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Uvex Bionic Shield

Emiliano Achaval

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I just received my Uvex Bionic shield. I used it to turn yesterday. My usual, huge Hawaiian Koa blank. Lots of shavings... I was totally surprised by the noise!!! A hallow noise with every wood chip or shaving that hits the shield. Loud almost to the point of having to use ear plugs... I had high expectations for this shield, it sure is good looking. It might take some time to get use to the noise... Am I over reacting? Anybody else here has an opinion? Aloha from sunny and warm Maui.
 

Bill Boehme

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The only suggestion that I would have is to adjust where you stand and/or position the tool so that the shavings don't hit your face. Maybe ear plugs. When you get a few years older you won't be able to hear it.
 

john lucas

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I've never turned Koa but have turned other hard woods. I agree with Bill. It's just a matter or rotating the tool a tiny bit so that the shavings go in another direction. Of course you didn't say what tool your using. If it's one of those flat scrapers then you will simply have to stand out of the way or they sell a deflector shield for it. If it's one of the Hunter Hercules or Osprey simply move the handle left or right so it isn't cutting with the very tip and the shavings will go either left or right.
 

hockenbery

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Chips hitting you in the face makes it difficult to see the curve you are developing and it will make the face shield hard to see through.
Chips don't need to hit you in the face.

I do most of the outside roughing between centers with the future foot of the bowl toward the headstock Using the Ellsworth grind right hand forward with flute racing away the chips don't hit me and have great view if the curve.

If you are only comfortable with the left hand forward- a pull cut in roughing with the left hand forward will send the chips down. If you are more advanced - using the pull cut slightly off the bevel just rips the wood off super quick with huge tear out so it is especially efficient at removing wood but terrible for surface. It is sort of a rolling motion pulling up with the left hand and pushing pushing down on the handle with the right hand on my thigh and turning at the hips using the tool rest as fulcrum.
Just be sure to leave at least a 1/4" of wood to take off with a bevel riding cut to clean up the tearout.

I hollow with the left hand forward and chips go away from me too.

Al
 
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Emiliano Achaval

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Uvex

Thank you for the great answers! My favorite was the one that in a few years the noise won't matter! Lol. I was rough turning with a 3/4 bowl gouge on my stubby S750 lathe. I do aim shavings away from the face, it's that odd piece that hits you no matter how you position yourself or where you aim... For now the Uvex is hanging on the wall. Back to my old cheap and noiseless face mask...
 
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I just received my Uvex Bionic shield. I used it to turn yesterday. My usual, huge Hawaiian Koa blank. Lots of shavings... I was totally surprised by the noise!!! A hallow noise with every wood chip or shaving that hits the shield. Loud almost to the point of having to use ear plugs... I had high expectations for this shield, it sure is good looking. It might take some time to get use to the noise... Am I over reacting? Anybody else here has an opinion? Aloha from sunny and warm Maui.

I've had one for years and love it.

Sure, the chips hitting faceplate are loud, but hey, it's not getting in your eyes.

The plastic will eventually scratch up, but check Amazon. They sometimes have good prices for replacements. Last year there was a special for around $5 each, I bot about 20. . Should last me a few years.

And it can take a hit. Rarely do i send a blank flying, but recently I did.
And was I in the line of fire. Stupidly.
Off the lathe, right in the face.

My nose hurt like hell and I was done for the day. But healthy, happy and having a beer. Not going to emergency. The shield took most of the impact.
That was about a 10-15 lbs blank. The Uvex was scratched but in great shape. Haven't even replaced the shield yet.

Ie. I really like this thing. Huge vote of confidence.
Enjoy it! wear it!

Olaf
 
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Got my bell rung

I've had one for years and love it.

Sure, the chips hitting faceplate are loud, but hey, it's not getting in your eyes.

The plastic will eventually scratch up, but check Amazon. They sometimes have good prices for replacements. Last year there was a special for around $5 each, I bot about 20. . Should last me a few years.

And it can take a hit. Rarely do i send a blank flying, but recently I did.
And was I in the line of fire. Stupidly.
Off the lathe, right in the face.

