Do you wear a faceshield?

[Ron in Drums PA]

East Waterdown man fatally injured
By Catherine O'Hara
Jul 16, 2009

An east Waterdown man was pronounced dead at his Waterdown home on Monday after he was fatally injured by a piece of wood.

According to Hamilton Emergency Service – Fire information officer, Bob Simpson, local fire and ambulance crews rushed to Fellows Crescent at approximately 1:10 p.m. for a medical call.

Upon arrival, emergency services personnel discovered a man with no vital signs. "They used the life pack on him, but unfortunately he was pronounced on the scene by paramedics," said Simpson.

The information officer told the Review that the Waterdown man was operating a lathe when a piece of wood broke off. The local resident suffered a fatal blow to the head.

http://www.flamboroughreview.com/news/article/267516

How about now?

 

[aggromere]

Wow. I wear saftety glasses but no shield. Makes you think.

 

[tim self]

When turning bowls and squaring plastics. The bowls are the most dangerous if out of balance! OUCH. I've been VERY lucky when blocks romove themselves from the lathe it's only been during hollowing.

 

[mikemac]

For turning pens? NO, but definitely safety glasses... but whenever I'm turning anything else, YES. Its such a habit, I sometimes realize I'm sitting at the kitchen table with it still on, and flipped up, talking to the girlfriend!

I wonder; if it was a hard enough impact to kill someone, just how much 'life saving' would a simple basic face shield actually provide?

"operating a lathe when a piece of wood broke off" - Not really enough knowledge to really know what happened? Did a 16" bowl blank at 1200 RPM do the damage? I doubt my plastic shield would have done much for me either, in that case. Its unfortunate, and it does remind people to be safe. There's more to turning safely than just wearing a safety shield. Know the right speed, using the right tool, remove any distractions, and many more.

Mike

 

[penmanship]

I wear glasses, so it is hard for me to wear anything overtop of them. (how convenient I thought). One day, thinking my glasses would "cover" it, I had a piece of acrylic fly into my eye, scratching me eyeball..............The next day, my eye was swollen shut. I now wear a face sheild EVERY time.

Not taking that chance again ~ it's not worth it!

Tim

 

[panini]

Prescription safety glasses doing pens, Use faceshield doing bowls but feel claustrophobic.

 

[Chris88]

I wear glasses but all I turn is pens. When I try my hand at some thing bigger I will wear a face shield.

 

[Texatdurango]

I started turning two years ago, bought a mini lathe and not knowing how to make bowls, started making pens. I bought a face shield, even a nice Trend air shield and use one or the other when turning anything. As time went on, I quit using both and relied on just my safety glasses. Then I started turning larger things than pens and found myself using the face shields when turning those larger items. I guess my thinking, obviously shared my many here, was that…"what damage could a tiny pen blank do?"

A few weeks ago I was rounding a desert ironwood blank when it broke in half and shot across the shop. I have yet to find one of the halves but from the sound it made I don't think I would have liked it hitting me in the head so I think I'll start wearing the shield more often.

I like threads like this… they make us think! Thanks Ron, and how about yourself, shield or no shield?

 

[markgum]

I wear glasses, but use a face shield except when doing pens and tiny work. SWMBO always tells me, don't yell at me when you bleed...
I wonder how much protection a face shield will give to the 'head' ??

 

[Gary Max]

The only time I wear a face shield is if the lathe is turned on.
Even a $20.00 shield from the borg can save you a trip to the hospital.

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

I do use a shield when rounding a PR or Acrylic blank but once its in round I flip it up.I guess I should use it all the time or dig out my Triton.

 

[thewishman]

Every time! Had a few hits over the years (I only turn pens) from small shards. Dust-b-gone and face shield are a PAIN in the winter.

 

[MarkHix]

Every time I turn the lathe on. Blanks break, even pen blanks. How many burls have you had a large chunk come out of? I wear glasses and they do not offer much, if any, protection. My ER copay is $50..my $20 face shield is a bargin.

Besides....it preserves my natural good looks! LOL

 

[its_virgil]

Made me think of someone's tag line (here on IAP I think) that said something like; "I was making a pen and the pen blank started getting larger and larger...I couldn't figure it out and then it hit me!"

I did have a penblank that was cracked and it broke in two and a sharp pointed edge stuck into my cheek. Coujld have been my eye and now I use safety glasses with pens and a face shield on everything else.

Do a good turn daily!
Don

"what damage could a tiny pen blank do?"

 

[JimB]

When turning pens sometimes it's safety glasses and sometimes faceshield. I opt more for the faceshield now as I have have worn it more and am more comfortable with it. Whenever I do anything bigger than a pen it is ALWAYS a faceshield.

I've been hit twice in the faceshield. Both times by small pices from a bowl (green wood). It wasn't anything big and I doubt I would have been hurt but I was still very glad I was wearing the shield. It happened so fast I didn't even have time to flinch.

For those of you who wonder how much a faceshield can really protect you i think it's important to remember that the faceshield is curved around your face. It usually is not stopping the flying wood but rather deflecting it off to the side so it can do a lot more than it looks like it can.

