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Tool Incident

D

Donovan Bailey

Joined
Apr 13, 2017
Messages
267
Likes
140
Location
Gainesville, VA
Before I get into this, I would like to relay that I am a solid Doug Thompson fan. Doug is a truly experienced engineer and he has spent a considerable amount of his life researching and developing what I consider to be the very best quality tools out there for us turners. Even so, I had a serious incident involving a Thompson tool that I pass on that will hopefully serve as a safety note to someone on the importance of developing a safe body position at the lathe during cutting operations. Awhile back I was making light inside finishing cuts on a walnut bowl and in a blink of an eye my 1/2 gouge was ripped out of my hands and slammed down on my left foot breaking my toe. After hopping around and yelling bad words for a respectable length of time I investigated what might have caused this "catch from hell." After exhausting my examination options involving the wood (tenon give way, etc.) I took a close look at the tool and discovered that the tool glue joint was starved to the point that it gave way (see the pic). I then picked up a detail gouge that I had ordered at about the same time and I was able to twist it in half in my hands...also starved glue joint. Of course I informed Doug (but not about the toe) and being the gentleman that he is he offered to repair the tools (said this was a problem that he had with one of his helpers that had now moved on)...but I just sanded/epoxyed them back together. I only relay this incident to pass on the importance of carefully thinking about and developing a technique and cutting stance that keeps you out of the firing line at all possible times. I have hesitated about passing the details of this incident along (plus I have 10 toes so that was no big deal)...but had I not had a good cutting position developed over the years then this fluke incident could have possibly had a much more ugly outcome. Hopefully this sorry incident might serve as an example and help someone.
Thompson Tool.jpg
 
I guess I would add that we should never disregard the stress of shock loads with a major catch. Not sure if those collets are pressed in or just pushed in and rely on the adhesive to keep them in place. If it is both of the above, that would make for a stronger joint... Doug is a good man.

robo hippy
 
robo hippy said:
I guess I would add that we should never disregard the stress of shock loads with a major catch. Not sure if those collets are pressed in or just pushed in and rely on the adhesive to keep them in place. If it is both of the above, that would make for a stronger joint... Doug is a good man.

robo hippy
Click to expand...
Wouldn't a press fit result in the adhesive being pushed down into the tool handle resulting in even less adhesive in the joint?
 
Paul Grenier said:
Wouldn't a press fit result in the adhesive being pushed down into the tool handle resulting in even less adhesive in the joint?
Click to expand...
It is not a press fit...glue only, and I'm fine with that. However, I want to make sure that it is understood that I did not have a catch which led to the tool separation. What happened is that the tool elected to come apart at that particular time. In fact, I had minimum cutting pressure on the tool (light smoothing cut) when this happened.
 
Anything made by man can fail. How many YouTube videos I've watched and the person had a severely bent bowl gouge; all you can say is "ouch".
 
John Hicks said:
Anything made by man can fail. How many YouTube videos I've watched and the person had a severely bent bowl gouge; all you can say is "ouch".
Click to expand...

You are watching the wrong videos
There are a bunch of quacks with video cameras who have a very poor skill set making videos.
They are a danger to themselves and anyone who watches their videos.

AAW Volunteers have reviewed hundreds of videos for safe and effective practices.
https://www.woodturner.org/AAW/Article-Search.aspx
Pick video in the type.

the videos you get will all have safe and effective techniques.

stay safe and watch smartly.


 
This post made me go take a close look at the couple Doug Thompson tool handles I have. I actually thought the handles were a one piece machined handle with an end that screws in. I would suggest you send the photos of the separated handle to Doug Thompson. I'm sure that would result in a new handle arriving shortly in your mailbox. Thompson tools are as good a turning tool as any tool out there and the only thing better than the tool is his guarantee. But the main thing is that he needs to know this occurred if he can make any changes to prevent it in the future.
 
Well, I lurked for awhile before joining, joined forum in 2006. Cannot remember reading about D/T tool handle failures. I searched this site and the web, and so far, haven't found anything about Thompson tool handle failures but still searching.
Since I have two of his handles, I would like to know, "isolated incident" or "lost count"?
 
I have purchased several of Doug Thompson’s tools. The handles do not look like this on my tools. Perhaps this issue has been designed out in a newer, upgraded design. It’s not uncommon for improvements to have been made over time! A great post to remind people about the older handles and to be careful about anything man made. How many times have we gotten on an amusement park ride assuming they are safe to ride!
 
Russ Braun said:
How many times have we gotten on an amusement park ride assuming they are safe to ride!
Click to expand...

:):)Hundreds of times at Disney world....:):)

They are really safe now....
They won’t be at all safe on July 9.
My state is not doing well COVID-19. So sad that we can’t do 1/2 as well as South Korea.

the Florida Symposium is scheduled for 5 February 2021.
Not looking good with Florida’s COVID trajectory.
 
Donovan Bailey said:
It is not a press fit...glue only, and I'm fine with that. However, I want to make sure that it is understood that I did not have a catch which led to the tool separation. What happened is that the tool elected to come apart at that particular time. In fact, I had minimum cutting pressure on the tool (light smoothing cut) when this happened.
Click to expand...

Wow! Glue joint failure. Thanks for sharing your experience.
To me it doesn’t matter who made the tool, it failed catastrophically. Many of the Woodturning tools from a variety of manufacturers especially the tools that have tang like connections in the handle, can over time, loosen up. They should be checked from time to time. Perhaps to make them safer, a mechanical connection made with screws or a weld added between the collar and the handle will secure them better.

This could have been a horror story and I’m glad it wasn’t.

In a past thread, it was reported that while sharpening, the joint that secures the gouge and the handle failed and destroyed a CBN wheel. As a result of reading this post, I stopped using the wolverine like slide for sharpening Skews or roughing gouges. For those tool handles that do not have a mechanical joint, I switched over to platform grinding.
Although I have sharpened for over twenty years without incident, it is better to take the safer path. Check your handle joints periodically.
 
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