Lathe accident, Tool organizer, bad idea.

[gus]

A good friend hurt himself very badly. He has many many years of experience as a machinist and gunsmith. He has a wonderfull shop.

The machine is a big Lablond, 15x56 or there abouts. He has a phase changer in the shop to run it.

He made a magnetic system to hold his lathe tool holders. It was located behind the lathe and above. He was making a cut and reached over the spindle to put a tool away. The work was rough enough to grab his sleeve. The work wound his arm up around it several times. It pulled his head down to the chuck and cut off part of his ear. Just then the circut breaker kicked off. If he had been running faster the inerta would have killed him. If running slower the torque would have killed him.

Finding himself alone and wrapped up in the machine he was able to kick the clutch petal and unwind himself. He was able to call 911 and get help.

He had several compound fractures of the bones in his arm and his hand was mangled. This thumb is ruined. The arm healed up pretty well. Modern medicine amazes me. He is still getting around and making lots of great projects and having fun.

Gads, It makes me queasy to write this.

LeBlonde Lathes.

I bought two LeBlonde Precision Lathes for the Singapore compressor plant.Proud to say were made in Singapore by LeBlonde Singapore. Leblonde Singapore Plant was later sold to Makino,Japan.They make CNC Machine Centres. FMS n FMC etc.
These were the best lathe I ever had. Will take very light cuts and gives good finishing basis the right cutter and feed rate and rpm.

 

[gus]

Way back in 1961,a school mate and later work mate had his index finger chopped while holding on to the chuck key while starting up the lathe. The trade school had a hard time convincing his parents and the Ministries for Education and Labour of no foul play or neglect etc.

Was a very painful accident.

 

[dawidk]

I am a newbie as far as machining goes. I am a IT guy with extensive volunteer emergency service experience. Getting older every year like all the members on the site. Age is a risk factor, you do not get away with what you used to 20 years ago. When you look at burns in elderly female patients especially they early morning cooking fire or night elderly ladies are not fast enough to pullout a burning petty coat especially with buttons rather use snaps. Males, you don't see young guys getting burned refueling a running lawn mower they can get their pants of fast enough.. Another member said safety is a continuous effort I have to agree with him 100%. Most people don't think it will happen to them That's you without the $20 fire extinguisher and no shop first aid kit.

Accidents happen in an instant and for everyone looking back it was a stupid idea does not imply that they are...

 

[tmostad]

I am new to machining but not new to being injured doing stuff less than the best possible way. I have been lucky more times than I can count. I have developed a theory hat has led me to a practice that has served me well. I believe that prior to most accidents that there was a warning, however small, something akin to a near miss. I now pay lose attention to ANYTHING that doesn't go quite the way I thought it would and step back, take a break and rethink the situation. I ask myself, am I tired? Do I have the right tool? (etc. , etc.) And if the near miss is serious, I walk away and leave it for another day. Yes, things need to get done but I have a "no hospital trips" policy these days and I find I even get fewer minor injuries using this approach.

 

[jack620]

...Grab the chuck key ( suspended by a counterweight above and left of the headstock).

I love this idea. I'm going to do it.

 

[robcas631]

Wow! I am very sorry to hear about your friend! When when I got my lathe I heeded the advice enclosed in the directions. Then I watched a few lathe videos regarding safety. I went so far as to remove my wedding ring and watch. I established good working habits. I may have a mini lathe but I respect it!

 

[kf2qd]

One rule for a lathe is don't be reaching over a moving chuck. I have worked with chicks with just the corner of a jaw hanging out. I know what they feel like when the chuck is not moving, I can only imagine waht they feel like when the chuck is moving...

 

[jack620]

I have worked with chicks with just the corner of a jaw hanging out.

Yeah, we have some strange looking women where I work too.

 

[metalmudler]

Thanks Scota4570,
Stories like that make my guts churn,but they do help reinforce safety,and so,should be told.One thing i recently overlooked was eye protection while grinding.I didnt know at the time,but i recieved a small fragment of mild steel in the eye,that was gritty feeling and i thought would just go away,it got worse and started rusting.So i had a weeping eye for about a month and several sessions at the eye specialist to get it ground out with a micro die grinder and a bit called an alger burr.I was lucky as it missed my pupil only just.It felt very uncomfortable..Remember to protect them eyes everyone.I have always wore prescription glasses,but got into a bad habit of looking over the top of the frames when working close.Now i have 'safety' glasses stationed at every piece of machinery in the shop.
I only started my mini lathe once when it was new with the chuck key still in the chuck.Now every chuck key in the shop has bright red tape wrapped all over them.It helps identify them on the bench or in the chuck.Since then i have never started the lathe with the key still in.

 

[rpervin]

A real good friend of mine decided to go into work early to get ahead of his day at the machine shop. Experienced guy, he was in his early 40s then, and he had been machining since he was in high school. Long sleeve shirt, wrapped up in the chuck of a BIG engine lathe. He wrapped his arm around the work three times before he could hit the safety stop. I have no idea how he got his arm out, I don't see how it was possible. Good news is that he survived, but man that arm was a mess, and it still is, but they saved it. I would love to meet the surgeon, but not on a professional basis. Use common sense with any of this stuff. I run a lathe that can swing a two foot part in the gap of the bed, and I stay respectful of it. I think about my buddy a lot when I run my lathe.

