Tool Safety! pics

[SeaBass44]

ok, I'm using a 4.5" grinder with the danger wheel ( WIRE WHEEL ) full face shield, no gloves ( mistake 1 ;)), I'm getting my front toy axle ready for the electric locker. just using the wire wheel to clean up the gasket surface, ya know how a wire wheel "hooks up" well I should have quit the 1st time it hooked and kicked back, but I kept at it:D on the outside balls it caught, kicked back and landed in my shorts! went arond about 3 times untill the thing stopped spinning, but was still running , big HUMMING, till I got the switch off. Came real close to losing my pee_pee :eek: Had I been hung like the guy in my avitor I would be 1/2 the man I am today :laughing: had to take of my shorts and toss them away, runied, they were work cloths anyway.
POINT:
A: Shop saftey is no joke
or
B:wire wheels will eat a dick if not carefull!

and the pick of my inner thigh(sp) close call, I quit for the day, feel so lucky I'm going to go buy a lotto ticket!

[D60]

LOL! I had the same thing. Wire cup wheel got away from me while I was under the truck, the grinder turns around so the wheel is facing me and flys toward my chest, twists up in my shirt. I'm somewhat panicked by the whole thing, now the grinder is sitting there humming and smoking while I search frantically for the power switch LOL. Had a nice bruise on my chest for the next couple days

perhaps the moral is that cheap grinders without dead man's switches suck? Seems both of us could have avoided at least some of our injury if the grinder had died the second it got away from us

[plunkinberry]

You ever get a wire wheel caught in the tail of yer flannel shirt? Happens to me couple times a year... ya think I'd learn. I keep ruining shirts this way.

[MiniMog]

I always remove the set switches on my angle grinders for this reason. I had a grinder end up in my sweater once and it made a mess of my chest.

[woody]

I gotta find the photo someday, but the story....

Was using a 4.5" angle grinder to zip off some u-bolts under a pickup...blade bound, shattered, and struck me in the nose...butterflied it, then contacted my safety glasses, grooved them, then struck the garage wall. Came to the backdoor, C (my wife) gave me a shocked look, grabbed her keys, and rushed me off to the emergency room....got about 60 stitches for that one, I was home by 9:30p and had a pizza down 30 minutes later while she mixed 3-4 brandy old fashioneds....

I was safety poster child the next night for our 4wd club meeting, and got quite a few free drinks the next day at the Packers football game...

if ya didn't know it had happened, you'd never notice the scar.

Needless to say, I'm WAY more careful with those thin wheels, wire wheels, and anything else...particularly in out-of-position projects...

[Brandon]

this is why I really like air tools, when you let go they stop..

I seriously don't use electric tools much anymore - even my drill and "sawzall" is air..

This sucker wrapped around my finger and almost took it off - notice the blood drop in the pic - ouch that hurt..

http://www.rivercityrockcrawlers.com/TechReports/top/untitled4.jpg

[Brandon]

I gotta find the photo someday, but the story....

Was using a 4.5" angle grinder to zip off some u-bolts under a pickup...blade bound, shattered, and struck me in the nose...butterflied it, then contacted my safety glasses, grooved them, then struck the garage wall. Came to the backdoor, C (my wife) gave me a shocked look, grabbed her keys, and rushed me off to the emergency room....got about 60 stitches for that one, I was home by 9:30p and had a pizza down 30 minutes later while she mixed 3-4 brandy old fashioneds....

I was safety poster child the next night for our 4wd club meeting, and got quite a few free drinks the next day at the Packers football game...

if ya didn't know it had happened, you'd never notice the scar.

Needless to say, I'm WAY more careful with those thin wheels, wire wheels, and anything else...particularly in out-of-position projects...

I picked up a full face shield because of that kind of thing - actually like it a lot better than glasses since it isn't as restrictive and covers your whole face..

[Toyota_Jim]

I had a 4 1/2" angle grinder hit me in the chin, ran up my face and nose, cut my glasses in 2 on the bridge of my nose, up across my forehead. Left a bigole scar about 1/4" wide. didnt bother with the hospital, it ground all the skin out, no stiches would have helped.