My nose hurt like hell and I was done for the day. But healthy, happy and having a beer. Not going to emergency. The shield took most of the impact.
That was about a 10-15 lbs blank. The Uvex was scratched but in great shape. Haven't even replaced the shield yet.

Ie. I really like this thing. Huge vote of confidence.
Enjoy it! wear it!

Olaf


Olaf,

I got my bell rung wearing the Uvex shield. A pound or two of gum bark that wasn't as tight as I thought it was. Tight it was with no indication it was not attached to the wood well until I started peeling it off. I was standing well in the safe zone, almost the same place I hollow in. Somehow the bark smacked the shield dead center at speed. Would have been an ugly wound with safety glasses or goggles. I had somebody watching so I just kept turning like it was no big deal.

Loud enough to make my ears ring and I felt like I had just taken a good shot from someone wearing boxing gloves. No damage to me or the shield so I was a happy camper! Best I remember the impact was at the top of the clear plastic and the edge of the black. Looked like an almost direct hit on the clear and it might have slid up an inch or less and left a little debris under the black plastic.

I often hollow in safety glasses but absolutely nothing gets outside turned without the shield on.


Emiliano,

The occasional hit is a little noisier than you are used to, I think it is probably secondary noise of the clear plastic moving and hitting the black plastic that is loudest. The noise is a small price to pay for the visibility and protection. Got hit with a piece of something only weighing an ounce or two a few weeks ago, even that would have been unpleasant without the face shield. If the view and protection seem better than the other one I'd stick with the Uvex.

Hu
 

odie

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The Bionic face shield is great. At first I was hesitant to buy one because I had been using my standard face shield for years, and didn't want to buy another. Eventually, it was John Lucas who convinced me to get one......and, I'm glad I did. It does give more protection against flying objects than the old standard face shields do.

If a turner knows there is a substantial risk in any piece of wood, he should look into additional protection. I have two homemade options. One is a replacement police riot shield that I adapted to the old standard face shield. It will take quite a hard blow, but is heavy. The other option, is a women's softball face guard. I added some steel bars to the front to make it more protective. This one is the one I use most often, although I do use both. The bionic face shield fits over the softball fielder's face guard perfectly!

Overall, I'd say I don't use the riot shield, or the fielder's mask more than about a couple times out of a hundred bowl blocks......but, I'm mighty glad I took the time and effort to make them up. I doubt if there are very many of us turners who don't wonder if a bowl block is, or isn't stable, at one time or another. Most of the time they are fine......but there is that occasional piece of wood/bark/knot, whatever, that gets flung, and nobody wants to take the chance of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Staying out of the "line of fire" is good advice, but not reasonable all the time, nor the perfect solution.....As Hu Lowery points out.

When the "pucker factor" is there.....it's wise to do what you can to protect yourself. :p

ko
 

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Emiliano Achaval

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Not sure why we need a title when replying to something.... Olaf, if you come to Maui, you will go back with some Koa... I have had my share of hits and misses, I wear the shield all the time, not because people says you have to, I learned the hard way how fast a blank can fly off the lathe!!
Best forum ever, great responses!! Aloha from sunny Maui.
 

Mark Hepburn

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I've had one for years and love it.

Sure, the chips hitting faceplate are loud, but hey, it's not getting in your eyes.

The plastic will eventually scratch up, but check Amazon. They sometimes have good prices for replacements. Last year there was a special for around $5 each, I bot about 20. ��. Should last me a few years.

And it can take a hit. Rarely do i send a blank flying, but recently I did.
And was I in the line of fire. Stupidly.
Off the lathe, right in the face.

My nose hurt like hell and I was done for the day. But healthy, happy and having a beer. Not going to emergency. The shield took most of the impact.
That was about a 10-15 lbs blank. The Uvex was scratched but in great shape. Haven't even replaced the shield yet.

Ie. I really like this thing. Huge vote of confidence.
Enjoy it! wear it!

Olaf

Olaf, I think that beer probably saved you that trip to the ER, right?

