Do you wear a face shield?

[Dario Octaviano]

Depends on what I am turning and what I am doing.

I wear glasses and it is mostly sufficient when turning pens so I don't wear faceshield.

When turning bigger pieces like bowls....I always do.

[Ernie Nyvall]

Pretty much always since I got a Trend airshield... even with pens because of the sanding dust. I now come out of the shop with a clear nose. The sometimes I don't is when I am turning at about 10 rpms and sanding some oil finish on.

Ernie

[Brad Schmid]

I wear AS400 always. It's hot in my un-airconditioned shop and I wear it as much for cooling as protection.

[Bill Grumbine]

I voted sometimes, but that is only because I do not wear it when I am teaching or demonstrating and I have to talk. Even then, I will often wear it and shout through it or take it off to make a point verbally. I have had my face saved enough times by my face shield that I am very uncomfortable with it off my head when wood is spinning on the lathe.

A cheap face shield is a whole lot better than expensive reconstructive dentistry or surgery, and a respirator is even better. Back in the old days woodworkers died of various cancers of the respiratory system at higher rates than the normal population. Don't ask me for a statistic on that, but I remember reading it in one of the magazines. I don't want to be in that group either.

Bill

[Mark Pruitt]

I was having problems with dust building up and fogging also so i got a dryer sheet (Bounce) and rubbed it on the inside and out and I haven't had any problems since.

That's interesting. I wonder what it is about the Bounce sheet that makes the face shield resistant to fogging?

[Don Baer]

That's interesting. I wonder what it is about the Bounce sheet that makes the face shield resistant to fogging?

I've sprayed fabric softnew on carpet to cut down on static electricity. I emagine that it's the same thing.

[Joe Fisher]

Always. Always always always.

A few weeks ago I was turning a bottle stopper from a 2" cube of ash on my Jet Mini. Apparently there was a check that I couldn't see from the outside, because a few minutes into turning a dagger-like chunk of ash rocketed off the lathe and hit me square between the eyes.

And bounced off my faceshield and across the shop.

So even the little stuff can be dangerous. Had I just been wearing safety glasses, I would have a very nasty forehead gash to show for it, at best. At worst, it would have glanced off the bridge of my nose and under the glasses.

-Joe

[Joe Fisher]

I've sprayed fabric softnew on carpet to cut down on static electricity. I emagine that it's the same thing.

That's exactly it. Keeps your socks from sticking to your sweaters, and your dust from sticking to your faceshield

-Joe

[Henry C. Gernhardt, III]

I voted never, and the only reason is because at current I don't own a full face shield. I will say, however, that I don't use safety glasses, I use safety goggles. These are the types of things you will often see in chemistry labs and other areas where various and sundry nasty liquids and/or solids may have a nasty tendency to spray/splash up towards the face. They fully enclose the area around the eyes, however offer no protection to forehead, mouth, jaw, etc.

Yes, they do tend to fog up, but when that happens I shut down the lathe and reach for my handy roll of paper towels (no shop should be without them, IMHO). This gives me a chance to not only clear the fog, but to wipe the perspiration from my face, as my shop is not environmentally controlled (it's an 8x12 "garden shed").

Will I eventually get a full face shield? I'm sure that's going to happen, however the question is will I go ahead and buy one sooner, or wait until I have the cash reserves to get an Airshield or similar. In any case, the safety goggles offer sufficient protection for the type of work I'm doing. YMMV, of course.

[sascha gast]

Always, I use a hard hat with a faceshield attachment when roughing since I often turn the bark off those chunks of NIP, after that, I wear a regular face shield.

that and wearing my turners smock have kept me safe and clean.

[Rich Stewart]

My sister had sent me a couple turners magazines she found in a flea market in Washington. In one was a picture of a guy that got hit in the face when a bowl blank exploded. Looked like he got the short end of the stick in a bar room brawl. Two black eyes, fat lip, black and white photo but you could tell there was lots of coloration going on. He now wears a catchers mask. One of them old timey wire face catchers facemasks.

You know the difference between a bar room and an elephant fart?
A bar room is a bar room and an elephant fart is a BARROOM!

Oops, slipped out.

Get a mask Henry.

[Jeff Moffett]

Well, the poll has over 100 votes and the results are clear: over 90% of you wear a face shield as least some of the time. When I originally posted the question, I was really expecting to see a higher percentage of "never" votes. I've only been turning for a year and a half, and during that time I've watched as many turners as possible. I've observed them at woodworking shows, symposiums, local club and Woodcraft demonstrations, neighbors' shops, videos, etc. I would estimate that only about 10% of the woodturners I have observed have worn a face shield, which is the exact opposite of the poll results! Bill Grumbine addressed this discrepancy in his post. Teachers and presenters generally don't wear face shields because it's too hard to talk to the audience. I guess I can buy that, but it almost gives the impression, to me anyway, that once you get good enough, you no longer need protection. (BTW, Bill does wear one in his video.)

Personally, I have been a "sometimes" guy, wearing a face shield for bats and bowls, but tossing it aside for pens and small stuff. Based on the responses, I'm considering a Trend Airshield and joining the "always" team, so this thread is gonna cost me (and possibly "save" me).

Thanks for all the feedback!<O</O

[Vaughn McMillan]

...
Will I eventually get a full face shield? I'm sure that's going to happen, however the question is will I go ahead and buy one sooner, or wait until I have the cash reserves to get an Airshield or similar...

You can get a no-frills face shield for less than $20. It really does provide more protection than just the goggles, and the price of admission is cheap. I bought my face shield for weed whacking (got tired of getting hit in the face with BB-sized rocks and picking dirt and vegetable matter out of my mouth), but if I didn't already have it when I got my lathe, I would have picked one up at the same time I bought my first chisels.

- Vaughn

[Dale Thompson]

Hey Folks,
As with a lot of folks here, I'm a "tweener" also. On the other hand, I NEVER turn on the grinder without FULL face protection. Those things are scary and I'm SOOOOO pretty!

Dale T.

[Richard Jones]

What Ernie Nyvall said..................exactly...........

Rich