[SeaBass44]

I think these grinders are the most dangerous tools around, I see most of the tv pros have air cause the blade just sticks, of course OCC uses the grinder even when they have a plasma around, but like I said "pros" so that leaves them out in the cold:D
I much prefer the full face, doesn't fog and big coverage. & it looks so cool, lol

[frankenfab]

Didn't take pictures, but I just had one get away from me yesterday. I just put on a brand new pair of boots. I was using a stinger type brush in a DeWalt 4.5" grinder. While sitting on the ground, I was using the grinder one handed (bad idea). With the other hand, I was holding a short piece of angle iron with vise grips. The grinder got away from me and hit the brand new boot. It cut all the laces right off. It also polished my thumbnail, but didn't draw blood.

Be Careful.

[TB76Bronco]

I had quite a grinder day today myself. Got a new wire wheel, mounted on a 4 1/2", and I was taking the coating off the frame to put on a bracket. I was wearing a full face shield which I learned after getting one of those little wires stuck in my face. However I was wearing shorts and one of those little wires shot right into my thigh about 1/4" deep. Thats wasn't a big deal pulled it out and kept going.

Then I was grinding a bracket clamped in the vice. I 'm grinding away with the 9" grinder, sparks are flying every where, and there is the usual grinding smoke from the oil smoking off the metal. Then I notice the smoke doesn't smell quite right and its getting thicker. Hmmm so after about 30 seconds of thinking oh well I'll just finish this and then I'll see what that is. I glance over and I see the dust mop my wife so kindly put in the corner by the back door to keep the house uncluttered. Which is now engulfed in flames. DUST BUNNIES burn like mad.

Luckily I learned a long time ago to have a fire extinguisher handy and I got it out quickly.

So the total for the day was 3 broken tools, 1 fire, and a couple little booboos

[Mcstiff]

Bumped the tube pile and a 2x.25 stick of DOM dropped/rolled 6" across my toe, 11 stiches later: :a pic of my toe if fawking photobucket was working: :mad3:

[plunkinberry]

Hey Brandon, be sure to wear safty glasses under that face shield, the shield will do NOTHING if a grinding wheel comes apart of something grenades. They are really only called chip shields.

Be careful everyone. (funny but serious).

[Brandon]

Hey Brandon, be sure to wear safty glasses under that face shield, the shield will do NOTHING if a grinding wheel comes apart of something grenades. They are really only called chip shields.

Be careful everyone. (funny but serious).


Interesting.. I really should be more safety conscious. I go barefoot in my garage filled with metal shavings and broken glass bits all the time, hardly ever wear ear protection (I have a 20db case of tennitus allready), and most of my tools have the guards removed (ex framer, I can cut circles with a worm drive skillsaw).

I have been stocking up on safety stuff, just gotta get myself to use it!!

[D60]

Hey Brandon, be sure to wear safty glasses under that face shield, the shield will do NOTHING if a grinding wheel comes apart of something grenades. They are really only called chip shields.

Be careful everyone. (funny but serious).

Agreed! The most frustrating thing is remembering the proper order to put everything on, let's see: face shield, then ear protection then glasses, then flip face shield down. Then I always try to pull off the face shield with the ear protection still on - doesn't work!

[Brandon]

I think I'll just wear my full face helmet and space suit ;)

gloves.. anyone wear em? I got a pair but never wear em..

well I wear some when I weld but that's about it

[plunkinberry]

I'll admit that I don't wear hearing protection, and I never wear gloves. I know I should, but don't.

Couple years ago, by daughter poked me in the eye (she was 5 months old at the time). Long story short, she detached 35% of the surface area of my eye - that was terribly painful, scary experience. I don't take my sight for granted any more. Always wear safty glasses.

[hotcowboy76]

35%???? Where? Lets see some pics! :laughing:

I still have a scar on my wrist where the grinder caught and got away from me. It kinda fumbeled and my natural reaction was to grab it! :shaking: Luckily I was wearing gloves or it could have been worse. As it was it ground through my leather gloves and into my wrist almost to the bone! :eek:

[SeaBass44]

35%???? Where? Lets see some pics! :laughing:

I still have a scar on my wrist where the grinder caught and got away from me. It kinda fumbeled and my natural reaction was to grab it! :shaking: Luckily I was wearing gloves or it could have been worse. As it was it ground through my leather gloves and into my wrist almost to the bone! :eek:
uihhhhhhhhhh, I natural reaction is not to grab a out of control spinning grinder :laughing:

[SeaBass44]

I'll admit that I don't wear hearing protection, and I never wear gloves. I know I should, but don't.Couple years ago, by daughter poked me in the eye (she was 5 months old at the time). Long story short, she detached 35% of the surface area of my eye - that was terribly painful, scary experience. I don't take my sight for granted any more. Always wear safty glasses.
same here, I do own a new pair of gloves :shaking: and I just bought a welding jacket, xxl for $5, of course I never use it :D maybe in the winter :flipoff2:

[SeaBass44]

I had quite a grinder day today myself. Got a new wire wheel, mounted on a 4 1/2", and I was taking the coating off the frame to put on a bracket. I was wearing a full face shield which I learned after getting one of those little wires stuck in my face. However I was wearing shorts and one of those little wires shot right into my thigh about 1/4" deep. Thats wasn't a big deal pulled it out and kept going.