I wear mine all the time when turning. For sanding I switch to a trend
 
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[Snip] I have two homemade options. One is a replacement police riot shield that I adapted to the old standard face shield. It will take quite a hard blow, but is heavy. The other option, is a women's softball face guard. I added some steel bars to the front to make it more protective. This one is the one I use most often, although I do use both. The bionic face shield fits over the softball fielder's face guard perfectly!

Overall, I'd say I don't use the riot shield, or the fielder's mask more than about a couple times out of a hundred bowl blocks......but, I'm mighty glad I took the time and effort to make them up.

ko

These are going to look funny on my Christmas wish-list 2016. Hubby is really going to wonder.:D Ask Jon Ryan before you decide to use a football faceguard.:D:D
JonRyan Nose.jpg
 

odie

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These are going to look funny on my Christmas wish-list 2016. Hubby is really going to wonder.:D Ask Jon Ryan before you decide to use a football faceguard.:D
View attachment 9179

Heh,heh,heh......sometimes you gotta do wild and crazy things, if you're going to find answers "outside of the box!":p

I wonder what Ryan's face would have looked like, if he hadn't had the face guard! :eek:

Many turners don't have to worry too much about their wood exploding on the lathe, but since that possibility definitely exists with some of the wood I choose, I felt it was in my best interest to do what I can to protect myself. If you search for Lynn Yamaguchi, you'll read about a lady turner who had a terrible accident......and her tragic story was the turning point for me. I then decided to find a solution that helped me feel better protected when turning some pieces where the "pucker factor" was undeniably there. I first experimented with a hockey helmet, but that didn't work very well.....then the riot shield, and then the women's softball face guard.

Here's the pic I took while trying to make the hockey helmet work for me. The helmet was a bit too much to deal with, but the face guard itself was good. I found that I really did need a full coverage shield to stop all the small debris, as well......so the idea for the riot shield developed. The riot shield is great, but heavy. It's still good for some limited use. Possibly it would work out better if some way to support the weight better were devised. For me, the softball fielder's face guard turned out to be the best solution. It does have some weight to it, but the padding on the chin and forehead, plus the head strap makes it more ideal for weight distribution......especially when I found that the bionic face shield can be worn over it.

(The pic with the face shield and the softball face guard was taken prior to when I purchased the bionic face shield.....they both fit over the guard.)

ko
 

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Off the lathe, right in the face.

My nose hurt like hell and I was done for the day. But healthy, happy and having a beer. Not going to emergency. The shield took most of the impact.
That was about a 10-15 lbs blank. The Uvex was scratched but in great shape. Haven't even replaced the shield yet.


Olaf

You might want to reconsider and replace the shield, it did it's job once might not be up to the task the next time. That's the way it is with motorcycle helmets.
 

Bill Boehme

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Odie, the riot shield might be heavy, but heavy is your friend especially if your head is where the protective gear is anchored. Imagine if the riot helmet weighed a ton ... You would never feel the impact of anything ... of course, you wouldn't be able to raise your head and would have serious neck problems, but you wouldn't have to worry about concussions from pieces of wood. So by necessity the riot helmet is a compromise to minimize serious injury from some typical impact, but can't protect you from every impact.

I discovered yesterday while looking up some data on the 3M Airstream that the helmet is certified to ANSI Z89.1 Type 1 impacts which is what most industrial hard hats must meet for on the job protection. Basically the standard defines impact protection from falling or dropped things like nail guns, hammers, and other such things that might happen on a construction site.
 

odie

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Hi Bill.......

Unquestionably, the riot shield provides some very good protection, indeed. It's not the weight itself, but the weight distribution that's been the problem for me. In order to keep it in place, and not gradually slip, I need to tighten the headband more than I care to. That is a problem that could be dealt with, using a little ingenuity, but the face pads on the chin and forehead made the fielder's face guard the better solution for me. The fielder's face guard has the advantage of stopping an impact before it reaches your face, while (theoretically) a heavy impact would tend to push the riot shield into your face. Once I started using the softball face guard, fixing the problems with the riot shield became less of a priority.

You know that I also have an Airstream helmet. At a time when I did way more sanding than I do now, a powered helmet with filtered air was the better method for me. In the past few years, I've been using a Resp-o-rator. It's lightness, and simple function suits me better.

ko
 

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