Somewhere I read that a lathe is the most dangerous tool in a shop because other tools can hurt you or you could lose a finger(s) for example but a piece flying off a lathe can kill you.

 

[bad]

I wear bifocal safety glasses (getting old sucks) and a respirator. I work almost exclusively with exotic hardwoods and the dust is a carcinogenic. There's not much of my face left uncovered.

 

[NewLondon88]

Face shield always. And I have to replace the clear shield often. Just take a look at it
some time and see how many tiny little dings and nicks there are..

A tiny piece flying off the lathe doesn't sound like much .. but imagine it nicking
the carotid on the way by.. or a small piece that flies by your face causes you to
jerk your head to the side .. and you hit it on something else .. or lose your balance.

There's a reason we don't call them "on purposes"

 

[bdonald]

I used to wear glasses for pens and shield for everything else, but I picked up a Triton and it's the first thing I reach for after the apron goes on. Like Bruce, I work with exotics alot, and it can get pretty nasty without it. I do switch to glasses for finishes though.

 

[leehljp]

I wonder; if it was a hard enough impact to kill someone, just how much 'life saving' would a simple basic face shield actually provide?

Mike

It does seem implausible IMHO, but then that is the way most accidents are viewed before they happen. (Except for red necks who invite people to watch - "Hey ya'll, watch this!" :biggrin: ) As to a face shield and its possibility of preventing the death - my first thought was those funny looking ribbed safety riding hats that bicyclists wear. But they evidently do a good job.

A face shield could possibly have done two basic things:

1. Taken the point of a sharp corner and spread the impact force over a wider area as the shield itself slammed against the skin.

2. The face shield itself could have absorbed just enough of the force to change it from 'deadly' to 'dangerous'.

It doesn't have to be huge force to kill. A small piece no larger than a BB in the right place can kill as recently happened on July 4 (If I remember correctly.) Anything to reduce or deflect the force would be beneficial.

This post is worth it if it makes just one of us start using a face shield.

 

[rjwolfe3]

I tend to wear one with anything other then pens but I do have glasses. I think I may start wearing it more though.

Does the article state that the person was not wearing safety equipment? It is possible to have a piece bounce off of the ceiling and hit you just right in the head to kill you even if you are wearing a face shield.

 

[ldb2000]

I don't turn on the lathe unless I have my face shield on , even for pens . I just had an acrylic blank catastrophically explode , it took several chips out of my shield , if I was not wearing it I have no doubt in my mind I would have had an ER visit to contend with . Safety glasses , while better then nothing , are just not enough protection , even just turning pens .
Looking for excuses for not wearing it is just waiting for problems to happen . Yes a piece could fly off and hit the wall behind you then hit you , but why ask for trouble , wear a face shield and at least not ask for an injury to happen .

 

[Texatdurango]

As I was out in my shop this evening I was thinking of this thread and something dawned on me. My Jet mini sits 18" from my larger lathe and my face shield hangs on the larger lathe right over the start/stop button as a reminder to use it, which I do on THAT lathe. I wonder how many are like me and think "what possible harm could that cute little mini lathe do?"

As I said earlier... good wake up call!

 

[bitshird]

Prescription safety glasses doing pens, Use faceshield doing bowls but feel claustrophobic.

same for me, unless I get stupid and in a hurry.

 

[MesquiteMan]

I have a face shield with a pretty big dent in the top plastic part from where a bowl blank came off the lathe and hit it hard enough to make me see stars and almost pass out. I am pretty certain that without the face shield I would be in pretty bad shape. It damaged the shield bad enough that I no longer use it. I just hand on a nail near my lathe as a reminder.

I ALWAYS WEAR A FACE SHILED WHEN THE LATHE IS ON, even when only sanding! Heck, I am $1,000 poorer because even thought I was wearing my face shield, it was not completely down one time and a small amount of CA went right into my eye, under the edge of the shield. That little stunt put me in the ER for 4 hours and cost me $1,000.

PLEASE WEAR A FACE SHELD AT ALL TIMES WHEN THE LATHE IS ON!!!

 

[dalemcginnis]

When I started I wore goggles over my glasses, respirator and face shield. Somehow, despite all that I kept getting wood shavings inside the goggles. Bought a Triton and since then had a piece of a small bowl bounce off the top of it. While the impact of it didn't "feel" that severe, from the sound of the hit and the ricochets I don't think I would have liked not having the Triton on. Always, along with a leather "turners" apron.

 

[Buzz]

I always wear a face shield, primarily because i wear prescription glasses. Very easy to slip on and off.

 

[Daniel]

I usually use a face shield, But mine has gotten scratched and ends up staying on the bench more and more. I need to replace it. I always where glasses but have had small pieces strike other parts of my face, which is not fun either and even had one bank off my cheek bone and still get behind my glasses. i like the full face coverage of a shield and am one that tends to forget I have it on once I do put it there.