Then I was grinding a bracket clamped in the vice. I 'm grinding away with the 9" grinder, sparks are flying every where, and there is the usual grinding smoke from the oil smoking off the metal. Then I notice the smoke doesn't smell quite right and its getting thicker. Hmmm so after about 30 seconds of thinking oh well I'll just finish this and then I'll see what that is. I glance over and I see the dust mop my wife so kindly put in the corner by the back door to keep the house uncluttered. Which is now engulfed in flames. DUST BUNNIES burn like mad.

Luckily I learned a long time ago to have a fire extinguisher handy and I got it out quickly.

So the total for the day was 3 broken tools, 1 fire, and a couple little booboos
yup I get hit all the time, a guy here got one in his eye and lost his site in that eye, I think it was Billavista?

[SeaBass44]

Interesting.. I really should be more safety conscious. I go barefoot in my garage filled with metal shavings and broken glass bits all the time, hardly ever wear ear protection (I have a 20db case of tennitus allready), and most of my tools have the guards removed (ex framer, I can cut circles with a worm drive skillsaw).

I have been stocking up on safety stuff, just gotta get myself to use it!!ya me too, get lil meatal pieces in my feet all the time, doh! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

[plunkinberry]

worse than bare feet is in my socks... I'll run into the garage to grab something quickly, then track metal shavings all over the house. Then I wonder how I got a piece of metal in my foot in the living room. oh well... I know I should know better.

[D60]

uihhhhhhhhhh, I natural reaction is not to grab a out of control spinning grinder :laughing:

That'd be called natural selection :D

[preach]

:confused:

My dewalt grinder stops when you let go.

:shrug:

[SeaBass44]

:confused:

My dewalt grinder stops when you let go.

:shrug:
that is because
#1 it's a great grinder! I had 1

#2 it has a sprinf loaded trigger for a on button, let go and it shuts off
my cheap_O ( 4years still workin ) has a slide switch on top, not a safe type :eek:

[frankenfab]

:confused:

My dewalt grinder stops when you let go.

:shrug:

This type doesn't:

http://www.dewalt.com//ProductImages/PC_Graphics/Photos/DEWALT/TOOLS/MEDIUM/4/DW400%25_1.gif

[Mcstiff]

Lets see how long photo bucket lasts. See page 1 for details.
http://img29.photobucket.com/albums/v88/EHankin/IMGA0101.jpg

[pcorssmit]

My low-end Makita 4" grinder has a built in thermal breaker; if you bind it up (or work it too hard), it trips the breaker and stops. Just push the little button in the end back in to reset it. Don't know the model #, but last I checked they were ~$60, and have the 10 mm spindle and the plastic nose. Its finally on its last leg, after 8-9 years of hard use.

Pete

[Butler]

Never,never,never weld while wearing anything containing polyester. I feel too stupid to say how I know.

[yager]

its worse when its really cold outside and you grind a chunk of your hand off and dont realize it for 20min when you go inside to warm up you notice a hole in your glove and blood dripping out.... (that was back in NY)

-mike

[willyswanter]

Wrench slipped off of an exhaust manifold bolt and into the freshly cut exhaust pipe my hand goes, severed the nerve that is on that side of my thumb. That entire side of my thumb is now numb.

http://www.norcalbigdawgs.net/Gallery/albums/album74/MVC_548F.jpg

Slipped in water on the shop floor and went into the end of a piece of 2" DOM that was just cut with the chop saw:

http://www.norcalbigdawgs.net/Gallery/albums/album74/MVC_612F.jpg

Almost done painting the shop floor:

http://www.norcalbigdawgs.net/Gallery/albums/album74/MVC_544F.jpg

:D

[jerseyzuks]

It's not just the sharp tools that are dangerous.

Back in high school, I had a shop teacher who lost a finger to a buffer. It was the old style bonnet that tied on with the strings. The strings flew out, wrapped around his finger, and pulled his finger out of the socket in a split second.

