[Mike Blue]

I can laugh about it too. I have all the safety gear and use it routinely because I need my fingers and ears and suchlike to do the dayjob which pays for the fun in the shop and that leads to interesting sharp objects or colorful steels.

[JoshEarl]

OSHA--pshaw. The real enemies of blademaking productivity are "shop improvement projects." Like that new vise I need to install. And the improved dust collector setup I need to install, and ...

Josh

[Philadelph]

From "How To Make Knives" by Barney/Loveless:

"And if you are the kind of person who is always having small accidents, forget all this; take up playing chess, or stamp collecting, because knifemaking is not for you!"

Anyway, thanks everyone for the suggestions. I went to a welding supply shop today and picked up a leather bib apron 24" x 42" and a 3M half-mask respirator and some cartridges. I already have good safety glasses. So now I'm all set. My fiancé feels much better about this respirator than my old dust masks consider some of the scale materials I'm using. The stuff wasn't that expensive at all either. Now to buy my grinder...


seriously, I'm calling like tomorrow.

[Chris L]

Originally Posted by Philadelph

Now to buy my grinder...


seriously, I'm calling like tomorrow.

Think about maybe building your grinder. I'm in the process of gathering my materials now. Plans, Fasteners and Motor...Check! I'm picking up the tube steel and flat stock on Saturday. Then, it's off to a local guy's machine shop next week for some reasonably priced precision square end cuts. Then.....back to my drill press for drilling the holes. I'll definitely post pics when I'm done.

Chris L

[Mike Blue]

She'll feel a lot better when you blow your nose after a day in the shop too. Unless you really want to gross her out, in which case, don't wear the mask. The female reaction can be quite humorous and dramatic. LOL.

Oh, yeah, one more thing I got from Bob Engnath. Do not eat brussels sprouts and then belch into the mask.

[spazola]

I would/do use different mask or at least separate sets of filters for particulate and vapors. The filters for vapors have a relatively short life span and somewhat pricey so I try to get the most out of them. I would keep the filters in a bag made for filter or respirator storage. I would also get in the habit of checking your mask fit every time you put it on by putting your hands over the filters and sucking in to make sure you have a good seal against your face.

Isn’t OSHA that town in Wisconsin?

I know it is not safety gear but every time I have visited the emergency room it has been from being stupid or complacent with machinery.

Charlie

[BigMallard]

I work as a butcher, so I wear a plastic apron covered with a cotton apron. I wear a demin or heavy flannel under it. For really bad toxic gasses/fumes, I actually have a surplus gas mask that I use. For hand protection I use a chain mail glove that is the same model I use for work. If I have a bad feeling I use a Kevlar glove under the chain mail, as a "just in case" extra bit o' protection.

I have an ad in the FS/FT forum if anyone is interested in the stainless mesh gloves. I know this is not the appripriate place, but I thought I'd just throw it out there. I'll TTT it in case anyone is interested.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

She'll feel a lot better when you blow your nose after a day in the shop too. Unless you really want to gross her out, in which case, don't wear the mask. The female reaction can be quite humorous and dramatic. LOL.

I once spent an afternoon shooting handguns, trying different cartidges etc.
At the end of the day I blew my nose...
That was a real wakeup call regarding the effects of gunfire in an enclosed space.
EDIT That should be the effects of gunfire while being at the rights side of the gun. Being on the wrong side, black snot would probably the least of my worries

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

Oh, yeah, one more thing I got from Bob Engnath. Do not eat brussels sprouts and then belch into the mask.

[floppyshoes]

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

Oh, yeah, one more thing I got from Bob Engnath. Do not eat brussels sprouts and then belch into the mask.

Also, never eat broccoli and fart in a haz-mat suit.

[Russel Baldridge]

Originally Posted by floppyshoes

The greatest safety item in the whole shop rests between your ears. If you're suicidal, all the gloves, aprons, face shields and boots in the world won't save you.

I think I read a statistic one time that said 9 out of 10 "accidents" were foreseen by the injured craftsman, and that they occurred because he continued to do the dangerous task, thinking "it should be fine".

Then again, good judgment is usually only gained through experience, which almost always comes with it's fair share of small injuries resulting from the experience you have yet to acquire.

(safety gear: half mask respirator and clear plastic full face shield for grinding, gloves for forging though not essential, 2 or 3 strong fans to keep air circulating in the garage/shop with all doors open, jeans are the norm for most days.)