 

[bassfishingpro]

of course

When the lathe is on, my shield is on. Sometimes I wear both glasses and the shield

 

[PaulD]

I've had a Triton for several years, but its starting to show its age and I've started using it less due to scratches on the shield and a leaky hose. Anyone know where I can get replacement parts? I'd happily use it more if I could replace the worn stuff, but I can't seem to find the parts. In the meantime -- its safety glasses at least for me on pens and I do have a cheap non-ventilated face mask for the bigger stuff.

 

[Jim Smith]

I always wear a full face shield when turning. It got so I wouldn't use it for sanding pen blanks, but then the dust became an irritant. I now wear a Trend full face shield/powered respirator at all times. I have worn glasses practically all of my life and I can't count the number of times bits and pieces of things like rock chips, steel etc have clicked off of my glasses. Now that I'm no longer bulletproof and invisible, I find that protection from both flying objects and dust just reduces the risk while I'm in the shop.

Jim Smith

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

Paul try Woodcraft here is a link that showes the replacement shield, they might be able to also order the hose.http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store/Shop___Safety___Safety_Supplies___Triton_Respirator___triton

I've had a Triton for several years, but its starting to show its age and I've started using it less due to scratches on the shield and a leaky hose. Anyone know where I can get replacement parts? I'd happily use it more if I could replace the worn stuff, but I can't seem to find the parts. In the meantime -- its safety glasses at least for me on pens and I do have a cheap non-ventilated face mask for the bigger stuff.

 

[PaulD]

Paul try Woodcraft here is a link that showes the replacement shield, they might be able to also order the hose.http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store/Shop___Safety___Safety_Supplies___Triton_Respirator___triton

Thanks Roy, but the website shows "unavailable" for all of the parts. This is also what I saw at Rockford and other places. I hope the Triton maker is not going belly up as its a nice device.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

I've had a Triton for several years, but its starting to show its age and I've started using it less due to scratches on the shield and a leaky hose. Anyone know where I can get replacement parts? I'd happily use it more if I could replace the worn stuff, but I can't seem to find the parts. In the meantime -- its safety glasses at least for me on pens and I do have a cheap non-ventilated face mask for the bigger stuff.

I haven't tried this yet, but I'm thinking trying to buff out the scratches on my Triton.

 

[devowoodworking]

I use a faceshield all the time at the lathe, even when buffing...any thing that could fly off the lathe becomes a potential hazard and even the smallest blank if it hits you in the temple could put you down for the count, why chance it :wink:

 

[Manny]

Pens once rounded I use safety glasses.

Anything else I use a shield.

I have been running my lathe at pretty high speeds lately I might just use a shield only from now on.

Thanks for the link

Manny

 

[bad]

This thread has really made me stop to think. Next time I'm turning I'll have to see if the face shield fits over my respirator.

For all of the people who commented that they have the Triton or other type of face shield respirator, but don't use it because of scratches. There is another thread posted recently that reminds us that Micro Mesh was originally made to polish the plastic canopies (not sure if I spelled that right) on aircraft. It should work just as well on face shields.

 

[Texatdurango]

I haven't tried this yet, but I'm thinking trying to buff out the scratches on my Triton.

Back in the 60's I worked for Bell Helicopter and we used a kit to remove scratches from the chin bubbles, overhead transparancies and windshields, all of which were some type of acrylic.

When finished, the surfaces were like new with all the scratches gone. The product... Micro Mesh!

I remember the kit having small sanding pads then some felt type pads which were used with a polish then finally a polish alone with a soft cloth.

If you have any micro mesh, I'm guessing one could start out with 6k or 8k pads and go up, finishing with a polish to make a face shield like new again.

Just a thought.

 

[PaulD]

The micromesh idea is a good one. I'll have to try that when it gets a bit worse and if I need to give-up on Triton replacement parts. I tracked down the Triton website and they really were of no help as they don't offer on-line ordering and their retail reference was a single U.S company that didn't seem to have any business interest in respirators or on-line orders. I left an e-mail inquiry about the US vendor shortage. We'll see if they make any response.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Back in the 60's I worked for Bell Helicopter and we used a kit to remove scratches from the chin bubbles, overhead transparancies and windshields, all of which were some type of acrylic.

When finished, the surfaces were like new with all the scratches gone. The product... Micro Mesh!

I remember the kit having small sanding pads then some felt type pads which were used with a polish then finally a polish alone with a soft cloth.

If you have any micro mesh, I'm guessing one could start out with 6k or 8k pads and go up, finishing with a polish to make a face shield like new again.

Just a thought.

Now you know where I got the idea.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

From another Forum

I just received an email from the investigating reporter for the Hamilton Spectator. According to the Hamilton coroner's office, the individual died of a blow to the head with a piece of wood. Apparently, there was a catch, a broken chisel, and the piece separated with the larger half coming back at the turner.

Needless to say, woodturning can be a dangerous activity. Please follow all safety rules and recommendations, including face shields, sharp tools, proper mounting methods, and correct lathe speed for the piece in question!