Fire retardant additive

JwgreDeux

I'm beginning my own table/counter that will be built into my deck.  It will be built to blend in and match my existing deck and hope to do a poured concrete top.  Reading a lot of threads about varnish, oil, treatment etc, and just wondered if anyone has ever used a fire retardant additive in their finishing process?

I've found a few that I'm considering using.  All are water based so would have to be used with a water based sealer, anyone ever do this?

The Naked Whiz

I've always thought that cured varnish is not flammable.  Certainly no more than the wood beneath?

nolaegghead

Other than nitrocellulose lacquer, they don't make finishes that are flammable once cured.

The Naked Whiz

Ah, nitrocellulose.  Wonderful stuff.  Don't know if it is the same thing, but I'm reminded of the big finish to Inglorious Basterds. :-)

nolaegghead

Yup.  That's the stuff they used to make film out of.  They still make lacquer out of it but it's used almost exclusively for string instruments and antiques. 

Skiddymarker

I remember spraying some antique furniture I was refinishing with lacquer, thought I had taken precautions, but it still took a week to lose the high and the headache. 

Concrete is the best fire retardant, has a very high flame point. 

boatbum

nolaegghead said:

Yup.  That's the stuff they used to make film out of.  They still make lacquer out of it but it's used almost exclusively for string instruments and antiques. 

Was a period of my life I was seriously into wood working.   I loved the finish that the lacquer from that put on something.

That was the stuff that got really wicked fast if it was sprayed without a booth - if I am remembering correctly.

nolaegghead

Yeah, nasty stuff....also used to make gun cotton, det cords, smokeless powder, rocket propellant, etc.  When they used to make early planes out of wood and canvas, they used it (called "dope") to stiffen it up. 

JwgreDeux

I'm not concerned with any finish making the wood more flammable, I'm asking if anyone has ever added a flame retardant to a water based sealer to make the table more fire proof.

The Naked Whiz

Well, I have never heard of anyone doing it, FWIW.....

Eggucated

The issue isn't the finish or even the wood really.  It's the grease that builds up over the years and sit's on top of the finish that causes the issues, as my neighbor found out.  Lost his front porch because the grease caught fire, and spread to the bottle of oil he had under the table for his tiki torches...

nolaegghead

You can build the table out of IPE or heat treated lumber like Termawood. 

henapple

I used ipe... Fire rating of concrete.

JwgreDeux

Thanks for the input, but I plan on reclaiming some lumber and treating it to make it fire retardant. Since it is going to be built into a wood deck, I bought the table nest to sit the egg in and will make sure to allow a nice air gap around the egg.  Going to get started soon.