Happy Sunday everyone. Sometimes, while working on the lathe, it's not the most comfortable or practical to wear a protective helmet. Today, I decided to make some progress with my work and I take this opportunity to pause and share with you that my Sunday continues to be great thanks to wearing my protective helmet. I was turning a piece approximately 6 cm x 6 cm x 7 cm on the chuck, supposedly well secured, but I didn't have the support of the tailstock because I was cleaning the base and forgot to put it back. I worked on the front part and the piece flew off, hitting the helmet and probably saving me from a bad experience. I hope you all continue to have a great Sunday.
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use a protective helmet
- Thread starter Michael Perez
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- helmet protection
A helmet helps. Standing out of the line of fire is also HUGE for safety!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4qIM_-Jzgk
robo hippy
robo hippy
Thank you so much
Good advice and video, Reed.
I’m glad you are ok. Lots to learn from a failed tenon, or whatever method you were using. Show us a close up of the tenon…
Hello, thank you very much. It was a piece of wood approximately 2"x2"x3" held in my talon chuck for a bottle stopper. While I was cleaning the bottom with a beading tool, it wasn't supported by the live center, and everything seemed fine until I made my first mistake. I gave a little roughness to the front of the piece using the spindle without support and the beading tool instead of the roughing gouge. Normally, I chamfer the corners for smoother roughing. Here's how the piece was held, I'm attaching a picture.
Attachments
Michael-I'm going to admit something even worse that really made me angry at my own stupidity. I slide the headstock back and forth a lot on my PowerMatic, basically on every bowl. Turns out on the last headstock return trip after a vigorous wipe-down/wax of the bed, I somehow forgot to lock the cam of the 163# cast-iron headstock with the lever under it (which I need to make a do-not-pass-go part of that ritual on every shutdown!). So a couple of days ago I had on a beautiful semi-dry piece of weeping cherry. Roughly 9x5"ish, just a little past "stop-sign round" off the chain saw), and I'm just guessing 7 or 8 pounds of pretty hard wood in a live-edge mounted between centers: a 1-inch standard 4-spur drive which I pound in hard into green wood after drilling just below the bark. The live-center is the Robust small cup with just a little point protruding. I always crank down on the quill as I slowly bring a blank up to safe speeds. On my wooden floor, I HAVE to be attuned to every little wobble or vibration until I get pretty close to round. I can get up to some usable speed once I'm round after I dial in the sweet-spot The plan was to make my usual green tenon for a bowl this size for 75 or 100mm jaws on my Record Power SC4 chuck, which I am getting much better results with now that I am sizing my tenons and recesses as close to a perfect closed circle as I can. I know how much more serious my holding points have to be with the bigger, greener turns I can do now. If anything, I may be guilty of over-kill on my various chuck jaw sizes; they just feel more secure.
Anyway, I wondered why I kept having to crank down on the quill so much. At some point, all seemed okay, until at maybe 550rpm, the blank flew off, bounced off the cast-iron bed and bounced over to bonk the edge of my very heavy-duty grinding bench. then falling to the floor with no harm done other than my ego. "How could you be so stupid?" has rung in my head ever since. I looked over to see that unlocked, massive headstock tower a good 3 inches off the lathe bed on the end due to the unlocked cam-well, shit! Thank god the stop bolt was in on that side-I'm never taking that off! I was avoiding the line of fire and had my standard plastic helmet on (which I admit I slacked off on before, and I don't have much faith in it anyway-looking at other more expensive options). So after some cussing I lined it back up and locked it to try again-back on the horse, eh? (and hey, it's weeping cherry!).
Anyway, two days in a row I had to throw some gorgeous cherry on the burn pile due to unexpected deep cracks, and not just voids, but huge caverns. I erred on the safe side with two not really structurally sound blanks anyway. But cherry is my kryptonite, y'all. Good news is I got some pretty nice ambrosia maple green turns out of a huge log my tree-man neighbor gave me, and am finishing up some chinese elm live edge pieces from him too. He brings me more interesting green wood than I can possibly keep up with (which I know as a turner is a great problem to have).
So my penance today is to kind of go crazy on cleaning up, reorganizing and lots of pm's while I think about my sin. After weeks of turning, my shop was approaching nightmare status. There were dusty layers on my work bench to work down just to the surface. A clean shop is a safe shop if you're always mindful of your procedures and turning habits. Good to relearn that occasionally too.
"Thank you for listening to my TED Talk." That is the last line of the greatest, funniest AP English essay I have graded this year. I guess my point is it helps to have a sense of humor when you're having an interesting day in the shop.
Anyway, I wondered why I kept having to crank down on the quill so much. At some point, all seemed okay, until at maybe 550rpm, the blank flew off, bounced off the cast-iron bed and bounced over to bonk the edge of my very heavy-duty grinding bench. then falling to the floor with no harm done other than my ego. "How could you be so stupid?" has rung in my head ever since. I looked over to see that unlocked, massive headstock tower a good 3 inches off the lathe bed on the end due to the unlocked cam-well, shit! Thank god the stop bolt was in on that side-I'm never taking that off! I was avoiding the line of fire and had my standard plastic helmet on (which I admit I slacked off on before, and I don't have much faith in it anyway-looking at other more expensive options). So after some cussing I lined it back up and locked it to try again-back on the horse, eh? (and hey, it's weeping cherry!).
