Paper shredder explosion

[Snn5]

So, I'm just minding my own business shredding a few pages and BOOM...blue flames and burnt leg.  Cleaned out the shredder beforehand, wiped out, used 2-4 sheets at the time on an 8 sheet capacity shredder, and used off/on for 5 min.  Perhaps there was more dust in the teeth and motor than I thought.  Ever happen to you?  A startling, but funny surprise.  Even the smoke alarm went off.  And boy, does it stink in here.

[MiiHere]

This is one of those things I'd watch on YouTube. "When Paper Shredders Attack"

[Snn5]

And, normally it would be on video but my cameras weren't on and this was not expected, lol.

[MiiHere]

It should be reenacted, Rescue 911 style.

[Snn5]

Oh, the Shatner style.

[Khines5705]

I had this very same thing happen to me!! What type of shredder was it and where did you buy it? There needs to be some kind of recall done if this is happening to several people. I burnt my hand when it happened to me. Bought mine from Walmart.

[Snn5]

Fellowes P-45C

I got mine off of clearance display at [removed] some 8 years ago.  I'm betting it was some micro-paper dust and maybe the motor was hotter than I thought and when I put the next sheet in, the motor arced.  (auto-on/off feature)

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[Khines5705]

Did you by chance use a can of air duster when you were cleaning it?

[Snn5]

A long time back, but not recently.  this time I just wiped it down.

[Khines5705]

I had used air duster and wondered if it was somehow the reason for mine doing that. I agree that paper dust could be highly flammable with an arc.

[Khines5705]

With my new shredder I always sacrifice a virgin sheet of paper to the shredder gods first and I wear oven mitts and a welder's face shield! LOL

[Snn5]

Ha....and to think, I used to sell this exact model at a previous job.

[MiiHere]

[MiiHere]

You mean your paper shredder didn't come with a suit like that?

[Snn5]

The only thing those shredders came with was the shredder...unless you bought the lube, sheets, warranty plan, and shredder bags.  Seriously, a $30 shredder with $35 worth of add-ons.

[MiiHere]

I feel the added warranty is a waste, it only makes me second guess if I should disassemble whatever is broken.

[Snn5]

Back then, shredders weren't disposable and cost about 2-3 times what they do now.  I remember when a 64MB flash drive cost $75.00 on sale.

[MiiHere]

Whew. If I had it my way I would still be using a good old floppy disk.

[Snn5]

I wouldn't.  1.44 MB????  that's not even 1 photo.

[MiiHere]

Nostalgic about things like that. I don't know what I'd use it for, I don't even have a flash drive because I don't need one, but perhaps a WD external in the shape of one would warm my soul. (:

[Snn5]

I looked for one shaped like a floppy disk, but didn't find one, though I did see some made from NES cartridges.