Dodged one bullet but another one hit my finger

[Hilel Salomon]

I thought I'd post two recent incidents in the hopes that it might serve as warnings or provide laughs at my lack of intelligence.
The good news:
The lights in my house were occasionally flickering and my not-so-old microwave was underheating things. Also, my PM 3520B was-every so often-acting funny. Called the local utilities after about a week of being dilatory and they sent someone over Right Away!! I was told that the neutral to my box had slipped off and that I was lucky nothing had burned out and created a fire. Partly, the luck was due-according to him-to the fact that the older houses had a really good ground. Now, my PM is working fine and the microwave oven is also fine. Whew!!! Lesson-don't delay if the house or shop's electricity is acting up.

The not so good news:

Now that my lathe was working fine, I decided to try something different and turn a bowl with a kind of halter/umbrella hanging over. In trying to turn the underside, I hit a catch and the gouge came down on my hand which was over the rest, splitting a finger and causing considerable pain. I won't be trying any sharp little underside curves outside of spindle work. Too dangerous for a mediocre turner like me. I will finish it off and post a picture, since my description of this is shaky.

Regards All,
Hilel.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Hilel - glad to hear of your good sense when it came to the electrical problem! Most folks would wait until something major happened! Glad you caught it in time and before anything burnt up in the process!

Sorry to hear about your finger! Catches happen to everyone - especially when trying out new forms. Just means you need to spend more time on your lathe! Hope your finger heals quickly!

Looking forward to the photo of your work!

[Peter Luch]

That is why I started wearing a glove on my left hand. Had a catch and it ripped some skin off, glove gives you a little protection.

Aloha, Pete

[Reed Gray]

If I am trying some thing new, I always turn the speed down, and take smaller bites. I also try to keep fingers behind the tool rest, and am now with my bowl turning keeping hands away from the tool rest rather than on it. Some thing I saw Stewart Batty do, and I have been using it. You feel the wood rather than the tool rest if that makes any sense. Heal up quickly.

robo hippy

[Derek Voigt]

I'm a novice turner when it comes to bowls. But I'm trying to understand how a catch pulls the tool into your hand. Do you have your finger between the tool and the tool rest?

I can use all the tips I can when it comes to bowl turning.

Thanks,
-D

[Hilel Salomon]

Thanks all for your good wishes.
Derek, I had my left hand behind the rest, clear of the piece, pushing down the gouge to steady it on the rest. The catch actually drove the gouge down pushing my finger onto the side of the rest. The force drove the rest post down on the banjo. I never extend my hand beyond the rest, but my experience with catches has never been pleasant.
The advice about doing this kind of a manuever at slow speed and gently is good. I haven't yet done so, but I have a sneaky suspicion that my finger will need stitches. I won't tell you which finger, but suffice it to say that I won't be able to drive a cab in NY, LA or Chicago for a while.
Regards All,

Hilel.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Hilel glad the electricity is fixed. Now go get your finger checked and fixed. I am like Reed and generally slow the speed down some and take light cuts when trying a new piece. Glad you are ok.

[alex carey]

Glad to hear you came out of this with no serious injury. Turning is serious work and definitely dangerous. Thanks for the safety reminder.

[Jeff Willard]

Some thing I saw Stewart Batty do,...


IIRC, it was Stew's dad, Alan, that nearly lost a finger at a demo, in a similar incident a few years back.