Anyway, two days in a row I had to throw some gorgeous cherry on the burn pile due to unexpected deep cracks, and not just voids, but huge caverns. I erred on the safe side with two not really structurally sound blanks anyway. But cherry is my kryptonite, y'all. Good news is I got some pretty nice ambrosia maple green turns out of a huge log my tree-man neighbor gave me, and am finishing up some chinese elm live edge pieces from him too. He brings me more interesting green wood than I can possibly keep up with (which I know as a turner is a great problem to have).
So my penance today is to kind of go crazy on cleaning up, reorganizing and lots of pm's while I think about my sin. After weeks of turning, my shop was approaching nightmare status. There were dusty layers on my work bench to work down just to the surface. A clean shop is a safe shop if you're always mindful of your procedures and turning habits. Good to relearn that occasionally too.
"Thank you for listening to my TED Talk." That is the last line of the greatest, funniest AP English essay I have graded this year. I guess my point is it helps to have a sense of humor when you're having an interesting day in the shop.
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Hello, thank you very much for sharing your experience. I love TED talks, and in this case, it's about my favorite topic and in a private format, quite a luxury. I also confess that certain review protocols have slipped my mind more than once, such as tensioning the bandsaw, unlocking the headstock indexer, securing the set screws on the chuck when it's in reverse, etc. It's fascinating to hear about the work you mentioned and the opportunity to work with such beautiful woods. Thanks again, and I hope you have a lovely week.I almost forgot to mention that my workshop is always very clean, never with wood chips or sawdust. The secret is that my wife works with me, and she is super obsessive about cleanliness. Regards.
Had to look that one up.
I noticed that you are wearing a shield, not a helmet. What helmet were you wearing? A helmet could take a bigger blow, that shield I only trust it for shavings.
I'm switching over to my VersaFlo hard hat full-time--partly to encourage me to use the air EVERY time i should, and the side benefit will be a wee bit more protection than my Bionic shield.
Mine is Jackson I think it’s shield https://www.amazon.com/Jackson-Safety-Lightweight-Ratcheting-Protective/dp/B088B969B5/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?crid=24JWWE8HIBZVG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qZ1iK2s3CSvXlnJUWfjqaQeeytJUXAynZGD5wWiH_iNqzIJuhSw72mXVoJqM4lxd.mHUdJlodnr5bjqHqsMF4SorAPwka9tm53i8QbZDt5H0&dib_tag=se&keywords=Woodturning+Jackson+protex&qid=1712578142&sprefix=woodturning+jackson+protex,aps,232&sr=8-1-fkmr0&th=1
I was fortunate that the impact was on the side and not frontal. It was between my eye and ear, and the piece of wood only grazed, being deflected by the oval shape of the face shield. As a result, my face shield ended up flipped.
Do you think wearing protection glasses over my glasses would be a better option?
greetings
Yesterday I was thinking in using all the time my face shield but maybe it’s not enough as Emiliano mentioned.
Thanks for sharing
That looks pretty risky, I would ALWAYS turn a round tenon with a slight dovetail and make sure both sides of the chuck are tightened fully.
Thanks, definitely ihave to take more precautions, my chuck it the oneway talon and it’s supposed to be straight tenon according them or do you think can i also add a slight dovetail?
Tom Gall
TOTW Team
For OW Talon use a straight tenon. On blocks that small I've never had an incident, but I usually prefer a round or "almost" round tenon on anything a little longer. The profile jaws on the OW chucks will allow for an "almost" round tenon - especially on smaller dimension wood.
NOTE: It may just be the angle of your photo - but, it looks like the #1 jaw isn't touching/gripping the wood. Can't see the #3 jaw but maybe that isn't touching either.
Thanks, it was very held,I just put it again because a friend ask me for a picture of how it was held, so I just put it again but without locking.
Love the VersaFlo. Once in a while I don't bother to wear it and I'm usually sorry after collecting a little dust in my nose. Cleaning up is a dusty job too. I always wear the VersaFlo when cleaning shop.
Yes Michael, that's it. Thanks to some posts on here last year, i put mine together by buying a surplus healthcare version on eBay for $450 (the 3M model is TR-300-ECK). Then i found a new in damaged box welding style helmet (model M-407) for about $250. Found the fire resistant cowling in that helmet to be a bit warm for my tastes, so was finally able to find a "scratch & dent" M-307 helmet (like the one in the kit you linked to) for about $250--took over a year to find one at a good price. Ready to sell my M-407 helmet now--would be a great addition for someone who does both wood & metal work, or just to complete a kit.
