Definite Blunder

[RonW]

When I worked at RBC in Rhodesia we had, as a vacuum cleaner of sorts, a large centrifugal blower with a bag attached to the blower end and a hose on the suction end. Occasionally it was used as a source of compressed air to blow out dust from equipment. On this one occasion a tech was using it as a blower and he was wearing a tie. I heard the machine "stumble' and die followed by a gurgling sound and turning from my job noted the tech with the machine up against his chin and his face going blue. I always carry a pocket knife and in a short time I had hacked his tie to shreds and retrieved his breathing and the machine. His tie had been sucked into the inlet and wrapped around the impeller until it ran out of tie and attempted to pull his neck in. While he caught his breath and lamented over his tie I dumped the said machine into the garbage bin and wrote an addendum to the shop rules that hence forth not ties were permitted in the shop. We purchased a proper vacuous shortly after.

 

[Shopgeezer]

A friend who was a former Bristol Aerospace machinist recalls the emphasis on safety with clothing. No dangling sleeves, long hair, medalions on chains etc. What freaked him out was the insistance by a few of the older British guys on wearing ties. Just the thought of a tie wrapping around the chuck and pulling your face down in to the jaws gives me the willies.

 

[Kenny Broomfield]

Jennifer
You really need a Guardian Angel- or like me -three!
On my honeymoon, I changed the flight details for some reason and the previous booking -- flipped on its back on landing and burst into flames. Everyone was burnt in their seat belts.

Then rounding a hairpin bend in the French Alps in a December lunchtime, hit black ice and we - did an Italian Job with 5 somersaults into a frozen river . I broke a finger!

The I was boatbuilding alone in a November and power planing a part on a Myford planer and got my left hand in the works. I was alone, wrote a message in blood to my wife, wrapped my hand in a white dress shirt. and drove to A&E, changing gear with two fingers and ended up having more skin planed off by one of the protégées of Archie McIndo who was going next day to East Grinstead as consultant. East Grinstead was the home of the guinea pigs who had been damaged in the RAF in the war and got plastic surgery.

I'm now a VERY careful and caring person who thinks that I may have pushed my Guardian Angels to the limit of their patience. I recall that saying about eventually one's luck runs out.

So a Safe New Year to you all.

Norm

The really interesting point in these three is your results were progressively worse each time.

 

[Jennifer Edwards]

I think my guardian angel worked overtime on my case!

I do not know how I managed to avoid a serious industrial accident during my engineering days.

I guess I kept conscious of safety procedures, kept alert of my surroundings, and did not have lunches at the gin mill across the street ;-) well not too many...

 

[Dubi]

A friend who was a former Bristol Aerospace machinist recalls the emphasis on safety with clothing. No dangling sleeves, long hair, medalions on chains etc. What freaked him out was the insistance by a few of the older British guys on wearing ties. Just the thought of a tie wrapping around the chuck and pulling your face down in to the jaws gives me the willies.

I could not agree more with you because everything happens in a flash. I always remove my wrist watch and ring before using any machinery on our floor. I also threw out an overall that had gaping pockets on the front which could/did catch on the controls of the Colchester Triumph 200 lathe.

 

[KellisRJ]

Too many close calls with saws, push sticks are kept on my wide fence. I've done two things for my lathe:
1. Rigged a proximity switch where the chuck key hangs. Lathe won't run if the key isn't in the holder. I use a VFD so it was easy to wire it in the circuit.
2. There is a second stop switch by the door. At least if my GF comes to check on me and sees an emergency she can kill the power. I already have a foot switch for the mill once it gets finished.

 

[MrMetric]

KellisRJ....
That is a *really* good idea. I always find it amazing when you see pictures of people showing their work/shops/etc and you can see a chuck key sitting in the chuck, or a wrench on the drawbolt of a lathe. Eek. I've trained myself to never, if possible, take my hand off the things, but your solution is a really good backup.

 

[firstgear]

Good idea

 

[KellisRJ]

KellisRJ....
That is a *really* good idea. I always find it amazing when you see pictures of people showing their work/shops/etc and you can see a chuck key sitting in the chuck, or a wrench on the drawbolt of a lathe. Eek. I've trained myself to never, if possible, take my hand off the things, but your solution is a really good backup.

Thanks. I stay low profile because frankly I'm not building anything LOL. But I stumbled across a comment on the same topic and decided that it was something I really needed to do, and pass it on when the topic comes up on forums.

