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.
Well, the question I have to ask, is were you standing in or out of the line of fire? That is my first line of defense. I do wear a full face mask when using the weed whacker. I do stand out of the line of fire when turning even spindles.
robo hippy
robo hippy
Good question. I was left of the chuck when I started the lathe. The piece came out of the chuck, bounced on the toolrest and headed my way.
I have had tons of things fly off when turning, and I don't think I have ever had some thing bounce off the tool rest and then hit me, or go anywhere near me. Good thing to stand out of the line of fire!
I like your photo of the kid with the knife and wall socket. One I never did, but one of my brothers did.... He lived!
robo hippy
I like your photo of the kid with the knife and wall socket. One I never did, but one of my brothers did.... He lived!
robo hippy
What was your turning speed? Over 1000 RPM?
It was less than a thousand. That being said, it’s a Nova 1624-44 (non DVR) and speed is changed by pulley position only so the start speed is the same as the spin speed. It’s a PITA to have to move the belt to change speed as well as a safety issue on larger unbalanced pieces if you start too fast.
A little more detail on what happened, I looked at the turd that hit me and it looks like I didn’t have the live center in deep enough or the tail stock wasn’t tight and the unbalance caused the point to tear through the wood. Once it lost its grip, it was time to go airborne. Your assumption the speed was too high for the unbalance was correct.
I’ve been wanting to get a new lathe with adjustable speed and the flying wood was the instigation to pull the trigger and order one. It will be here in 8 weeks.
A little more detail on what happened, I looked at the turd that hit me and it looks like I didn’t have the live center in deep enough or the tail stock wasn’t tight and the unbalance caused the point to tear through the wood. Once it lost its grip, it was time to go airborne. Your assumption the speed was too high for the unbalance was correct.
I’ve been wanting to get a new lathe with adjustable speed and the flying wood was the instigation to pull the trigger and order one. It will be here in 8 weeks.
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How long had you been turning.
Spinning out is almost always due to too little tailstock pressure.
As you begin turning the centers will work themselves deeper into the wood and become loose.
I always tighten the tailstock every fess passes in the begining
Also on some lathes the tailstock is prone to opening if you don’t lock the quill.
I want the spur in solid wood so I usually use a 1 1/4 forstner to drill a 1/4-1/2” deep to get to solid wood.
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I turned my first piece of wood about 45 years ago and I completely agree with why the spinning out occurred. I might go years between turning on the lathe and only then when needed in a furniture build.
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I meant how long had you been Turing the piece of wood before the spin out. Was thinking you may have not retightened the tailstock to make up for the centers working in deeper.
About 2 seconds, LOL. Didn’t have time to even get to the off switch when the wobble started.
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Sounds like it wasn’t tight. Maybe a loose tailstoc
I witnessed a bad accident with a 3x3x5 piece of wood.
A good turner hadn’t locked down the tailstock on a mini lathe.
The tailstock probably bound against the ways enough to let the hand wheel tighten.
Then in about 2 seconds of being turned on the tailstock unbound and moved back, the block hit the tool rest, and then hit the turner in the mouth.
A face shield would have prevented the ER visit- 12 stiches teeth wired in place.
I retired from the Coast Guard after 32 years of active service. I can't tell you the number of times I saw Navy and Army training films about bench grinder safety. Those films told it all and showed some of the most gruesome images you could imagine of people who had a wheel blow up in their face. Because of these films, I have always had a proper respect for a bench grinder, kept them dressed, and "tried" not to ever grind nonferrous metals on them.
I'm curious what brand of face shield you use.
Yikes.
I sat next to a boy in 4th grade who had three fingers on one hand and two on the other. He said he went to the basement and played with his dad's table saw.
The wood doesn't have to be flat and square. It is important that it's well supported on the table and can't rock. I keep a variety of wedges at the bandsaw for this. But even if the bottom is flat or well supported with wedges, except for a very few special cases the whole chunk should be supported all the way from the where the blade starts cutting down to the table.
And sharp helps in several ways. I usually sharpen a bandsaw blade two or three times before changing it. I check sharpeness with the flat of a fingernail.
It’s just an inexpensive generic flip down with a Lexan shield.
Glad it saved you from a more serious injury. I have a 3M full face respirator with shield that I use for turning, but if I'm working on a big natural edge bowl or something with lots of voids or bark inclusions in it I have a real police riot helmet that has a 1/4" thick polycarbonate shield. It is hot and cumbersome but allows for using reading glasses under the shield, and can withstand so much more of an impact. I just feel safer in it after taking a few bowls to the chest/face over the years.
I have some of those. Use one with filters for chemicals when I need to spray something at at farm.
I also discovered another good use for it. Driving towards the farm one day, looked up and saw smoke coming from the woods down the hill from our place. I hurried home, jumped on the 4-wheeler, and sure enough the woods were on fire.
Called the fire department and fetched the tractor to start cutting a fire break. I wore the full-face 3M and while the filters didn't completely stop the smoke the thing sure did keep the smoke out of my eyes! A huge help.
Some guy 1/2 mile away decided to go inside and take a nap while burning logs and brush. The big guns came with a crew and put everything out. They said the guy didn't even get a burn permit and was in for a big fine PLUS the expense of sending out equipment and people for a couple of hours.
JKJ