[Philadelph]

Originally Posted by Chrisl

Think about maybe building your grinder. I'm in the process of gathering my materials now. Plans, Fasteners and Motor...Check! I'm picking up the tube steel and flat stock on Saturday. Then, it's off to a local guy's machine shop next week for some reasonably priced precision square end cuts. Then.....back to my drill press for drilling the holes.

No thanks lol. I thought about all that hard already. Wasn't worth it in the long run for me. I want precision tracking and a variable speed motor which I'm getting. I've seen lots of grinder plans and don't think any look as good as buying one. The one Bruno posted I think looked ok, like the KMG but it would have been such a hassle to build considering if one hole ends up being slightly off, so does the whole grinder. The tube plans (end product) just look cheap to me and not too reliable. Besides that, the guy I was with yesterday was showing me everything about his Bader and it was fantastic. Plus I like the fact that it comes with a motor which drives the grinder straight on rather than from a pulley that you have to setup yourself. So I called Bader and am picking up my order from their shop in two weeks (since that's when I'll be going near them). It wasn't as much as I thought it would be considering all the stuff I'm getting also. I think for me, saving the trouble of building one, picking a motor, finding one for a good price and getting all the contact wheels I'd want and then setting it up so that it runs well is totally worth the extra price. Add to that the quality and support you get and I'm sold.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Philadelph

No thanks lol. I thought about all that hard already. Wasn't worth it in the long run for me. I want precision tracking and a variable speed motor which I'm getting. I've seen lots of grinder plans and don't think any look as good as buying one. The one Bruno posted I think looked ok, like the KMG but it would have been such a hassle to build considering if one hole ends up being slightly off, so does the whole grinder. The tube plans (end product) just look cheap to me and not too reliable. Besides that, the guy I was with yesterday was showing me everything about his Bader and it was fantastic. Plus I like the fact that it comes with a motor which drives the grinder straight on rather than from a pulley that you have to setup yourself. So I called Bader and am picking up my order from their shop in two weeks (since that's when I'll be going near them). It wasn't as much as I thought it would be considering all the stuff I'm getting also. I think for me, saving the trouble of building one, picking a motor, finding one for a good price and getting all the contact wheels I'd want and then setting it up so that it runs well is totally worth the extra price. Add to that the quality and support you get and I'm sold.

Nothing wrong with that

If I had the moolah I'd buy a bader as well and be done with it.
Unfortunately, that is not an option.

So in my caseI'll either build one myself, or I save up and try to get someone to buy me a KMG for me, as they don't sell overseas.

[Kenrup]

Once upon a time, when I was in college, one summer I worked in a foundry as a grinder. The machines we used were huge. I'm trying to remember the dimensions, I remember it was a two wheel model, the wheel we worked on must have had a 18-24" diameter and the belts I think where 3" X at least 80". The only safety gear we got were welders gloves when we were grinding molding gates from bronze bearings. I wore glasses in those days and as I was music major in college I wore ear plugs on my own. No apron, no face shields, no steel tipped boots, (some of the flanges we ground weight 110 lbs.) I have scares on my right forearm where a broken belt swiped me as I reached to shut off the machine to change a nicked belt. It was a sand molding foundry for aluminum, brass and bronze. We did not use respirators. It seems like I made it that summer with just the arm swipe. Now, tell me there is no God.

[JoshEarl]

Originally Posted by Kenrup

Once upon a time, when I was in college, one summer I worked in a foundry as a grinder. The machines we used were huge. I'm trying to remember the dimensions, I remember it was a two wheel model, the wheel we worked on must have had a 18-24" diameter and the belts I think where 3" X at least 80". The only safety gear we got were welders gloves when we were grinding molding gates from bronze bearings. I wore glasses in those days and as I was music major in college I wore ear plugs on my own. No apron, no face shields, no steel tipped boots, (some of the flanges we ground weight 110 lbs.) I have scares on my right forearm where a broken belt swiped me as I reached to shut off the machine to change a nicked belt. It was a sand molding foundry for aluminum, brass and bronze. We did not use respirators. It seems like I made it that summer with just the arm swipe. Now, tell me there is no God.

Even though my equipment is nowhere near this intense, I still try to approach it about like I would a rattlesnake.

There was a great quote in C.S. Lewis' book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. One of the main characters asked if Aslan, a lion who was the ruler-king of the land of Narnia, was "safe."

"No," came the reply. "But he's good."

That's a bit like my grinder. Always be respectful and you'll be OK.

Josh

[Aurora Borealis]

This should fall under safety as well & what I was taught as a tot. No loose fitting garments / loose sleeves etc......

Sorry if this has been mentioned.