Lathe Safety!!!!

[solarpower]

I will just quote the guy who linked me there initially...

"At the speeds lathes turn this would happen faster than you could react.
Please please please keep your clothes in check when working with a lathe."

and from the responses of others I had a "good idea" of the result of "man vs lathe" scenario.
I actually didn't even look for a day, but I also thought of the benefits of showing a few guys at my shop that have only been machining a few years...kinda of scared straight thing I guess.

This link is gory and graphic.
http://www.b0g.org/wsnm/articles/This+Is+Twisted

To a man everyone I have worked with over the last decade has had a "close call" in some way. Close is measured in decimals.. to these men.

[tauntdesigns]

I was working next to a guy who got lucky. His shirt got caught in the lead screw, he put his hands down, luckily on a non-moving surface and just got his shirt ripped from his body.

That's why I always suggest to newbies to take a night class somewhere that they can learn about all the 'NO NOs' and the 'DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT'.

I didn't watch the clip.... I hate watching people get mangled.....

Later

[holbieone]

Originally Posted by tauntdesigns I was working next to a guy who got lucky. His shirt got caught in the lead screw, he put his hands down, luckily on a non-moving surface and just got his shirt ripped from his body. That's why I always suggest to newbies to take a night class somewhere that they can learn about all the 'NO NOs' and the 'DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT'. I didn't watch the clip.... I hate watching people get mangled..... Later

i didn't think the pic's would be that bad

but now i can't get them out of my mind

[tauntdesigns]

Yeah, that's why I didn't look!

I've also seen lathe chuck key being thrown (or hand smashed) from the lathe because it was left in the chuck and then operator hit the on switch before removing it.

I've seen hair get caught in a drill press or mill spindle. When that happens your head gets pulled to the spindle until it rips a wad of hair out and a few cuts on face.

Always think safety cause those machines don't know any better

[ImanCarrot]

Machines are evil, evil, EVIL. They get bored and sit there all night contemplating how to send sharp spinny things into their users squidgy bits. When they get bored with this they talk to each other about how to wrap lose clothing around spinny things. I swear they loosen each others bolts at night for a laugh.

If something can feasibly happen then it will happen.

Oh, and the chuck key... I've seen that too. I never ever take my hand of a chuck key unless it's back on the bench.

[juliancrouch]

Ahh, yeah I am not going to look at those pictures either, I learned that lesson on a different forum. On a bicycle forum, some guy had to learn the hard way not to put his finger near a fixed gear chain ring with the wheel spinning.

However, there was one redeeming thing about that post, the dude said he doused his finger with simple green which should "thwart any impending infection"

In any event, I took one of those machining classes where you learn the no nos of machinery. Saw lots of chuck keys left in the lathe chuck, and for the first month of class anyone who got the concept and the shop staff just continually walked around pulling em out of machines. Fortunately never had to see one fly.

Did learn not to have your hand just about on the chuck when you start the lathe though, nothing happened, but I got lucky and it surprised the hell of out me.

Somehow playing with our toy's brings us quite a few stories...

[RICHARD ZASTROW]

I'm sure you all heard about the guy using a file without a handle that contacted the moving chuck jaws. Or getting wrapped up with emory cloth while getting that last "tenth" off the OD or the finger in the hole while polishing the ID. Lotsa ways to lose parts.

Dick Z

[bigtoad170]

I've been running a manual lathe for about 5 years know and it still has 110% of my attention I always tuck my shirt in tight never ever stand parrallel with the chuck when filing I make sure if it does grab I won't be right in direct line of it. If someone comes up to talk to me I turn the machine off and kindly ask them if we can continue the conversation some other time. I'm not scared of the machine anymore but I sure do respect it.

[RICHARD ZASTROW]

I cut file tangs off. Reverse the file, grind off serrations or tape tip end of the file and file on underside of part. Anything "catches" and file ends up in the chip pan without any body parts. Works for me .

Dick Z

[solarpower]

Originally Posted by tauntdesigns Always think safety cause those machines don't know any better

Originally Posted by ImanCarrot If something can feasibly happen then it will happen.

Originally Posted by juliancrouch Somehow playing with our toy's brings us quite a few stories...

Originally Posted by bigtoad170 I'm not scared of the machine anymore but I sure do respect it.

Great quotes from people that seem to "understand" the danger. I don't blame you for not looking.I didn't want to either.

But my current situation and experience made me realize that some medicine goes down hard, has side effects....but can save a life if taken properly.

I shared this with a couple others at work, many of them under 30 years old, and I think that it spoke for itself.I know that they will take the extra second to THINK about the danger the next time they turn on a lathe. Hopefully safe practice habits will follow.

[HapSmo19]

I made the mistake of looking.....my god....I wish I hadn't.

Originally Posted by tauntdesigns I was working next to a guy who got lucky. His shirt got caught in the lead screw, he put his hands down, luckily on a non-moving surface and just got his shirt ripped from his body.

I watched the same thing happen to two different people. It ended one career because the guy was wearing a heavy flannel that nearly twisted his arm off. The other was my dad. He braced himself and had his entire shirt except for the collar ripped away. I was standing right next to him but it happened so fast I had barely taken a step before his shirt was gone.
In both cases, the culprit was a long, hair thin chip in the lead screw that reached out and grabbed the bottom of their shirts. A good reason to ALWAYS make sure the lead screw is clear of chips before turning the machine on.

Safety is the main reason I prefer cnc. Though I have a friend who tried to polish a shaft doing 1000 rpm wearing a pair of those sticky orange gloves on a cnc. He's not a machinist anymore and lucky to be alive.

"Fear the lathe." That's what I tell any machining newbie in a shop I may be working in.

Why did I look at those pictures.

[The Blight]

Well, I took a look, and I have to say that it's quite disturbing. I never have my sleeves down when working with machines, and my shirt is tucked well down so that it wont catch onto anything. I got to admitt that I have long hair, but I have taken my precautions (tucked into the shirt and I have hairbands all the way down, but I'm still looking for a hat or cap I can wear to be safer). I will allways have great respect for lathes, and all other kinds of machines, and after seing this, I will never ever turn my attention away from the machine I'm working with.