> No thanks. How 'bout you do it and give us a report...either
> Actually, not that I'd try it, but I'm not sure it would explode. The mixture has to be just right - too rich or too lean wont work. If there were the right amount of fine dust floating around it would blow, else it would just start a fire.

Unless
> the piping is lined with a fine wire mesh, how can it work?

The theory is that it dissipates enough static charge that there is insufficient buildup. Again, I'd rather not test it. To my knowledge no testing has ever been done. The motive to use plastic is that it's cheap for a small system. My feeling is that chances like this are not to be taken. I would'nt even consider using plastic in an industrial system.

> Anyway, like you implied, I wouldn't use plastic piping either.
> Go with metal, ground it, feel safer. Dust isn't to be messed with,
> either around flames/sparks or lungs. Stories of my father as a mischievous
> child setting off dust bombs (among other things) has also got me
> paranoid. Considering the dumb stunts he used to pull, I'm lucky to
> even exist!

Bingo!

> While we're on the subject of insidious phenomena, I hope everyone
> is aware of spontaneous combustion. You know, crumpled up oily rags
> (eg. tung oil, linseed oil, etc.) casually tossed into the garbage
> pail, all of a sudden bursting into flames... For those that don't
> know about this, the cure is to drape the rags over something, preferably
> outdoors, to let the air get at them. Crumple them up, restrict air
> circulation, and the heat from the "drying" oil builds up
> enough to start a fire. Scary stuff, considering many people are completely
> unaware of this, and occasionally pay with their homes, or worse.
> BE CAREFUL!

Read the WOOD magazine bulletin board. I recall a post some months ago about a guy who's shop literally blew away around him. Not a scratch on him... I think a rag fell on the kerosene heater.
> Mike Spence