The key "hanger" is simply a plastic 2" X 4", "Handy (surface mount electrical) box" in the US, with a diagonal slot, the 1- 25mm proximity switch mounted on the inside top. The key slips down the slot shank down and is right above the belt guard on my Logan 10" 820. So after tightening the chuck the key is simply lifted up and into the box. It's really a very convenient place to keep it. If I ever change the box my VFD controls are I may put the handy box right below the start button, but on the other hand straight up out of the chuck works really well. So for me a <$10 USD, assuming you have a VFD with a closed loop stop circuit, investment keeps me from getting stupid.

Ron

 

[Rod Cole]

I can tell you that if your tool-post grinder doesn't have a belt guard, you for sure need to remember to use a hair tie, or else don't try to get a close look at your work. Almost broke my glasses that time when my forehead hit the motor on the grinder~

 

[KellisRJ]

No, it's the lathe belt with a cover/guard over it. A Logan lathe belt guard tightens the belt when lowered. So the lathe won't run if the guard is up.

 

[olympic]

I have placed a 1"x2" rectangular magnet on the belt guard of my Logan lathe, and I just lay the chuck key up against it. Quick, convenient, and secure.

 

[Charles Lamont]

What freaked him out was the insistance by a few of the older British guys on wearing ties.

As an 'office' engineer, I very quickly learned to tuck my tie inside my shirt as a virtually automatic action whenever I walked onto any shop floor, occasionally creating an impression on other less well trained 'suits'.

 

[rmd55]

My dad was an electrical engineer and taught me shop safety from as far back as I can remember. He work at RCA in the 40's designing TV transmitters. In the lab no watches or rings could be worn dad always carried a pocket watch. One day an engineer left his wedding ring on and even though he was wearing proper gloves he was killed from the high voltage through his ring. In the 70's dad worked in a paper mill and was REQUIRED to wear a tie even though his job took him out in the plant. He worn a clip-on bow tie to meet the requirement. Electricians coming on shift would ask if the power was off to a piece of equipment. His answer was always the same. "It's supposed to be but you better check." One day the power that was suppose to be off was on on a 1800 V motor they were about to work on. I made a few dumb mistakes growing up using hand tools but have never had a serious accident in the shop. The older I get the more I think of safety and the lessons my dad taught me.
Richard

 

[mcostello]

Place I worked at had a big sign on the door"this room has 5 sources of power." One time they found out the hard way it had 6.

 

[Pufango]

Hello don’t understand ? Best regards Tony Wright pufango!

 

[SirJohn]

The rule in my shop is that sweaters are not allowed around rotating machinery. Just imagine the out come if your sweater gets caught in a rotating shaft or chuck?

 

[goldstar31]

Until 1943, the Royal Air Force ground crews- in the Battle of Britain and whatever, wore collars and ties and thereafter could wear either could continue to wear service uniform from pre-War but ' battle dress' replaced them from that date. However, ties were alway worn long after the end of WW2. In 1948, I was issued with a dress service uniform and a Royal Observer Corps battle dress- but with '***** hawks' on the sleeves. I continued to wear Leading Aircraftsman twin blades propellors and these were replaced with corporals chevrons. I recall that in October 1949, I wore knaki denim battle dress but still with collar and tie whilst disposing of sweating ex WW2 ammunition.

Did anyone on my operational Squadron get injured? Yes, three of them were burned to death but NOT from wearing ties.
I do recall once 'borrowing' a tropical flying overall- but I still wore my collar and tie, with a Mae West lifejacket and parachute backpack.

The real World- for some of us!

Per Ardua Asbestos, Nil Illigitimi Carborundum and sic blether

Norm

 

[john_reese]

A few years ago a damned fool posted pictures. He had left the key in his lathe chuck. He put it through the windshield of his Porsche.

Look at any of the photos of a machine shop from the early 20th century. Many of the workers were actually wearing suits, including vest and necktie. Machines were poorly guarded and there were open belts everywhere. Scary.

 

[Brian Hutchings]

It's not just lathes and millers! I once worked for a company who made, amongst other things, pressed steel radiators of the kind you might have in you home.
They were pressed in 2 halves and the outsides were guillotined to size to remove distortion from the pressing. Each half was about 3/4" thick and the pressure plate on the guillotine was adjusted to suit, fortunately for me.
One day I needed to cut a piece of metal for a personal job so at lunchtime, I got my piece of metal and went to cut it to size. I had to get my fingers close to the blade for the size I wanted and pressed the operating pedal. The pressure plate cam down and just touch the backs of my fingers before retracting and I really did break out in a cold sweat in the knowledge that I could have lost all the fingers on both hands if the machine had been set up for any other job.
I've just read about the switch that does not allow the lathe to operate if the chuck key is not hanging from it, excellent idea, many thanks.
Brian