Being in Peru, your access to the healthcare surplus may be completely different. My son travels to Lima at least a few times a year, but this is tough stuff to fit in luggage!! Either helmet, the M-307 or M-407, would be much more iimpact resistant than typical face shields. So...i'm now wearing my M-307 for turning, then for sanding i just put on my belt and attach the air hose to the back of the helmet.
Being in Peru, your access to the healthcare surplus may be completely different. My son travels to Lima at least a few times a year, but this is tough stuff to fit in luggage!! Either helmet, the M-307 or M-407, would be much more iimpact resistant than typical face shields. So...i'm now wearing my M-307 for turning, then for sanding i just put on my belt and attach the air hose to the back of the helmet.
Thank you so much for all the information, totally agree with you , now I was thinking that another alternative could be wearing a glasses for impact resistant what do you think?
I’ll also check the models you’ve mentioned.
I’ll also check the models you’ve mentioned.
If you wear safety glasses then don't turn anything to big or risky because glasses will protect your eyes but not your whole face. A piece could still hurt you even if your eyes are protected.
PS:If you guys want a good pair I absolutely love these....
Future Tech Glasses: Vapor Clear Frame Anti Fog Clear Lens Z87+
Desc. Features Specs & Guarantee *Choose the Additional Nose Pad Upgrade for extra fit adjustment options*Fogged up lenses are annoying, but lets be honest, they are downright hazardous. Simply put, if you can't see what you're doing you could wind up in a jackpot in the blink of an eye, and we...
heatwavevisual.com
Thank you so much for all your recommendations. I mostly do spindle and small boxes , my lathe it’s small it’s a Rikon 70-150 VSR never tried a bowl or a base. But I’ll try to be more careful.If you wear safety glasses then don't turn anything to big or risky because glasses will protect your eyes but not your whole face. A piece could still hurt you even if your eyes are protected.
PS:If you guys want a good pair I absolutely love these....
Future Tech Glasses: Vapor Clear Frame Anti Fog Clear Lens Z87+
Desc. Features Specs & Guarantee *Choose the Additional Nose Pad Upgrade for extra fit adjustment options*Fogged up lenses are annoying, but lets be honest, they are downright hazardous. Simply put, if you can't see what you're doing you could wind up in a jackpot in the blink of an eye, and we...
That face shield will with stand a blow from a hammer. Ask me how I know. 🤣
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So true. What is not too big?
I witnessed a guy getting hit in the mouth by a 3.5x3.5x5. Turning between centers tailstock came loose, piece hit toolrest, and then an emergency room visit. 12 stiches and loose teeth wired in place.
Were he wearing a face shield he likely shakes head and remounts the piece and double checks the tailstock.
Thank you so much, you are absolutely right. I also feel that the small piece was heavy enough to injure myself. After reading your comments, I have decided to wear my Jackson face shield when doing spindle work as well. We never know when an accident could happen. Now my concern is whether my Jackson face shield provides sufficient protection. Hopefully, it protected me this time; it hasn’t broken, so that’s a good sign. Perhaps, as I mentioned before, using additional safety glasses for eye protection is recommended
I forgot to mention that when I’m turning between centers I always use my Robust safety center.
Greetings
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For smaller pieces it should be fine, I don't know if it would stop a 8, 10, 12 inch piece (or bigger). And I would be more concerned about the plastic housing then the face shield. I had this same concerned last summer so I took one of my old face shields and banged on it with a roofing hammer a few times, I only barely scratched the clear shield and I didn't break or miss-shape the plastic.
No matter how big (or small) the piece of flying wood is, there's still momentum so even if the debris doesn't break the shield it could still knock it off your face and hit you or even knock you down. As Robo said it's better to stand out of the line of possible fire.
Thank you so much, definitely it’s smarter to be out of the line of fire as possible as we can.
But I mostly do spindle that’s why I’m on the line of fire most of the time for that reason I bought the Robust safety center I think it also help what do you think ?
That is a great live center and will work really well for a secure hold. Don't forget if you do spindle work a Sorby Stebcenter is also great and remember to also lock down your tailstock and make sure the speed is turned down all the way after EVERY turning session!!
Thank you so much, sure I always start the lathe in the minimum speed and always check to lock the tail stock, please one more question: what’s the difference between my Robust safety center(It also has a bowl drive attachment) and the Robert sorby stebcenter should I switch to Stebcenter any model in particular?
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I believe the steb center has some kind of "sawteeth" instead of the smooth ridge like the robust safety drive. they both work about the same but the steb center has a drawback of it can "drill" into the end of the wood when there's a catch, then the teeth get loaded up and don't drive as well as the safety center, I think (I have a steb center that mounts in my scroll chuck , but no safety centers)
My mistake I thought you had the Robust live center not a drive center. The safety drive center from Robust will work well!
For longer spindle work you might also look at a steady rest if you lathe is big enough to support one. It will give you work some extra support.
You bought one too many power tools?
Thank you so much, it’s my Englis. In the tailstock I have the Axminster Multi Head live center .My mistake I thought you had the Robust live center not a drive center. The safety drive center from Robust will work well!
Best wishes