I agree, much more forgiving with a simple belt drive, and generally much less torque so it will tend to just stop, rather than mashing its way through whatever has jammed it !
Foot switch for lathe safety?
- Thread starter amadeus
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Phil Pascoe
Established Member
Yes. Very beautiful ones at that.
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
Berg. For googlers.
BearTricks
Established Member
Never wear gloves, roll your sleeves up, keep your hair (if any) away from it. Maybe take your watch off if you’re really nervous.
I have the occasional rag or piece of steel wool wrap itself around the chuck but never had any close calls with a body part. Like another poster said, I sometimes bounce my knuckles off the chuck and lose a bit of skin.
I’m not sure if a switch at knee height would be convenient enough to stop anything happening in time. Left hand is probably the one which will get dragged in, right hand will be holding a tool so dropping that and hitting a switch if the lathe is going full pelt feels like it would take longer than losing a digit or worse. I don’t think I’d have the reaction time or coordination to realise what was happening and knee the off switch accurately. It probably requires muscle memory and it’s something you might only need to do once in your turning career.
I’ve never felt like a wood lathe is particularly dangerous if you’re not being silly. All the touch and go moments I’ve had have been through things flying off the lathe instead of things getting pulled in. I’ve had a couple of smaller pieces hit my face shield and a fairly large piece of sycamore give me a bruised rib but that’s a few mishaps in seven or eight years of owning it.
Nothing quite like the mini heart attack you get when a bowl gouge digs in though.
I have the occasional rag or piece of steel wool wrap itself around the chuck but never had any close calls with a body part. Like another poster said, I sometimes bounce my knuckles off the chuck and lose a bit of skin.
I’m not sure if a switch at knee height would be convenient enough to stop anything happening in time. Left hand is probably the one which will get dragged in, right hand will be holding a tool so dropping that and hitting a switch if the lathe is going full pelt feels like it would take longer than losing a digit or worse. I don’t think I’d have the reaction time or coordination to realise what was happening and knee the off switch accurately. It probably requires muscle memory and it’s something you might only need to do once in your turning career.
I’ve never felt like a wood lathe is particularly dangerous if you’re not being silly. All the touch and go moments I’ve had have been through things flying off the lathe instead of things getting pulled in. I’ve had a couple of smaller pieces hit my face shield and a fairly large piece of sycamore give me a bruised rib but that’s a few mishaps in seven or eight years of owning it.
Nothing quite like the mini heart attack you get when a bowl gouge digs in though.
Add...No rings, or jewelry on wrists or around neck...defo no ties.
Agent_zed
Established Member
I wear hoodies and they have drawstrings around the hood. It's easy to forget they are there. If you lean forward they dangle nicely towards the workpiece!
Just a couple of days ago I took my dangling type earbuds out to answer the door. When I tried to put my right bud back in it just wouldn't fit my ear. Realised that I was trying to put my bobble from my drawstring in my ear.
I have to reach over to my left to turn off my wood lathe. It's never been a major problem but more of an inconvenience, especially when turning the head of the lathe for bowl turning. So, I've just ordered a new on/off switch for my lathe. I'll be designing a pattress for it to take rare earth magnets and a length of lead so I can position it where I want. While I'm at it, I'll try and design a large STOP 'flap' type button to go over the stop button, we'll see. I know I could just buy one but where's the fun in that?
I think that preventing an accident is the key here. The various safety suggestions are wise. Most accidents when turning wood tend to be the timber ejecting (for what ever reason) or a "dig in". No switch will alleviate those situations. If that is an issue a plexiglas shield would prevent injury, obviously positioned high enough to be able to use turning tools but able to contain flying timber or tools. Have to say none of these accidents have ever happened to me with my ML8 lathe in more than a quarter century! Whether by accident (no pun intended) or design.
Amadeus -
While I sortof understand where you're coming from with the foot switch idea, you've probaby gathered from most of the replies received so far that when things go tango-uniform it happens quuickly ! In my experience, woodturning safety issues fall into 3 distinct areas: firstly the workpiece leaving the lathe (for reasons various). Secondly, the dreaded 'catch' (see Richard Raffan's excellent YouTube clips on catches) and lastly the one that I'm getting the feeling concerns you most - getting fingers, hands etc draggged into a spinning workpiece.
You'll soon learn that you don't stand in a fixed position to woodturn. As you gain experience, you'll come to realise that stance plays a HUGE part in woodturning - your body position and foot placement directly impact upon the quality of the cut achieved. You will learn how to start a cut with your weight on one leg, start the cut, move into balance and then transfer your weight to the other foot - I don't think you'll have time to think about operating a foot-operated stop switch.
Other replies have summed up most of the sensible precautions (some of which I'll repeat) and add some others not mentioned: DON'T wear a garment with sleeves that go below the elbow. If you need to wear gloves for roughing out (flying bark really hurts), wear a fingerless working glove on the hand manipulating the tool on the rest (and only for the time needed). If you wear a hoody, cut off or remove the hood draw cord and roll the sleeves up above the elbows. When sanding inside deep hollow-forms use a split-dowel to hold the abrasive - do NOT stick your fingers inside a hollow-form with a narrow neck.
I've saved what I condsider to be the worst sin till last - when applying finish, do NOT wrap any cloth around the hand applying the finish. If you use a cloth, form a pad - alternatively, use kitchen towel.
Another one that (literally) catches out a lot of newbie turners is forgetting to remove the tailstock centre from the tailstock when hollowing bowls etc. If you don't, you'll soon develop the habit after you have a tailstock centre stab you in the elbow as you lean over the bed to swing the tool round in an arc ! Ideally, you should remove the tailstock from the bed but in the case of the ML8 that's a bit of a faff ...
