I got smacked dead center of the face shield today. Had it been just safety googles, I would have had to put my snooz back in place. Other than a few choice words that would have made a sailor blush, it was a non event.
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Face shield works
- Thread starter Webb Willmott
- Start date
Good on you for wearing the safety equipment. I am at a point that I ALMOST never turn without it.
Safety is, first and foremost, a choice!! Good choice! 
I almost always use my face shield as well. I don't with the drill press, but everything else I do I use it. I used to not use it on the bandsaw, then something snapped while using that, and pieces of wood went flying. Honestly not real sure what happened, but ever since I face shield that too!
I almost always use my face shield as well. I don't with the drill press, but everything else I do I use it. I used to not use it on the bandsaw, then something snapped while using that, and pieces of wood went flying. Honestly not real sure what happened, but ever since I face shield that too!
Face shield also for those who use bench grinders with traditional wheels - can get invisible cracks, throw chunks and even break. (Worse if it has a wire wheel like I have in my little welding shop! Or using a wire wheel on an angle grinder. These can throw metal needles.)
But a bandsaw incident that throws wood is highly unusual. There are only two things I know of that can do this. One is sawing wood that wasn't totally supported all the way to the table, round, angled, unstable on the table. The other is wood with cracks, voids, punky areas, something that suddenly gave away during the cut causing an unsupported cut. Can be worse with an aggressive cut. Could that have been what happened? (Both failures can bend up or even break a blade too.)
As for other shop safety: for anyone unaware, with the drill press the face is not usually a target it can damage the hands and such if the bit catches when drilling something held by hand - can grab the work and instantly spin it. This is usually less problem with wood than when drilling steel. I have two clamps on my drill press and use them or along with a vise, depending on the size of the work, wood, plastic, or metal.
JKJ
Glad you're ok.
My bandsaw incident was probably because it was an odd piece of wood, it wasn't flat and square.
With the drill press, I always clamp things down, or have a fence in place, and try not to have my hands as the only thing holding stuff down. Or in a pen vise, etc. Occasionally I've not tightened a clamp down enough, and something will twist a bit when it shouldn't. Mostly, though, I think the drill press is the safest machine I have.
Any tool will throw wood if not if not supported or braced/clamped. It’s exactly the same as a catch with a lathe tool. I witnessed a boy in shop class when I was in junior high take his right hand fingertips off on a jointer because he tried to pass a 2” piece over the cutter. Not enough wood to be supported. That image will be forever imprinted on my mind.
Good idea as a prior thread mentioned also to wear it while chain sawing.
I’ve taken also to wearing at least an N-95 when even rough turning, or even sharpening tools, sometimes my PekeSafety Power hat, especially turning spalted and burl wood. Mask gets kind of heavy but better than lung damage.
I’ve taken also to wearing at least an N-95 when even rough turning, or even sharpening tools, sometimes my PekeSafety Power hat, especially turning spalted and burl wood. Mask gets kind of heavy but better than lung damage.
"Face shield works" - if you're wearing it.