Never trust a shop teacher with 9 fingers.

[GrantBaker]

Never trust a shop teacher with 9 fingers.

Most shop teachers with all ten haven't been shop teachers very long ;)

Grant

[hotcowboy76]

That'd be called natural selection :D

Well like I said I still have all my limbs cause I was wearing some protection at least! For the record the grinder I was using had a trigger button but it got stuck. I guess thats why people have missing and sticked up toes on this thread cause they just let shit fall on their feet. :shaking:

[OverThrottle]

:confused:

My dewalt grinder stops when you let go.

:shrug:


Shitty Bearings? :flipoff2:

Actually my milwaukee also has a spring loaded trigger, except I like it even better because it also has a safety flap to keep you from accidently pushing it, but is till easy to start one handed. However it takes a little bit for it to spin down once you let go.

You can just see the safety flap in this pic:
http://www.toolbarn.com/images/milwaukee/6153-20.big.jpg

[Brian1]

Right before I left for Moab a few months back I was finishing a last second mod on my rig. I was using my bench grinder on a small part when it caught and took my finger with it. It pulled it down in between the wheel and the workpiece rest which pinched my finger while grinding the flesh and nail down at the same time. It fawkin hurt for a few days. It could have been alot worse but luckily it only caught half of one of my fingers and I was able to pull it out pretty quick. I wasnt wearing gloves but everytime I use it now I do.

[90TOYPU]

Actually you shouldn't wear gloves while using a bench grinder. If the glove gets caught it could suck your hand in and not let go. For small parts, hold them with a pair of locking plyers so you can keep you hands away from the moving parts.

[GRMhick]

My low-end Makita 4" grinder has a built in thermal breaker; if you bind it up (or work it too hard), it trips the breaker and stops. Just push the little button in the end back in to reset it. Don't know the model #, but last I checked they were ~$60, and have the 10 mm spindle and the plastic nose. Its finally on its last leg, after 8-9 years of hard use.

Pete

I have the same one. About 3 years old. I had to replace the breaker once because I had to reset it so many times. Awesome little tool.

Anyway, these days I wear thick leather gloves that come up past my wrists, a fash shield, safety glasses, a mask, and always make sure to wear boots.

I started out wearing the gloves because I was going back and forth from welding to grinding, but hit my hand against the cut off wheel one day, and realized that Id I didnt have the gloves on, I would have been in the ER.

I have had sparks hit my face with the face shield on. Now I wear safety glasses too.

As for the ear protection, last december I was cleaning up the inside frame of my truck, and got some sparks in my ear. I shook them out and made sure to wash my ear well that night, but didnt think anything of it. About a day later, I was in major pain. A day after that I was in the ER because I couldnt hear out of my right ear (swolen shut). I was on codene all day long because of the pain. I just tried to sleep it away. After I started getting sick from the codene, the swelling started ot go down (thank god). As soon as my ear got better I got some good ear protection. That was pain like no other I have ever felt.

And as for the boots, I have had a cerry picker run over my sandle before (flip flops, I got my foot out in the nick of time), and I burned all the lacings out of my other shoes from sparks melting them.

Still need to buy a welding jacket as i have caught a few shirts on fire.

[fledgling666]

4.5 and wire wheel

i guess if the wire breaking off doesn't cactus you to death, it will eventually catch on something, pop out of your hands and get all tangled up in your t-shirt.

i hold it like i'm choking it now, all the time, my hands hurt when i quit for the day, you know that muscle between your thumb and index finger, yeah, that one, it's huge now.

[Weezer]

I just had a run in with the 4.5 grinder. I was wearing my face shield and gloves. Im still not sure what happened but it caught and jumped real quick, went rite through the glove and into my thumb, it went pretty deep but did not hit the bone. Its taking forever to heal up, it seems like it carterized the wound as it ground in, it never bled at all.

[bryancabrera]

i ama safety report writer for my shop and low and behold i did about everything on the list that i had to make a note of. talk about 1st hand. hahah
good luck with keeping your pee-pee dude we all need to keep that for one reason or another. thanks
bryan

[PTSchram]

I was using my bench grinder on a small part when it caught and took my finger with it. It pulled it down in between the wheel and the workpiece rest which pinched my finger while grinding the flesh and nail down at the same time.

Here I go again. This is why you are to set the tongue guard at 1/4" clearance, the tool rest at 1/8" gap.

