Bought a cheap paint dryer off Amazon, almost set my shop on fire

I got one of those infrared paint drying lamps for $60 online. Figured it would speed things up on a bumper I was finishing. Left it running while I grabbed lunch, came back and the stand was smoking because the clamp melted from the heat. Lucky I didn't lose the whole place. Anyone else have a near miss with budget drying gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_miles1mo agoMost Upvoted

That infrared lamp thing is wild, some of those cheap units just aren't built to handle the heat they put out. The clamp melting is a big red flag, makes you wonder what other corners they cut on the wiring and everything. A buddy of mine had a similar issue with a drying rack that just buckled and collapsed after one use. It's crazy how much of a gamble you're taking trying to save a few bucks on gear that's supposed to get hot for hours.

the_phoenix1mo ago

Man, that's terrifying. My buddy Mike bought a cheap heat gun from a flea market, tried to speed-dry some body filler on his truck. The thing literally started glowing red and the plastic handle warped in his hand. He dropped it right into a bucket of water and almost took out his garage. Glad you caught it before it got worse.