hindsight, as heather keeps telling me, I need foresight.. remember to put petrol can in the car for mower fuel. If you had done that, having driven 15 miles to garage, it would be there now, not still sitting in my garage.

Yes John the times I have done that, forgetting to put the can for the mower in the boot. So you are not alone john But I expect you will find somebody will say they have never done that. Dont know about you John but I would sometimes swear that my mower does less miles to the gallon then my car does..........

I walked a mile to the shed where we keep our tractor to mow the grass in our fields and left the shed keys at home. Went back with the shed keys to find I'd left the ignition key at home. Stupid boy. That isn’t what I actually said.