 

[bazmak]

As an apprentice many years ago same thing happened to a lad on the next machine.Single point screw cutting very slow speed
his sleeve caught on the faceplt drive dog.I have never heard a scream like it.Fortunately someone hit the safety switch quickly
but not before his arm went round 3 or 4 times,many broken bones and machine phobia afterwards.Its always there in my mind 50 yrs
later when reaching over a moving chuck BAZMAK

 

[gus]

As an apprentice many years ago same thing happened to a lad on the next machine.Single point screw cutting very slow speed
his sleeve caught on the faceplt drive dog.I have never heard a scream like it.Fortunately someone hit the safety switch quickly
but not before his arm went round 3 or 4 times,many broken bones and machine phobia afterwards.Its always there in my mind 50 yrs
later when reaching over a moving chuck BAZMAK

Hi Bazmak,
I am with you.
Here is my Preventive Measures.
See foto.
As of day one since 2004 when I started working on the home machineshop lathe,I made it a point all tools are placed nearby and not on the "reach over rack" where I store spray cans,'O' rings and springs.
The hot weather here is 'pro safety',I wear no long sleeve,I work topless,no tee shirt.No gloves. Tool holders are kept in the tray on the lathe gear box.All other essentials are racked in front of me within easy reach. I have seen finger chopped off.Another incident nearly chopped off. All these are bitter pills.
Same reason why I bought a Bandsaw instead of rotary saw.Both will cut my fingers but a bandsaw with very small teeth may not cut like lightning but a circular saw will cut my fingers like lightning.
Have no desire to depart with less than 10 fingers.

Take care. We machine for fun,no rush = = =no accidents.

Regards,

Gus

 

[narrowgauger]

Hey Gus

I can see about 10 serious safety problems in your photographs, including:

- container with toolholders on headstock: this tray can vibrate off at any moment distracting you whilst the machine is running;
- the work area is far too crowded for safe operation;
- power board in your work area; appliance socket could become partially dislodged from socket and swarf shorting / fire risk
- shelf above lathe; too many boxes stacked above each other; risk of falling whilst lathe in operation - distraction risk etc.

have fun
Bernard (certified OH&S officer)

 

[robcas631]

We are creatures of habit. As with any machine.... such as a car ect.....used unwisely = scared, hurt or worse. Thus we should design our shops accordingly.

 

[robcas631]

Rushing.....is not worth it! If you work like me, hours go by like minutes. Always stay caffinated! Despite the mundane stay focused.

 

[gus]

Hey Gus

I can see about 10 serious safety problems in your photographs, including:

- container with toolholders on headstock: this tray can vibrate off at any moment distracting you whilst the machine is running;
- the work area is far too crowded for safe operation;
- power board in your work area; appliance socket could become partially dislodged from socket and swarf shorting / fire risk
- shelf above lathe; too many boxes stacked above each other; risk of falling whilst lathe in operation - distraction risk etc.

have fun
Bernard (certified OH&S officer)

Hi Bernard,

Great to hear from a certified OSHA Officer. Nowadays all building construction sites in Singapore must have Certified Safety Officers to cut number of fatal injuries.All power tools must be inspected and signed off by a Licensed Electrician. Fine for every violation is S$100. Repeat offenders are banned from entering job site.
As for factories,it is in-house Safety Committee's job. Accident rate is very low.Sat in this committee and had a lot of fun.Usually over done or under done.New committee members are so "GungHo". Vets are so easy going.
I have 100 ton power presses running and no committee member had enough safety know-how.No worry.We use two hand operations with guard. For so many years to hand of finger injuries.

However I did have some "smart ideas" how to operate the lathes safely.

I have banned Sub-Contractors working in my Plant. So safety shoes,no safety goggles and safety belt. Tried using my abrasive cut-off saw w/o permission.
No worries.
1. Small machine,no heavy load no vibrations.
2.The power sockets power only one tool at any time.No overload. Metal
chips is a potential problem. Now being addressed.Thanks for spotting
this.
3.You are right the shelf has too many boxes. Housekeeping is about to be
done .Collected to many.
Gus is happily laid off 2001 with generous compensation.

Best Regards,

Gus.

Nice and hot today.:fan::fan::fan:

 

[rodw]

This thread has got me thinking. I also have a shelf over my lathe that predates the lathe purchase. Now I am upgrading to a bigger lathe, I thought I might tack a strip of timber along the front of the shelf to form a lip to stop stuff falling off into a spinning lathe. (that is if people don't mind me talking about woodwork on this forum!)

I had an experience where I stupidly tried to file a chamfer one handed and the chuck grabbed the file and broke it in half, flinging the pieces accross the shop. I was very pleased to be standing to the side of the chuck. I file with two hands now. The new machine has a safety cover over the chuck which will stay in place.....

I never realised how dangerous this stuff could be until reading this.

 

[jack620]

Rod,
I had a similar experience. After that I bought a proper Pferd brand lathe file. The teeth on the file are at a sharper angle and run in the opposite direction to a normal file. As a result the file wants to push away from the chuck. There are no teeth on the edges, so if it does contact the chuck it is less likely to grab. And it is 300mm long which keeps your hands further from the chuck. I highly recommend buying one.

http://www.pferdusa.com/products/201a/201a02/201a0207P.html

Chris

 

[rodw]

Rod,
I had a similar experience. After that I bought a proper Pferd brand lathe file. The teeth on the file are at a sharper angle and run in the opposite direction to a normal file. As a result the file wants to push away from the chuck. There are no teeth on the edges, so if it does contact the chuck it is less likely to grab. And it is 300mm long which keeps your hands further from the chuck. I highly recommend buying one.

http://www.pferdusa.com/products/201a/201a02/201a0207P.html

Chris

Thanks Chris, I'll keep it in mind.

 

[Lawijt]

Some years ago , I was working with a Dremel & a drill from 0.3mm. At one moment the drill was broken,so I take a other one.
After some hours my finger hurts a lot. In the hospital,the medic found the broken drill. Check the foto....