A Shaft Bent and a Lesson Learned

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Tn-Steve

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Joined
Dec 8, 2008
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271
Location
Clarksville, TN
Hey Gang,

I was in full production mode (for me at least), trying to build up some inventory for the online store (which, while online, currently isn't much of a store with nothing to sell). My plan was to cut, drill, glue, end-mill and round off to about 1/4 inch proud of the bushings 6 euro blanks. The idea was that tomorrow I'd turn them to final shape, sand, maybe finish the next night.

The Cut/Drill/Glue/SquareUp went great. I rounded off the first two acrylic blanks, (learned that at 3800 I don't get the 'shatter' that usually gets me when I would turn them at lower speeds), put them back into the rack, and grabbed the next one.

Onto the mandrel, turn it a few times by hand, ease in the dead center till it starts to turn, lock down the spindle on the TS so it doesn't go anywhere, tighten up the brass wheel on the mandrel. Ready to go....

ZOOM goes the lathe. WHISK goes the shavings. HOLY EXCREMENT goes I as the mandrel starts to walks out of the the headstock and proceeded to make appx 2 inch circles around the live center (I've got one of those from WoodCraft that's the size of your fist).

It seems like I forgot to tighten down the actual TAILSTOCK when I slid it back in after removing the previous blank, and it walked back a bit. I was working the end of the mandrel closest to the live center, and since it wasn't being supported at the end, it flexed out and then it got 'interesting'

I'm dead in the water until I get a new shaft, (probably should have an extra anyhow) (and yes, at some point I will go mandrel-less :)) but there wasn't any damage to anything other than that. Well, that gives me an excuse to run down to WoodCraft after work some evening, get that 33/64ths drill bit thats holding up another project.

Lesson Learned: When you are working in a groove, don't forget to make your checks anyhow. The fact that it had been a longish day and I was a bit tired, not really paying attention, just sort of going on auto didn't help the matter either. Don't get Complacent, that's when things get bad.

In closing, I have to say that the tip of the Live Center made a very nice spiral pattern on the brass wheel from the mandrel as it was walking up it.

Steve
 
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xmaddchillx

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Joined
Nov 9, 2008
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126
Location
Boca Raton, FL
this happened to me... like a month ago when I first got my lathe. Being the complete NOOB i am i touched the mandrel when it was spinning out of control and ended up wacking one of my knuckles completely to the right.

Needless to say I learnt my lesson on that one.
 

NewLondon88

Local Chapter Leader
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May 15, 2008
Messages
5,077
Location
Claremont NH
How could you DO that??? :eek:

That is so ... so ...totally ...

like something I did once..
 

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Fred

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Feb 18, 2007
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N.E. Atlanta, Georgia U.S.A.
Glad that bent mandrel didn't make contact with any part of your hand, head, etc. That would have indeed put quite damper on your turning desires to say the least.

This is kinda like turning the lathe back on AFTER you last used it and left the speed at 3,500 RPM. I just about always remember to turn the speed down before I turn off the lathe when finished ... I say just about always ... whoops!

Again, really glad you were not injured there, Steve.
 
Joined
May 27, 2008
Messages
60
Location
Canon City, Colorado, USA.
That should be a keeper

hah! that pic is exactly what i had! i just threw it out a few days ago lol

That bent shaft ought to be mounted on the wall as a reminder.
One machine shop I worked in had a lot of "reminders" on the wall outside the break room door. One was a flannel shirt that had got caught on the thread of the spindle. The guy that was wearing it at the time had reached over the machine to get something on the back bench, with the thing running. The shirt got snagged by the spindle and ripped right off his back, after dragging him up as close into the machine as it could.
That one, along with a t-shirt from a similar thing, reminded all of us "No Loose Clothing In the Shop!!"
 

keithkarl2007

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Joined
Apr 22, 2008
Messages
1,727
Location
Ireland
repetitive work is very dangerous, you think you've gotten into a routine and when one little thing slips your mind, BANG!!!!!
 

NewLondon88

Local Chapter Leader
Joined
May 15, 2008
Messages
5,077
Location
Claremont NH
BTW, J Collazo sells excellent replacement mandrels.

Speaking of Joe ...

has anyone heard from him? Last I heard he was out of the hospital and
looking forward to becoming more active in the forums again, then .. nothing.
Does anyone talk to him offline? Is he OK?
 
Joined
Jan 4, 2009
Messages
261
Location
Palestine, TX.
I'm totally sorry that happened to you....and I'm kinda sorry that I'm still laughing. BTW I do not have a dead center 60...but i have used my drill chuck to hold one bushing and the live 60 at the other end. and it works pretty well for mandreless. of course this does you no good if you don't have one of those 2 items i suppose.
 

Pocono Bill

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Joined
Mar 13, 2009
Messages
18
Location
Saylorsburg, PA
Lesson Learned

Ouch!

It reminds me of a "learning experience" I had about thirty years ago. It was early in my woodturning days. I had turned a tall lamp and to drill for the cord I mounted a borrowed long drill bit into the chuck of my Shopsmith. I turned it on and that long piece of steel started whipping around like mad. Scared the hell out of me- couldn't get that machine off fast enough. http://www.penturners.org/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif

I had numerous nicks, dings and grooves in the round bedways of that Shopsmith. After much use of a file and rotating the damaged areas to the underside of the ways, I was able to continue using the SS and move both headstock and sliding platform along the length of the ways.

Today I occasionally use the SS as a table saw or disc sander, but otherwise it is a great, but expensive, way to power my Beall buffing system. I am much happier turning on my Oneway.
 
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