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HLV-BK Lead Screw Guard

MilGunsmith

Stainless
Joined
Mar 6, 2006
Location
Sandyston, NJ
Safety came around again. They want me to put some sort of cover or guard on the lead screw on the HLV-BK. I tried to tell them that the lead screw only moves when threading, and both hands are on handles during that operation. They don't listen because they have never actually worked in a shop, they just read regulations. This all came about because somebody up at Waterveliet Arsenal got there shirt tail caught in a lead screw.

Does anyone else have the same issue? What is anyone using to meet this requirement?
 
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It sucks when one accident will cause the whole industry to guard everything. A friend had a gas ceiling heater blowing in the direction of the paint booth 100' away for 30 years and OSHA came in and said it had to be moved 30 degree's so it would not start a fire. Crazy crap like that makes one sick. They made them do it or get fined. If I were you I would buy a fabric bellows that has nylon bushing spaced about every 12". Have to make some sort of brackets to hold it to the saddle and ends. About a year ago someone on here showed us a newer lathe with a metal cover. Seems a bellows would be easy. But be sure to have them put in the nylon bushings to keep it from wrapping around the screw. These guys and a few others make them. Way Covers & Bellows | Way Protection | Dynatect Manufacturing
Round Bellows and Covers Protect Machine Components | Joyce

Or a telescopic spring Telescopic Springs | Hennig Inc.
 
I have never had to deal with OSHA as I have been a small shop owner for the last 35 years. Is there no appeal process or are they just ignorant dictators with absolute power?
 
This is DoD ARDEC Safety, they are able to write there own regulations. The people working in the office have never worked with anything they are ruling on. They just take worst case and make it the rule. For instance radiation safety, tritium in sights and watches has to be handled the same as uranium for bombs. Powder for reloading small arms, like you buy at sport shop, is treated the same as high explosive. When you ask if they have ever worked in the field with it they give you a blank stare. Same with tools, they say that they should be completely safe so that a monkey cant get hurt. They forget that most tool safety is between the ears of a trained operator.
 
Looking for something that has been used by others on the HLV series lathes. It has to be able to be installed without disassembly, and not restrict carriage range of travel in either direction.
It appears that both the Sharp 1118H and the South Bend SB1008 lathes, that are Hardinge copies, come with the spiral spring lead screw guards. If I can find a set or part numbers I should be able to order something.
 
They want me to put some sort of cover or guard on the lead screw on the HLV-BK. I tried to tell them that the lead screw only moves when threading, and both hands are on handles during that operation.

What is anyone using to meet this requirement?

If you look at a HLV-H the lead screw thread starts at about 8 inches to the right of the headstock. So for all the threading I have done the carriage covers the screw thread except for the 12-16 inches on the right side of carriage.

What comes to mind is one of those plastic spiral pieces that are 1" iin diameter, which are used on young trees to keep the animals from climbing up. You would not have to disassemble anything, just wind the plastic piece around the screw thread section.
 
They want all rotating parts covered. The copies use a similar spiral work to the plastic tree wrap. Just trying to find a part number.
 
They want all rotating parts covered. The copies use a similar spiral work to the plastic tree wrap. Just trying to find a part number.

Does that mean a guard over the hand wheel and collet closure arrangement?

If they knew what live centers are they would want those covered too. :nutter:
 
MilGunsmith,
The safety guy for my insurance company was in here today. He thinks your safety guy is nuts. I showed him my HLV_H. The lead screw on the HLV-H is recessed under the edge of the bed and is so far forward of the chip pan that he felt a cover was unnecessary. I showed him the photos of "Jackie" in that other thread and we saw several things he was doing wrong. We agreed if anyone needs a lead screw cover it would be him.

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/gunsmithing/chambering-issue-355783/index2.html comment #39
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...?59097-Jackie-chambering-a-Barrel-%28Pictures
 
Years ago I was once told at a large shop that had a dozen Bridgeport mills that we had to have a guards around the spindles when cutting. The owner said the guards are their safety glasses and if they didn't like that they can go pound sand. They never said anything about the Lathes at the time that had no guards whatsoever. I don't think I've ever seen a manual lathe with guards on the lead screws. No sure if you could make one that would work and still allow full range of motion. I'm would not be surprised that they will eventually ban operators standing next to a manual machine such as a lathe. We have spindle guards for the lathe chucks and drill press that swing out of the way to load but are seldom used in the correct position. We actually have a guard for our Bridgeport that was made by Bridgeport. Kinda worthless if you ask me. It's never been installed. CNC's are a different animal that should be closed off when in use because of the high speeds and feeds.
 
To be fair, there are a number of manual lathes that have leadscrew guards. They are there for one reason and one reason only:- to keep swarf off the leadscrew.

Health and safety demanded that all the lathes in our factory have chuck guards. So the 14' swing 1948 Craven lathe got one:-

craven.jpg
 
The problem is that the safety people don't know anything about machines. They treat all lathes as a the same piece of equipment. It could be a tabletop Unimat or a 14' swing Cannon barrel lathe, they apply the same rules.
 








 
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