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Home > Wood Turning Lathes - Keeping Them Safe
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Wood Turning Lathes - Keeping Them Safe by Darrell Feltmate
Wood turning is one of the fastest growing hobbies in North America as well as many other parts of the world. Wood lathes are making their way into garages and basements in record numbers and bring safety concerns along with them. Fortunately a wood lathe is one of the safest machines in the shop today. Unfortunately this can make people careless. Wood lathes are used to spin wood quickly while sharp tools are used to remove wood and throw chips and shavings through the air. Safety needs to be regarded as essential to keep the wood lathe in its safe tool category.
When thinking wood lathe safety consider four areas:
Hands and other body parts. In order to cut wood tools need to be sharp. As a general rule "It it will cut maple, it will cut you." Dull tools are dangerous because they slip and catch. Sharp tools will cut you if they are allowed. Never point the tool tip at yourself and always put tools away so they will not fall and hurt you nor will you put your hand on a sharp tip.Eyes. Wear a face shield. Wood lathes throw shavings and chips at your face as you turn. Goggles are just not enough protection although wearing them under the shield will add another layer of safety. Be sure to get a shield that does not fog up as you breathe and wear it even for small pieces. A catch can send a small object shooting at your face. Keep the shield on when sharpening. It gives an edge of safety that the typical little grinding guards do not.Ears. While most lathes are fairly quiet, there is a need for other tools at times, particularly when power sanding. Then there will likely be the lathe, a drill, and a dust collector or shop vacuum going at the same time. Ear protectors will go a long way in preventing deafness over time.Nose and lungs. When sanding even with a dust collector there is a lot of dust around the wood lathe, especially with today's tendency to use finer and finer sandpapers. That dust is a hazard in the lungs and in some cases and allergen to boot. A dust mask goes a long way to protect ones lungs. While even the paper nuisance mask can be a help, a good cartridge style mask will do a better job and also help when applying finishes and some adhesives. Remember that safety is in place to make the wood turning more enjoyable and to keep that enjoyment from a harsh jolt. Wood turning lathes are safe tools and can be kept even safer.
Darrell Feltmate is a juried wood turner whose web site, http://aroundthewoods.com , contains detailed information about wood turning for the novice or experienced turner as well as a collection of turnings for your viewing pleasure. You too can learn to turn wood, here is the place to start. Wondering what it looks like? Follow the page links for a free video. http://aroundthewoods.com
About the Author
You can easily ask your questions about wood turning at his blog at
http://roundopinions.blogspot.com
as well as comment on any thing related to the web site, this article or other aspects of wood turning, art and craft.
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