Vince Pitelka on sun 6 dec 98
Since several people have warned about grinder safety, I thought I would put
in my two cents worth. My consciousness about grinder safety goes back to
the required metal shop class with Mr. Blanchard in the seventh grade at
Garfield Junior High in Berkeley, CA. The standard practice, when turning
on the bench grinders or the big military surplus pedestal grinder, was to
stand off to the side, out of the line of fire while the wheel comes
completely up to speed. The same holds true for a hand grinder. When you
turn it on, hold the wheel out away form you until it comes up to speed, so
that if the wheel were to come apart from centrifugal force (usually from a
crack resulting from being dropped or otherwise grossly abused), you are out
of the line of fire when the pieces fly out away from the spindle.
I have using hand grinders of all sizes for grinding shelves, steel
fabrication, and other things for thirty years. I have always practiced
reasonable caution, and have NEVER seen any kind of grinding wheel come
apart. It is good to note that the wheels made for bench grinders are quite
brittle, while the wheels made for hand grinders are usually fiberglass
reinforced, and you would REALLY have to distress them before they would
come apart from centrifugal force. The cup stones are not fiberglass
reinforced, but they are very strongly bonded, and again there is little
danger of a stone coming apart as long as they are reasonably well cared for.
There is little point in being an alarmist about these tools. With
reasonable care in handling and use they are very safe. But ALWAYS wear a
full face shield, available from any good building or welding supply, when
operating a hand grinder.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@DeKalb.net
Home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
lpskeen on mon 7 dec 98
Vince's words of warning are well taken; here are some more. I spent
some time wearing a patch over one eye because I dinna wear goggles
while using my Dremel-type rotary tool. I was using the little wire
brush attachment and one of the wires flew out and went INTO my eyeball.
If that wasn't bad enough, the guy who removed it (one of the foremost
optical surgeons in this area) poked a needle into my eye while in the
process of removing the wire!
The next week, while again using the wire brush attachment but WITH
goggles on, got another wire in my eye. Long story short: When you buy
your rotary tool, IMMEDIATELY throw away the wire brush attachment, and
always wear goggles.
--
Lisa Skeen ICQ# 15554910
Living Tree Pottery & Soaps http://www.uncg.edu/~lpskeen
FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION!!! It comes bundled with the software.
The Bill of Rights - (void where prohibited by law)
Michael McDowell on tue 8 dec 98
Let me add yet another caution to the suggestions already given on this
subject. Before you set to work on your grinder, be sure to check yourself for
loose ends. Loose or unbuttoned shirts or jackets, necklaces, scarves, long
hair etc. Any of these things can get snagged by the grinder and will wrap up
quite quickly around the shaft, drawing you in with them. Never have been
caught that way myself, but I'll never forget watching another potter act this
one out at a co-op studio years ago. It wasn't as bad as losing an eye or
anything, but losing some hair and a patch of scalp can easily ruin your
day...
Michael McDowell
Whatcom County, WA USA
mmpots@memes.com
http://www2.memes.com/mmpots
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