Safety Reminder: Always wear a faceshield.

[Don Fuss]

I had a pretty good scare a few minutes ago. I had just finished hollowing out a simple cedar bowl, and decided to go back and take one more super light scraping pass on the outside to smooth it before I finished shaping the bottom. I just barely touched the side when it exploded and a piece flew back and hit me square in the middle of my face shield with enough force to knock me back a step. I don't want to think about what would have happened if I hadn't been wearing it.

I've had several pieces detach from my lathe in the past two years. Every single one until now has resulted in a somewhat gentle drop onto the lathe bed with no cause for concern. This is the first time I've experienced any real chance for injury.

I only posted this for those who are like me that sometimes just wear safety glasses on simple, seemingly safe turnings. I always wear it for roughing, shaping, and hollowing, but sometimes sanding and light scraping I don't so I get better visibility. Not anymore, it's not worth it. Every time my lathe turns on, my face shield will be there. I urge you to do the same.

[Curt Fuller]

Not only is the faceshield a good rule, but cedar is notorious for cracking as you turn it. I've had about the same thing happen a few times with red cedar. Everything is going along just fine and then it just flies apart.

[Ron Journeau]

Seems like April is a dangerous month for turners, must be the seasonal heebiejeebies. I lucked out last week, got away with just a broken set of glasses, a swollen nose, and some biological floor sealer leaking from my nose, and all this with a shield. Ordered a Triton the next day, should be here this week. Keep those shield on, people, before you have to swap out your avatar for a new one!!:)

[Keith Burns]

Glad you were not hurt Don. You learned a valuable lesson the good way, without a broken nose. Thanks for the reminder.

[Mark Pruitt]

Wow, Don. Must be something in the water around here. (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=574406#post574406) :mad: I think it's time to develop a centrifugal force counter-reactor.:rolleyes:

Seriously, point taken. I hate that face shield but it's a necessary evil. Better than a trip to the ER for sure!

[Matt Haus]

Same thing happened to me. I wanted to take a light scraper cut and pow, I saw lightening and I got hit in the forehead. I had on the face shield and still got a shiner. Had I not had one on, It would probably been the ER. I think I might of had the lathe going too fast too. Lesson learned.

[Mike Vickery]

If it is bigger then a pen, my face shield goes on any time the lathe goes on.
I know someone will say I should use it for pens to, but to me the pen blanks just does not seem to have enough mass to hurt anything but my eye's and the safety glasses should take care of them.

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Don, glad to hear you are ok! Just a point to remember, not only wear it while turning, but other times as well A wire from my whire wheel embedded in my cheek taught me that last year. Now I wear mine when doing almost any power tool job.:)

[Tony De Masi]

Don, I'm glad as well to learn of no major injuries to you. I also had one blow up on me over the last weekend and took a chunk square in the faceshield of my Triton. I implore everyone to wear some type of face protection but with the reminder that just wearing a shield is no substitute for overall mental preparation when applying sharp tools to spinning wood.

Tony

[Brett Baldwin]

I had my first major launch this past weekend too. I now know what those vague little cracking sounds mean. I heard them and I was wondering "what the heck is making that noise" when the tenon snapped and the bowl went sailing into the wall. Luckily I was just starting to hollow and was completely out of the way.