# The bowl that bit back



## johnny.t. (14 Jul 2009)

Not such a good day today.

Started off with a nice looking peice of Ash, cut it roundish popped it on the lathe,started working on it then bang, it broke at an unseen weak point.






I became aware of this as the bit on the right hit me in the head(I weighed it later, 1.5kg). 1.5kg of ash leaving a lathe rotating at around 10 times per second moves quite fast :shock: 
I remember thinking "this ain't going to be good" then the blood started to pour out, oops. I left a nice trail of blood all the way into the house, where my wife was, who totally freaked out, I pushed a wet towel against my head for a few minutes then checked the damage in the mirror, oh dear, a hole all the way through the skin of my forehead about an inch and a half long right down to my thick skull :roll: 
Next off to A&E where they patched me up with stick on stitches to hold it together and make the scar smaller.






The moral of the story here is safety glasses aren't really up to the job. I shall be purchasing some full face protection.

I have a headache  

JT


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## Bodrighy (14 Jul 2009)

Even with a full visor there is a risk. I had one piece do that on me and it somehow shot up insoide and got me on the forehead. Not as big as yours though.

Hope the head heals quick and you get your own back on the wood.

pete


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## johnny.t. (14 Jul 2009)

Bodrighy":wplp3vcm said:


> get your own back on the wood.



I will turn it into a stand for my new full face visor!

JT


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## stevebuk (14 Jul 2009)

oh dear JT, pleased it wasn't any worse than it was. That's both you and me in the wars, but i fear you came off worst mate, hope it clears up soon for you.


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## Paul.J (14 Jul 2009)

*OUCH*
I can feel that from here :shock: 
I had a similar sort of thing happen not so long ago with a lump of Plum.No cuts though  
All was going well when it just fell apart.This was after me giving it a thorough going over :shock: 
Luckily the lathe was on a slow speed.
Hope all heels up quickly.Looks to have been a nice lump of Ash too :roll:


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## miles_hot (14 Jul 2009)

Bodrighy":2swosui3 said:


> d got me on the forehead. Not as big as yours though.
> 
> pete



That's a bit harsh isn't it - chaps cut up and you comment on the size of his forehead - you don't know it might not always be that big - there could be swelling involved here! :evil:

Sounds bloody painful JT - hope it heals over soon and you enjoy tender ministrations from your wife!  

Miles


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## CHJ (14 Jul 2009)

Close call *johnny*, thankfully it was no worse than convincing you that an impact resistant face shield is needed.
No doubt you will get some wise individual saying you should not have tried to spin that bit of wood, but as you say, sometimes despite all the checking a piece decides to fight back.


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## PowerTool (14 Jul 2009)

Wishing you a speedy recovery,Johnny,and glad the injury was no worse  

Andrew


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## TobyB (14 Jul 2009)

All the best - hope it's not too sore and you don't get too much grief from your other half ... and that you don't run into "exciting" developments like I did when I tried to mangle my left hand a few months back ...


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## wizer (14 Jul 2009)

Ooops. Luckily the one time this has happened to me, I did have a full face visor on. However, I prefer to wear my air ace, so I don't usually wear the visor. This is a bit of a wake-up call. I think I need to seriously think about an airshield or power cap.


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## johnny.t. (14 Jul 2009)

Cheers chaps, i thought I'd share the story with you to give the rest of the safety glasses wearing people something to think about.

I've still got a thumping headache and whats worse SWMBO won't let me out in the workshop tonight and I have orders to make!!(only little pens aswell)

Miles a 'big forehead' is required to keep a larger brain enclosed :wink: 

JT


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## RATWOOD (14 Jul 2009)

All the best m8 glad the injury was no worse


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## Turn It In (14 Jul 2009)

Hi Johnny, 
Thats certainly a chip off the old block!!! 
Sorry to see that but thank goodness it was no lower otherwise the outcome might have been much worse. 
Take care and lots of TLC from the domestic engineer. 
Wishing you a speedy recovery, 
Regards, 
Ian


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## Dalboy (14 Jul 2009)

Ouch, Hope you heal quickly and get back into the shed.I only went out two week ago and brought full face mask glad I did now :roll:


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## richburrow (14 Jul 2009)

Wow I bet that got the heart racing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope it heals up soon mate.
When people ask about the scar you can tell them you had a fight with a tree


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## Richard Findley (14 Jul 2009)

Hi JT,

Glad you're ok. You'll have a cool scar there mate 8) 8) :lol: :lol: 

It has been said before and no doubt will be and need saying again: full face protection is a must - esspecially faceplate work with "natural" buts like this in them.

