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Lathe size and safety

  • Thread starter SmithSolar
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SmithSolar

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When I was set my shop I had a lathe 13x40 with 1 5/8" hole 5 HP. left over from my old business. I look at the fact I would be alone in my shop. This lathe would eat any up with just a mistake. I sold this lathe and bought a 9" South Bend with only 1/2 HP. With this size lathe if I make mistake I am only looking at stitches and staples. I know what large lathe can do to me. It may on some take more time and maybe one or two times a year I may need a large lathe. I just think of the safety on that day. To dated I have not need a large lathe and bought a 9" South Bend in 2003.

Dave
 
If you think the smaller machine is capable of less damage to the human body, think again.
I watched a benchtop drill press scalp a guy in high school.



YOU are the safety determining factor, not the machine..................
 
To date the onle lathe to hurt me in a way that required medical attention was a 25 year old 13x40 manual mazak. I will be running my 40 inch swing 20 inch hollow spindle lathe for the rest of the week. The main diffrence is that injury was 10 years ago when I first started. I got bit and learned my lesson, respect it and it's no more dangerous than anything else.
 
I used the little SBs for a lot of years, I could do quite a lot with them.
But wow, those are really limited!
One memory comes to mind, Parting off steel, I can still see the entire carriage flex and the tool going snap.
I know, when parting you can step it out with a narrow tool, but also remember it was faster to hacksaw the part off, and rechuck it to clean it up.
Yes, some good memories using those old SBs, but, not a direction I wish to return to now.
Safety, is not an accident, so to speak.
 
Lulled into a false sense of security............

30 plus years in the trade, 1 emergency room trip, Hardinge HLCH, 1 or 2 HP..........

Last 10 years on a W/S with 40 HP, just bandaids........
 
My self I have run lathe with 100" swing
I have not had to goto the doctor ever and have work with lathes for over 40 years.
But I have seen and heard what can go wrong with lathes
I think of this when think of sizes and I am by my self in the shop

Dave
 
see how much of the human body it takes to stop your 1/2 hp motor with the spindle turning in it's lowest gear. i think if you somehow get dragged into it with your false sense of safety, you may find yourself needing more than some stitches or staples.
 
see how much of the human body it takes to stop your 1/2 hp motor with the spindle turning in it's lowest gear. i think if you somehow get dragged into it with your false sense of safety, you may find yourself needing more than some stitches or staples.
Yes But I will be alive and not working for 6 months or so

Dave
 
Short guy in the shop had his shirttails out on a hot day while running a 20" lathe. Got em caught in the drive rod and zoot.... he's standing there half naked.
 
Short guy in the shop had his shirttails out on a hot day while running a 20" lathe. Got em caught in the drive rod and zoot.... he's standing there half naked.
That was his lucky day
I have work in shops where they were in the lathe

Dave
 
Lucky he only lost his shirt.
Heard of a similar rotating shaft injury envolving a pant leg. The poor guy lost everthing that dangles.

As to the safey of the 9.
They have one NASTY little feature - small through hole in the spindle.
When working with the underpowered devil on long feeds its tempting to rest your left hand on the head stock. More than one person has allowed the little finger of the resting hand to teas the outboard end of the rotating headstock, stuck it in and had it twisted clean off. No putting that back on.

The issue you face is not that you get hurt, but that your hurt bad enough you cant deal with it alone. Dont kid yourself that an underpowered lathe midigates this. Under powered means you spend more time at the machine and have more opertunity to get hurt. Your total risk probably increases because your at the machine longer. Anything that cuts metal will cut and mame you. Keep an ability to contact emergency servces close a hand when running solo. (preferably in you pocket).
 
Yes But I will be alive and not working for 6 months or so

Dave

if that is ok with you, i suppose that is your decision.

i'd rather treat all machinery with rotating parts as potential hazards regardless of size and horsepower and take the necessary precautions to prevent bodily harm when using them. 6 months out of work due to an injury resulting for carelessness is not something i would consider acceptable.
 
if that is ok with you, i suppose that is your decision.

i'd rather treat all machinery with rotating parts as potential hazards regardless of size and horsepower and take the necessary precautions to prevent bodily harm when using them. 6 months out of work due to an injury resulting for carelessness is not something i would consider acceptable.
I have work with machine tools for over 40 year and have no stitches and staples.
I always work safe
But it only take one time and no one is there to help

Dave
 
if that is ok with you, i suppose that is your decision.

i'd rather treat all machinery with rotating parts as potential hazards regardless of size and horsepower and take the necessary precautions to prevent bodily harm when using them. 6 months out of work due to an injury resulting for carelessness is not something i would consider acceptable.

I agree the first time my fiancee came into my home shop I stopped her at the door and informed her to tie her hair back and put it down the back of her blouse. When questioned as to why I relayed the story of a long hair kid in high school shop who failed to heed such warnings from the instructor. He lost about 25% of his scalp in the drill press. Just like with firearms safety is a function between the ears not a mechanical device on the equipment.
 
I agree the first time my fiancee came into my home shop I stopped her at the door and informed her to tie her hair back and put it down the back of her blouse. When questioned as to why I relayed the story of a long hair kid in high school shop who failed to heed such warnings from the instructor. He lost about 25% of his scalp in the drill press. Just like with firearms safety is a function between the ears not a mechanical device on the equipment.
I agree with 1911MAN the safty is function between the ears not a mechanical device on the equipment.
Even to I think of safety first working alone in a shop and what can happen.
I started this thread over the news of a man losing his arm in a heater.
If he only had a cell phone of even a phone whit a long cord he have his arm today.


Dave
 
Little or Big all can hurt or kill you period

Little lathes just remove smaller chips.

I had a 3 hp lathe just about kill me with an out board piece of alluminum stock. There is a 3 foot hole in the wall to this day to remind me of that event. I was sore for several months from the beating I took.

One can never bee too careful.

Nat Lambeth
 
I'm sorry but I'm not going to get a smaller lathe to be safer. Go all the way and get a watchmakers lathe, and have someone else run it.

Moderation is for monks, take BIG bites out of life.

Rather burn out than rust away.

Rant over, sorta sorry. (Not Really, when you are able to buy the right sized lathe, you tend to need it)
 
You have mist the point each person choose what safe
My point is by use a smaller lathe does stop one from gumsmithing
When I had a shop in MFG. (not in guns) I had lathes that would turn 48 swing and 30 HP.
Today look at my safety and by using a with 9" swing will do over 98% also the same time uses less space, unless you are try to be MFG in guns you do not need a big lathe.
I have even found a few repair gunsmith that does not have lathe in the shop.

Dave

P.S.
The lathe I have mainly purchase for other hobby work back in 2003



I'm sorry but I'm not going to get a smaller lathe to be safer. Go all the way and get a watchmakers lathe, and have someone else run it.

Moderation is for monks, take BIG bites out of life.

Rather burn out than rust away.

Rant over, sorta sorry. (Not Really, when you are able to buy the right sized lathe, you tend to need it)
 
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FYI
When I was taking to AGI - Home most of there graduate's gunsmith use the 7" x 12" lathe its same safer and does most of the work need by a gunsmith.


Dave
 








 
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