Safety specs and related items...

I've always found safety specs to be a real pain, they get scratched, mist up etc. Others may find them more successful. As a more or less full time prescription specs wearer, I always have glasses with the biggest (plastic) lenses I can get (currently very unfashionable and hard to find, but I prefer them for other reasons) and rely on them for most purposes, and wear a full face shield when I feel a need for more protection. I've tried 'safety' prescription specs but soon gave them up.

I have a clear screen on a non-switchable mag base, very useful for deflecting coolant or, say, brass swarf out of harm's way. More a means of reducing mess than an out-and-out safety thing.

HTH

Tim

Dutton Dry-Dock Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs Vintage diesel engine service

Always wear your safety specs! Never switch a machine on without putting the specs on first. Don't make the mistake of thinking, "it's only a quick cut, I won't bother with the specs".

I suppose it would work, but I've never ued one. There's always the possibility that you move your head to get a better look at part of teh job, and thereby move your eye(s) out of the protective line. The difference with safety specs is that the protective line moves with your eyes.

I use the basic specs from Machine Mart for about two quid a pair...

I tried goggles at first, but they kept misting up. The Machine Mart specs are very light and comfortable, and the clarity is excellent. I've had a few 'mishaps', like too much swarf building up on the lathe getting caught up in the job and spun around, spraying bits at me, but the specs have done their job. I've had them for about three years, hobby use, and I would say the clarity is starting to drop off a bit - they aren't bad, but I'll probably get some more next time I'm near Machine Mart.

When I was a young lad, I was once watching my dad doing some electri

stick welding, he told me to stand well clear when he was chipping th flux off. Needless to say I got a chunk of hot flux stuck to my eyeball fro around fifteen feet away, and ended up in hospital. Saftey glasses should be second nature, once you get into the habit yo will feel a bit strange without them on.

Phi

-- pgp00

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If you want to do things 'properly' then I can tell you what the situation was a few years ago as I was responsible for a school workshop which was vetted by the HSE so had to be made squeaky clean. You need a chuck guard and foot operated kill switch on the pillar drill, a chuck guard and tool post mounted guard on the lathe, fully enclosed grinding wheels except for a small window with an adjustable guard in front, and as you say safety specs, these should have sides so ordinary glasses are definitely not sufficient but I believe you can get prescription ones with sides. You must use gloves to hold work on the grinder and must not hand hold work on a drill but use some form of grip or vice. Also every belt, gear train etc must be enclosed to IP2x (finger proof) and the covers must either have safety switches or need the use of a tool to remove them, the latest machines seem to have both, and every motor must have a no-volt release so that if the mains fails and returns it won't start up. Oh and changing grinding wheels requires a qualification. If I can remember any more I'll post it.

I'm not saying you HAVE to have these things, it's your choice, just passing on the decree of the HSE in that particular case. If certain people want the pleasure of having a go at me for this then they can do it alone as I'm not going to argue, I doubt that doing things for pleasure on their own is entirely new to them...

Greg

Some of this of course is intended to keep out prying fingers etc.,and many would see it as over the top for a home shop.

It's a far cry from the school workshop I was taught in, late 1960's, which was all flat belt driven from overhead line shafting except for one modern vertical mill. No belt or chuck guards, we were even shown how to shift the belts on the stepped pulleys while running although not encouraged to do it. 13 year olds (& quite likely younger) were let loose on an unguarded shaper. I've no doubt we were given serious safety talks at the beginning, after that we were trusted to be sensible. No doubt the teachers soon worked out which kids needed watching closely.

I'm not suggesting that was 'right' any more than the present obsession with removing every conceivable risk is 'right'. The equipment was all pretty tired, but there was enough of it to enable a whole class split between bench and machine work to actually learn something useful and we *had* to behave responsibly.

Tim

Dutton Dry-Dock Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs Vintage diesel engine service

While this is very likely correct, ISTR horrific tales of gloves and grinders. The potential damage caused by snagging glove fabric on the wheel is far worse than any spark burns.

The correct type of gloves (ones which don't drag your hand in) are essential. And no, I don't know which is the correct type but believe I'm safer without them than with the wrong ones.

-adrian

Seems very much like my school days in the 70's. About 15 lathes (mainly Atlas and Boxford with a Student and a solitary Myford). The only total no-no was grinders. You touch them and you were in big trouble. Safety gear involved specs, workscoats and no ties. However supervision was such that even a chuck key left in a chuck for 2 seconds resulted in a sharp clip round the ear and a verbal bashing.

The large shaper did intimidate me slightly - it's very easy to see how that could mangle the unwary.

Charles

You do have to have a bit of common sense with machinery and try and keep the ignorant or reckless away from touching them at all.

During a cumulative 5 year stint working out in Nigeria in the 80's and 90's we used to try and fit extra guarding, with interlocks if possible, on the machinery to save the operators and technicians from their own stupidity. Didn't work though as they'd take the guards off to save a bit of effort sometimes then lose or break them. During one short 3-month period with PZ (the Cussons people) in 1993 I saw an entire right hand lost at the wrist on a power press whilst inching it on setup, and an arm was mangled with 16 breaks in it whilst working on a moving double-shuttle Shelley vacuum former. If the guarding was left in place neither of these would have happened

Peter

I prefer good quality goggles - I've had hot bits inside safety specs, which put me off a bit.

Steve

Or try a full face shield if like me you're not keen on goggles or safety specs. They're much less likely to mist up.

Cheers Tim

Dutton Dry-Dock Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs Vintage diesel engine service

Yes I think you're right, but no I can't remember the type either. I seem to remember it was more about the work being ripped out of your hand or letting go when it got hot than spark burns.

Greg

They've gone far more over the top since, most school workshops have lost all their machines because they're 'too dangerous' hence the steady stream of ex-school machines appearing on EBay.

Greg

Goggles are uncomfortable, steam up and the elastic perishes over time. Full face shields are cumbersome. Ordinary cheap plastic safety specs are as good as anything IMO. The Yukon ones from page 1826 of the J&L online catalogue are what I use at about £2 a pair less whatever discount they are offering on the day. Get a few pairs because they scratch up easily if you drop or mistreat them or even try and clean them with a cloth while they still have dust or grit on them. Best to just run them under a tap and let them dry rather than scrub at them with a hanky. For the pennies they cost it's easiest to just have another new set to hand though.

A box of cheap paper dust masks is a good idea if you're doing a lot of grinding and especially when you're dressing a wheel with a diamond dresser. The glasses will then steam up though.

-- Dave Baker

It really is upsetting. My lad (14 next month) reports that his school has lathes and milling machines that they can't use because the school 'can't pay for the maintenance'. So we have to do the work at home! Another school at the other side of town has a well set up foundry. In the two visits we made to the school whilst children were deciding where they wanted to go, none of the tools had moved in a two year interval. It makes me want to cry.

Mark Rand RTFM