painful mistake for my own nose....funny accident add ur own

[curtis rosche]

today i was turning a log of maple it was a 3way crotch with burl on it dry for 7 years i had it all roughed and was finishing the outside shaping and smothing useing a spur........the peice is 26inches long becuase of the ends i had to turn down because of cracks.........it is 13in across had a little bit of spalting and some wavyness to it..... i was parting the end offf to put on a face plate and all the sudden in the blinck on an eye i saw the tail stock come loose the wood woble as i reached to turn it off the peice hit the tool rest and all 15 lbs of it hit me in the nose straight on not a scratch on the saftery glasses or my face just my nose......hurt like crazyy the school nurse thought i had broken it and for somereason made me go home....


any one else got a funny story?

[TYLER WOOD]

none that I want to admit to being too stupid to prevent!:rolleyes::D

[Brian Brown]

When I started turning, I took a class at a local hardware store. We had to sign releases, and promise to wear safety glasses. I don't like safety glasses because they always fog on me. I am already so "looks challenged" from birth, that I wanted to wear a full face shield, to keep from getting any uglier (missing teeth and a crooked nose don't help in the looks department). I wanted to wear a full face shield, and the instructor agreed. He loaded up a turning square between centers, and as I tried to tell him that the tailstock was not tight, he turned the lathe on. :eek: The wood flew out of the lathe, and hit me right in the face. It knocked the face shield off my head, and sent it ricochetting off various tools and walls of the shop. It took a chunk out of the face shield, and left my face scratched and bleeding (just a bit). :mad: With out the shield, I probably would have had a broken jaw and missing teeth. With the shield, I just had a sore nose and chin for a few days. :o Always wear a full face shield; there is more to protect than your eyes. Not to mention that is is much cheaper than an emergency trip to the dentist! :eek:

[curtis rosche]

the tail stock was tight witch is what scared me because i had been turning for 15 min before it happened i was only wearing saftey glasses not a face sheild oh well

[Reed Gray]

A buddy of mine was over using my lathe (he gets it when my Robust gets here), and I was watching the TV when he came in the house mumbling some thing, which turned out to be I hurt myself. We still are not sure what happened. He was turning a deep bowl and was using a small scraper on the bottom. He did have a deep catch. Something hit him in the jaw between teeth and chin. I figure the handle came up and hit him there, he thinks the blade may have sprung up off the tool rest and hit him, and he says he remembers having a hold on the scraper handle. Apparently it didn't happen while he was turning, it happened either while taking the scraper off the tool rest, or putting it on to cut, and the tool contacted the wood without it being on the rest first. I have learned the hard way (not as hard as he did) that you keep an eye on the tool the whole time it is near the wood, paying vert strict attention to it. Kind of like driving a car, awareness is multi tasking. I have had a couple of times where I was removing the tool and had some contact with the spinning wood. He was able to save the bowl.
robo hippy

[curtis rosche]

i finaly got a picture of the peice that hit me

[Ben Gastfriend]

Yikes! I remember just a couple months ago, when I was new-er than I am now to turning, I tried to turn a bowl with a big-old roughing gouge. It's a good thing I got it on clearance, because I wasn't that upset when I caught and snapped in half.... yes... the metal part. I was looking for a new one at CSUSA, and I saw the little notices under "Rouging Gouges-". It said "not for use on bowls". Ha! So I got a new one, and I won't make that mistake again, and a highly reccomend NOT using a roughing gouge on a bowl! It is dangerous and not cost effective. Especially if you are using something like a Sorby or a Taylor!

[Steve Kubien]

Not a story but a question... Why would any of us turn anything of any size without a face shield? Sorry, I don't mean to be antagonistic or a smart-ass or anything like that. This is just something I can never comprehend.

Let's be careful out there

Steve Kubien
Ajax, Ontario

[Reed Gray]

That piece was being turned end grain, or with the grain running parallel to the lathe. It should have been in a chuck. Nails, screws or other fasteners have to go cross the grain to get a good hold. When running along with the grain, they will pull out. Some times you can get away with it if you toe nail (come in at an angle with your nails instead of straight up and down), but I would still consider it risky.
robo hippy

[robert hainstock]

Sure glad I never did nothin like that there! :eek:
Bob
I do know turners who WILL turn without a faceshield setting right by the lathe. Go figure.

[Bernie Weishapl]

When the neighbor was turning a piece of end grain without a chuck using a faceplate with screws. Well it let go. He took one in the face and was wearing his correction safety glass. 8 stitches in his check, 4 in his upper lip and a black eye. I swore from that day I would never turn without a full face mask or end grain without a chuck. By the way he figured it was time so bought a Trend and a SN2 chuck. He laughed when he told me that they were cheaper than the emergency room.

[Brian Poor]

The person running your shop class should order a few face shields for the woodturners.

I know it's a hassle, but while you are starting out, you should be taught to develop a few good habits.

I am glad you didn't get hurt worse. Are you being supervised while in class?

[Brian McInturff]

I've been pretty lucky so far. Most pieces just whiz by me. Maybe I should join a pro Dodge Ball team:D.
I turn without a face shield. Same as I ride a motorcycle without a Helmet. Since my eyes aren't the best a face shield I feel has a better chance at Causing an accident than preventing one. I do tell the wife to keep an occasion look out to the shop to make sure I'm still alive when I'm out there.
The Motorcycle? I rely on my hearing a lot when I'm riding. With a helmet you can't hear that car that's right on your tail or right in the mirror blindspot. My state doesn't require them yet either.