All the best,

Richard


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## hughey (15 Jul 2009)

I had a similar problem, but never got caught. I had just about finished turning a 12" or so bowl to fairly thin around 5mm or so. Step back to locate a finer grade of paper and the whole bowl flew apart. Showering the workshop with what could be best described as shrapnel it went every where.

Never did find all the bits, even when I moved workshops and cleaned the whole place up.


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## gtwilkins (15 Jul 2009)

Johnny,

Sorry to see about your mishap but I was just reading about this on a Canadian turning forum:

"Man killed in woodworking accident

Piece of lathe hit him in head

July 14, 2009 
WATERDOWN – Hamilton police say the death of a 52-year-old Waterdown man at his home Monday was a tragic accident.

Police said today the man was working on a woodworking lathe at his Fellowes Crescent home in east Waterdown about 1 p.m. 

A piece of the machine came loose, detached and struck him.

The man, whose name has not been released, suffered severe head injuries."


This was in the Hamilton Spectator newspaper, another report said it was a piece of wood that flew off and killed him instantly!

Yes a full face shield will save a lot of grief but I got my nose busted once when a big blank sheared off from the tennon and got me plumb in the snout, flattened the face shield back and nearly knocked me out.

Glad your going to be OK, Trevor


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## Paul.J (15 Jul 2009)

Hello Trevor and welcome along  
That is very tragic news and goes to show the dangers involved in what looks to be a safe hobby :?


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## johnny.t. (15 Jul 2009)

Thanks chaps  , Glad to say the headache is gone,just left me with the 'flesh wound' :roll: . It makes me shudder to think what may have happened,bust nose,teeth knocked out,or worse(reading Trevors post). Promised Mrs.JT I'll only do pens till the face shield comes(lucky most websites deliver next day :lol: ).
The worst bit now is I'm not allowed to get it wet, meaning I can't wash my hair for a week  thats gonna be gross :lol: 



Richard Findley":3e9ziplq said:


> You'll have a cool scar there mate



I keep telling my Mrs she'll have to look out as all the ladies love a man with a scar :lol: :lol: 

cheers JT


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## mikec (15 Jul 2009)

Hi *JT*

Glad you are recovering OK, thankfully you were only mildly hurt. It is a real wake-up call when something like that happens.


Regards,

Mike C


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## John. B (15 Jul 2009)

Sympathies JT, hope it repairs soon.
About the hair wash, you could always do a-la salon style, 
you know sitting down, head back over the sink, 
SWMBO gently washing and rinsing, patting it dry saying there, there, twill be better soon. :shock: :shock: :roll: :roll: :roll:

John. B


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## cornucopia (15 Jul 2009)

sorry to hear about this JT- it could of happened to any of us


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## boysie39 (15 Jul 2009)

Lucky man JT, is that a fact about scars? Only problem with my scars is I'd end up in the cop shop if I showed mine :lol: :lol: . How does that John B know all these things about washing hair ,makes me wonder :wink: :wink: Take this oppertunity to get every thing you wanted for the workshop now that your getting the sympathy. Best of luck quick recovery. REgards Boysie


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## CHJ (15 Jul 2009)

Welcome to the forum *Trevor* (gtwilkins) hope to see some of your output in the near future.


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## Lightweeder (15 Jul 2009)

Hmm. Thanks for posting this JT. We can all take a lesson from it.

LW


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## John. B (15 Jul 2009)

Eugene,
I happen to have three hairdressing salons near where I live. 
and it so happens that I glance through the window on the odd occasion I pass and see the way these young ladies hang their head over the basin in the odd manner in which I described.
Of course I realise if one lives in an area where running water is a luxury for the wealthy, I _can_ understand how the hoi-polloi are puzzled.     :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol

John. B:


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## johnny.t. (15 Jul 2009)

Thanks for all the thoughts, much appreciated. I sneaked out and made a pen already, I'm now gonna do another, SWMBO would only let me out there with a bandana thing on me bonce to keep the injury covered (improvised from an old sheet, in a fetching pinky/purple colour).



boysie39":3m5vvw6n said:


> Lucky man JT, is that a fact about scars? Only problem with my scars is I'd end up in the cop shop if I showed mine



Surely that would depend on the lady you showed Boysie :lol: :lol: 

JT


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## Doug B (15 Jul 2009)

Sorry to have only just read this Johnny, ( not been near the PC, working away again).

Hope you heal quickly & the only scar is the one left on your forehead, though from the sounds of things you`ve jumped straight back in.

I think at times we all can be a little lax about our personal safety.


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## mark sanger (16 Jul 2009)

Frightening indeed. Glad you are recovering. 

Just goes to show we never know when this stuff will happen. 

Take care


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