While I sortof understand where you're coming from with the foot switch idea, you've probaby gathered from most of the replies received so far that when things go tango-uniform it happens quuickly ! In my experience, woodturning safety issues fall into 3 distinct areas: firstly the workpiece leaving the lathe (for reasons various). Secondly, the dreaded 'catch' (see Richard Raffan's excellent YouTube clips on catches) and lastly the one that I'm getting the feeling concerns you most - getting fingers, hands etc draggged into a spinning workpiece.
You'll soon learn that you don't stand in a fixed position to woodturn. As you gain experience, you'll come to realise that stance plays a HUGE part in woodturning - your body position and foot placement directly impact upon the quality of the cut achieved. You will learn how to start a cut with your weight on one leg, start the cut, move into balance and then transfer your weight to the other foot - I don't think you'll have time to think about operating a foot-operated stop switch.
Other replies have summed up most of the sensible precautions (some of which I'll repeat) and add some others not mentioned: DON'T wear a garment with sleeves that go below the elbow. If you need to wear gloves for roughing out (flying bark really hurts), wear a fingerless working glove on the hand manipulating the tool on the rest (and only for the time needed). If you wear a hoody, cut off or remove the hood draw cord and roll the sleeves up above the elbows. When sanding inside deep hollow-forms use a split-dowel to hold the abrasive - do NOT stick your fingers inside a hollow-form with a narrow neck.
I've saved what I condsider to be the worst sin till last - when applying finish, do NOT wrap any cloth around the hand applying the finish. If you use a cloth, form a pad - alternatively, use kitchen towel.
Another one that (literally) catches out a lot of newbie turners is forgetting to remove the tailstock centre from the tailstock when hollowing bowls etc. If you don't, you'll soon develop the habit after you have a tailstock centre stab you in the elbow as you lean over the bed to swing the tool round in an arc ! Ideally, you should remove the tailstock from the bed but in the case of the ML8 that's a bit of a faff ...
I've mentioned on here before that I knew a highly skilled machinist with a lifetime of experience who had a hand ripped off at the wrist while using emery cloth on a metalworking lathe.
A wood lathe doesn't have the same torque so maybe you'll only be carrying a finger or two and not your whole hand in a crisp packet as you get rushed to A&E....
Machines can and do bite even the most experienced users.
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
The chances of switching the lathe off quicker than something launches at you are non existent. The purpose of the secondary switches on mine is to allow you switch the thing off quickly and easily when you can see something start to go wrong. My two in line switches are placed 1/ so I can switch off when the headstock is turned without reaching around it, and 2/ so I can switch it off from the end of the bench when deep hole boring. Of course the lathe can't be switched back on by them because of the headstock switch being a NVR. A couple of second hand switches, the job didn't cost a fiver.
I have an American Toolkraft machine. Looks like a floor standing pillar drill but the head can be spun through 180 degrees and has a 1/4 router holder on the other end. Thought it was broken until I managed to get a manual for it. Turned out a mysterious hole in the side was where you had to put the chuck key, which then operates a micro switch to allow it to run, so no inadvertently turning it on with the key still in the chuck.
The interlock type chuck guards on lathes are a relatively modern idea. My 1961 Harrison didn't come with such a thing, indeed I don't think any sort of guard is even listed as an extra in their catalogue at the time.
I can certainly vouch for the fact that having a large chuck key whizz past the old swede at some velocity is a sobering experience, have never forgotten to take it out since
Tip I was shown to avoid this is to stick the cloth to an old flat drive belt with double sided tape, used car timing belts are good too. Cut the belt so you have a long strip then just hold each end loosely between your finger tips to work the cloth. You are then standing a good distance away, and if anything goes wrong it will just pull the belt from between your fingers, hopefully leaving them intact for any change of underwear that may be necessary. Always makes me cringe to see people applying sandpaper or emery directly to a piece by hand in any sort of lathe. I mean, squidgy bit of human meets rapidly spinning bit of wood/metal, what could possibly go wrong.
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
Anything of any length or size I've used I've held in the palm (nowhere near fingers) with the other end held to my inner wrist by the fingers of the other hand. If there's a grab it just flies off.
Just for info., this is the official guidance on the issue:
https://www.hse.gov.uk/engineering/lathes.htm
quintain
Established Member
I have positioned my 2 x emergency off switches at knee height; thinking that my hands may be full or I may be trying to use them to cover my eyes/head, I do wear safety glasses. BUT always realising in most emergency's 'things will happen and be finished before I even see the situation or can react to it'. Always with the thoughts on accidents, it is not if one happens it is when it happens.
Not hugely practical, although undoubtedly safe. The long strip of something method can have endless variations (no pun intended). I recently made some brass column caps for a grandfather clock. Basically a bun shape (auto correct would say bum show ! ) on a square base. The gap in between the bun and the base far too small and tight for a mop. Ended up using a flat trainer type lace smeared with polishing compound. Worked a treat, again ends just held between the thumb and forefinger on each hand so if it grabs it just pulls it away, but you can still work it to and fro.
One reason I made my own replacement forward reverse stop lever and switch for the lathe. The original wafer type switch was so worn and sloppy it was far to easy to move it inadvertently. The shaft was also bent so the knob was even further to the right, and just asking to be pushed by your leg when mounting something in the chuck. I remade the whole thing, so the only original part is the knob. Now it clunks nice and solidly into each detent, and needs a reasonable amount of force to move it, enough that it isn't going to happen by accident.
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