[curtis rosche]

yeah we actualy have 5 or 6 face sheilds and yes there is a teacher in there but we only wear the face sheild if we are roughing or the teacher thinks its going to explode, the sheilds are really scratched up i normaly wear a sheild for some things but i was figuring on doin the end quick and then goin on to something else

[George Guadiane]

When I first stared, I had a Delta Midi (I liked it fine). I was turning a fairly small open walnut vase with a bark inclusion top to bottom (I CLEARLY had no business even trying this particular piece of wood.
I was making the usual "last cut" when the dat da da DAAahhhh "WALNUT AVENGER" sprang to life, exploding in my face... This was the day before I got my face shield... I WAS wearing glasses, they saved my eye.
I went upstairs holding a red folded paper towel saying "Remember, the face bleeds more than any other part of the body."
My wife taped me up, but I still have the scar, and ALWAYS wear a face shield in my own shop.

The other one is longer, but probably more important:

Two weeks ago I was visiting a friend (nameless fellow Creeker) who also has a PM3520. We were making a bowl.
I mused to myself (as he took off and pocketed his wedding band) do you think he's being a little TOO careful??? - Mine was already in my pocket.
Fast forward to where I blew up a piece that needed the bottom turned off - no damage, but I SHOULD have known THEN to get my brain on straight.

So, we're turning this bowl and I'm working on it, near the bottom so I asked if he had a scraper... He had one, I turned the lathe on and went into it to clean up the bottom.
The following were things I SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE:

I almost always use my 12 inch tool rest, even on small work, it's just what I'm used to, I should NOT have used the 6 inch rest he had mounted, it left me too close to the edge of the bowl and too far over the toolrest for my comfort - but I did it.
I should not have had the rest so close to the rim of the bowl
The scraper was ground with a different radius and at a steeper angle than I use... I diddled with it till it started to cut. I should not have used an unfamiliar tool on a rest I was not comfortable with, I had no room for error.The ONLY reason I didn't have my wedding band on is because my finger is too big for it (that's another long and funny story).

When the scraper caught, it was BIG. The catch pulled my hand down between the spinning bowl and the too close tool rest (notice that I am still typing).
I jerked my hand back, blood flying everywhere. I wiggled my fingers, everything worked...
On reflection, if I had had my wedding band on, I would probably have either stripped the flesh off my finger or ripped it right off.
I ran cold water on the hand, got the bleeding under control and took a first look...
There were two small but DEEP cuts and lots of road rash.
No stitches or infection, mild discomfort, some bruising and total dexterity.
I have been turning for the last three days, like nothing ever happened.

Arrogance is dangerous, courtesy to your own detriment is dangerous.
I will remember this event and be humbled and grateful. I will be much more careful, and I will ask to change the tool rest or move it or change tools or whatever it takes to best insure my safety in the future.
The "discolored" part is just PhotoShoped, it shows where the most damage occurred.

[curtis rosche]

ouch i had 2 other accidents but they were similar to that i had been sanding without moving the tool rest and my thumb got pinched and it took it past the skin but the flap stayed on ....so ducktaped it and kept going after moing the tool rest....
also had a parting tool ketch and pull under neith the peice pulling my fingerwith it shearing the skin on the side of my finger once again just taped the flap on and finished it........but both of them stung ike crazy when i got sweat in them during wrestling practice only 20min later

[Bonnie Campbell]

Sounds to me like the teacher needs to go back to school for safety training. If face shields are in that bad of a condition, each student should buy and bring their own. Cheaper price on a shield runs about $10. Or the school should figure out how much a lawsuit will cost and stock up on the replacement shields.

[curtis rosche]

calm down guys i couldve worn one but i didnt want to and if i did it wouldnt have made a difference with the size of the peice it wouldve broken and face sheild except for a welding helmet

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Curtis,

You should have worn one.

If you are in school, it's your teacher's responsibility to insure you are taught safety when it comes to operating woodworking equipment.

In the end, if you had been seriously injured, the school would have been held legally liable. It only takes one severe accident and a school's shop program could be shut down forever.

A number of adults here can show you photos and prove that not operating equipment properly can be catastrophic....missing fingers.....scars....etc.

While turning is fun, it is inherently dangerous. Only you can reduce the exposure to danger. In the case of the student, the teacher should insist that you wear a face shield and if you, as a student, are supposed to be wearing one, you should wear it. There are no excuses for being unsafe.

Nobody here is being rude or arrogant, just concerned about your well being and the future of disappearing woodworking shop programs across this nation.

[curtis rosche]

ok i will wear one in the future

[curtis rosche]

i was pretty lucky though had i not been standing sideways looking at the wood for a moment it woulda hit me straight on and shattered my nose

[Bill Wyko]

I'd wear safty glasses if I had them. That's why I only have a face shield.:D

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Ever hear of a FACE SHIELD? Bet you have now.

I do feel for you, really. That is why I tell ALL my new students to invest in one. It would have been just scarry.

That is one BIG Chunk of Whip wood. Glad you're able to joke about it.

Bruce

[Dick Strauss]

Curtis,
Even if you don't look cool wearing a shield, I'd suggest wearing it if you care about your health. A friend almost lost an eye in a similar situation.

If the school shields have scratches and you have a buffer, you may be able to clean up a few for your use.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=77201

I agree with Ken...If I were your teacher I'd tell students "you don't work with power tools unless you are wearing a face shield."


Be safe,
Dick

[curtis rosche]

ok i will use a face sheild from now on

[Scott Lux]

Call me paranoid, but I wear my face shield whenever I'm using ANY power tool. Well, that's an exaggeration. I sometimes don't when I'm using my cordless drill. I'm just a big chicken.

[Dick Strauss]

Scott,
IMO it's better to be a sighted chicken than a blind brave soul.