For some reason, everywhere I have worked in a safety capacity, this has been a difficult lesson to teach the mechanics.

While I have yet to see a catastrophic accident, I have seen some mean grinder accident pictures, including several fatalities.

Peace,
PT
Retired Safety/Environmental manager/engineer

[Zrock]

thats my next project is a welding jacket.. working with the grinder today i found i had flames shooting up under my face sheild... the whole front of my shirt had caught fire from the sparks... luckely i had another shirt underneedth but i think im missing a few eye brows... dam lucky could have been much worse

[bignissan]

my room mate (fj40john) just about chopped his tow off using a cut-of wheel on a 4.5" grinder wearing sandles...i stayed up all night with him at the hospital....i'm a nice room mate :)

[SR5Dave]

Lets just say I have about 15 scars on my hands. GLOVES ARE IMPORTANT. Your hands are the most valuable things, and completely irreplacible, yet we beat the tar outta them :laughing: I have some sealed goggles that work great, I usually make one cut before something flies by my eyes and I go "OH, thats a bad idea!" Haven't had a grinder fly down my pants yet... Had some slag nearly roast my nuts though!! :eek:

[bremen242]

I've done some stupid things in the past with power tools, I was running a dremel (with those cutoff wheels that snap in two every ten seconds) without safety glasses for a moment, then thought 'what the heck' and went and got my glasses, and sure enough, 10 seconds later, the disc snapped and bounced right off my safety glasses (ie it was going directly for my right eye). :eek:

[SeaBass44]

I've done some stupid things in the past with power tools, I was running a dremel (with those cutoff wheels that snap in two every ten seconds) without safety glasses for a moment, then thought 'what the heck' and went and got my glasses, and sure enough, 10 seconds later, the disc snapped and bounced right off my safety glasses (ie it was going directly for my right eye). :eek:

I was using one of those 20 years ago, cutting plastic and no glasses, speed went up, I stop and the lil mini circular saw blade is gone.......yup flew off and stuck in the plastic heading towards me! Job would have takin longer had I need to stop, find pliers and pull the saw blade outa me :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

[bremen242]

I was using one of those 20 years ago, cutting plastic and no glasses, speed went up, I stop and the lil mini circular saw blade is gone.......yup flew off and stuck in the plastic heading towards me! Job would have takin longer had I need to stop, find pliers and pull the saw blade outa me :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

those things are handy and deadly.... :skull:

[Urban Wheeler]

This happened just yesterday. I was pulling the tranny out of a Scout and decided to drop the trans and tcase at the same time. Turned out to be a bad idea as the TC lever would not come out and it caught on the trans tunnel. The guy I was working with was going to grind the lever off, but I decided to just grind a slut in the tunnel. I ended up with a nasty looking jagged edged slot for the lever to pass through. Except the TC wouldn't move. I put the knob back on the lever and proceeded to grab and lift. The second I got my hands on it it shifted. Natural reaction was to yank my hand back, but I wasn't quick enough. It pinched my finger and when I pulled it sliced right through the fingernail. It bled like a mofo and hurt like a bitch. I have a little flap of fingernail hanging there. I need to get in there and clean it out really well but I am afraid it will bleed again. Had I been wearing gloves, who knows. Had I pulled the TC off first, no problem.

One thing, though, when I use a grinder or any abrasive cutting tool I NEVER put my head in the path of the blade. I would rather take shapnel in the chest or gut than in the eyes.

[SR5Dave]

I've done some stupid things in the past with power tools, I was running a dremel (with those cutoff wheels that snap in two every ten seconds) without safety glasses for a moment, then thought 'what the heck' and went and got my glasses, and sure enough, 10 seconds later, the disc snapped and bounced right off my safety glasses (ie it was going directly for my right eye). :eek:

I've had the same thing happen, I started to get the fiberglass bigger ones, last longer, and don't fly off (Thicker though, and take longer to cut)

[bremen242]

I've had the same thing happen, I started to get the fiberglass bigger ones, last longer, and don't fly off (Thicker though, and take longer to cut)

yeah, I've used those too, and I didn't have any... the only trouble with those ones are that they are easier to burn up the dremel with (bigger thicker etc)..

oh well, they are cheap..

[SR5Dave]

yeah, I've used those too, and I didn't have any... the only trouble with those ones are that they are easier to burn up the dremel with (bigger thicker etc)..

oh well, they are cheap..

Yeah, mine gets seized up if I'm impatient. But mine is fully rebuildable and parts are cheap :)