Ok, this is something I've been thinking about since I read of the first turning accident years ago.

In another thread Curt talks about flying turnings breaking 3/4" MDF shelves and denting refrigerators 15' away. In my own experience the bowl came off the lathe and flew all the way across the garage and hit my bench and then rolled another 10-15 feet before it came to a stop.

Everyone is quick to say "get a face shield", and I have and everyone should, without a doubt. But that is only a small part of your body that needs protection.

What about chest protection? Any piece of heavy, fast moving wood like those described above would cave in your chest pretty easily. And it doesn't even need to break any bones to kill you: there have been baseball players and basketball players who've had their hearts stopped by a hit to the chest in just the right place and just the wrong time. They lived because there were people around watching them that came to there rescue.

Does anyone protect their chest? Motocross chest protector? Umpire's gear? Keeping your cage on your lathe and actually using it??

I'm not too shy to say that I truly feared for my life when I was turning that manzanita bowl a while ago. And that is when I really started thinking about this.

Thoughts?