Unsafe class at Rokler

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RonSchmitt

RonSchmitt

Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2006
Messages
544
Location
Milwaukee, Wi, USA.
Went to Rockler today and they were having a class on turning bottle stoppers. 2 students were turning at the stations along with the instructor. No face shields, goggles, or safety glasses anywhere in sight.
Seems to me safety should be the FIRST thing taught at these classes.
 
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Hate to see that. Folks being taught the wrong methods and practices.
Did you say anything?
I would have tried to pull someone aside and say something so they could go back and mention it to the instructor.
 
I wear good safety glasses while turning. I've never had a chunk big enough to do any damage fly off and hit me. What's the worst that can happen? (not a rhetorical question, I really wanna know if I need to buy a face shield). I do wear a heavy dust mask.

I turn enough 'Worthless Wood' with weird defects and stuff in it, but I've never been aware that I needed a face shield?

Do you ever have problems with them steaming up while you breathe in them?
 
I just wear a face shield because I think it breathes better than glasses... which I have to wear anyway to see close up. :D Keeps them from getting scratched up and other crud on them too. The face shield is really easy to clean with Novus too!!
 
You have a pretty face Karl. Anything can fly at you and hit you in the face leaving scars. It's not uncommon for things to fly; why worry or kick yourself afterwards. Since my safety glasses are bi-focal I often end up wearing both glasses and bio-shield as some woods....well I sort of know if I have a wood that might breakup and fly so I grab the bio-shield as well.
 
Originally posted by karlkuehn

I wear good safety glasses while turning. I've never had a chunk big enough to do any damage fly off and hit me. What's the worst that can happen? (not a rhetorical question, I really wanna know if I need to buy a face shield). I do wear a heavy dust mask.

I turn enough 'Worthless Wood' with weird defects and stuff in it, but I've never been aware that I needed a face shield?

Do you ever have problems with them steaming up while you breathe in them?
Click to expand...

Karl,

While turning pens, I usually just use goggles. When turning bigger projects, I always use a faceshield. HarborFreight have some nice faceshields for a good price.

No problem with fogging/steaming in my case.
 
I got a good knot in the forehead from a flying bottle stopper, scared the heck out of me. I now wear a face shield I got from HD for about 15 bucks or so.
 
Originally posted by karlkuehn

I wear good safety glasses while turning. I've never had a chunk big enough to do any damage fly off and hit me. What's the worst that can happen? (not a rhetorical question, I really wanna know if I need to buy a face shield). I do wear a heavy dust mask.

I turn enough 'Worthless Wood' with weird defects and stuff in it, but I've never been aware that I needed a face shield?

Do you ever have problems with them steaming up while you breathe in them?
Click to expand...

I just bought a new face shield.

I wish I still had the old one. I would send you a picture. Just before Christmas, I have a 4" piece of hickroy blow out and hit what would have been between my eyes. It broke my shield, but not my face.

I wear safety glasses whenever I am in the shop, regardless of the activity. I will not turn between centers or with a chuck, without a face shield.
 
Originally posted by karlkuehn

What's the worst that can happen?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't know where to start [B)] But plenty can happen.
I'm sure most people here have battle scares to prove it.

The face shield comes out on anything bigger than a bottle stopper.
 
I wear the shield when roughing out anything, even a pen. Sounds silly maybe, and mostly on the pens I do so because I don't like all the lil' bits hitting my face (bad enough having them down my shirt, shoes and socks etc.) but if those lil' bits can fly so can anything big. I do take it off when I get down to the finer work and use glasses at that point. I don't do any work out there without at least glasses. I have seen way too many accidents to even think about taking the risk. Not all accidents are things that fly of course, but you should take all precautions that you can.

As for Rockler, I have never seen a class at our local store that allowed anyone in the shop w/o proper safety gear. I agree with earlier posts, I would have said something I think. JMHO.

[:X] Mrs.
 
I was a guest at a woodturning club meeting and listened to a report on a member who had lost an eye, crushed check bone and eye socket plus numerous cuts and bruises caused when a bowl blank came off the lathe. Like other comments, I use a face shield for all turnings except pens. Besides, I can see better when the shavings are not raining into my face.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Originally posted by karlkuehn

What's the worst that can happen?
Click to expand...
 
I was polishing a pen with the three stage buffing wheel on my lathe last week when a wheel caught the edge of the blank. It ripped it out of my hand and slammed it down on my worktable and it ricocheted out the garage door 75 feet across the street. Totally destroyed the blank. I'm just glad it didn't take a bad bounce and smack me in the face.
 
Originally posted by rlharding

You have a pretty face Karl. Anything can fly at you and hit you in the face leaving scars. It's not uncommon for things to fly; why worry or kick yourself afterwards. Since my safety glasses are bi-focal I often end up wearing both glasses and bio-shield as some woods....well I sort of know if I have a wood that might breakup and fly so I grab the bio-shield as well.
Click to expand...

I know, I'm like a chick-magnet[:p], so I probably need to get a shield. I do spend a good bit of time picking chips out of my shirt. I swear, no matter what I'm wearing, they all seem to like to fly up and fall into my collar. I'm just concerned that I'll end up fogging the whole face sheild up with sweat and condensated breath.

Thanks for the info, though guys! I would imagine that an airborne bowl blank would do a number on my glasses, let alone my fancy mug. heh..[^]

I was amazed at the distance I got from the stopper that hooked and grabbed on my buffing wheel, but that amazement was outweighed by my distress at what what happening to the finish when it bounced off the fridge 40 feet away...priorities, you know? [:p]
 
If you have the funds I would suggest getting one of the Air shields like the trend Airshield. It gives you the protection for your face but it also helps the lungs. I used to wear goggles and an airfilter ( those rubber ones with the cartridge) Still had brown snot(if you will pardon the expression) I bought the airshield. It keeps my face safe and air clear and the blowthrough stops it fogging up.. I dont turn or sand without it these days
 
I have a Bois d'Arc (osage orange for non-Texans ;)) blank with half of a drill bit stuck in it as a reminder to wear good protection. I was drilling the blank on the lathe a few years ago when the drill got too hot, grabbed the wood and broke in two. I didn't see the blank half whizzing past my head at 150+ miles per hour, but I heard it when it smashed into the shelf on the wall 12 feet behind me! The sight of the sharp drill bit end sticking out the broken blank was humbling!

On a related note, I went out the next day and purchased a grinder, shield and better drill bits.
 
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