Lathe chuck guards - how many folk use them?

When I was on my moldmaking apprenticeship, my lead was showing me the ropes. The first lesson was his left hand, which had three fingers busted over from being in a hurry and trying to slow a large spindle. I don't think it was a guard that would have saved that, more the idea that you have to take your time and think where you're putting your body. If a guard helps towards that end then it's a win.

Scariest things, even on the little lathes, are a file (without a handle) getting jammed in the top side of the chuck or like someone said, those long purpley-blue strands of steel chips that will get around your ear.

Always nice to be machining in a t-shirt on a smaller lathe with magnification, and the tiny part is in a collet. Happiness.

But so has that type of industry as well..as attested to by many, many dozens of posts lamenting the fact..The surviving big production shops using manual turret lathes, etc, are few and far between - the big boys CNC machine's dangerous bits are all behind interlocked doors...Reduce the industry and you reduce the injuries.

I must have used dozens of lathes over the years and never one had a chuck guard. But that was in ancient times when men and limbs were disposable. Still do it at home on the Myford though.

If you want to see what a lathe can really do to a human being, Google "Man dies after pulled into lathe machine at work in Russia" and look at the video from Russia that pops up. WARNING!!! It is extremely graphic so if you have any tendency to PTSD don't look at it. Poor blighter leaned over a large lathe to wrap some emery tape or something around a revolving job, got caught and ended up all over the workshop, literally. Gave me a whole new respect for machines I took for granted all my life. I worked on lathes that size as a 17 year old apprentice onwards with never a thought that such things could happen.

Reading these postings I am going to refit the guard to my Myford. Nothing to do with lathe safety. One thing that does limit the lathe speed when fitted with the big 4 jaw chuck is its ability to throw cuting fluid across the workshop and onto the floor (everything to do with safety).

I have a friend who has used lathes all his life and is highly competent. He spent 3 nights in hospital a year ago after being eaten by his lathe at home. It can happen to anyone, even how cleaver you are.

JA

The graphs are per 100,000 workers not total injuries. Industry size does not factor in the rate. If anything production has increased per unit production even if there are less units producing.

CNC has helped too but is that not just changing the way we work?

regards Martin

regards Martin

Anyone who has used one of the early pistol drills, with a motor of 350 Watts, will confirm that they will twist out of your hands. A larger motor has the capability to injure you more seriously.

Your machine has a motor, and if you get caught in the work or a cutter that is revolving, you WILL get hurt.

One rap on the knuckles should convince you to treat any machine as being dangerous.

Even a tool in a toolpost will cut you. It cuts much harder materials than flesh, so will soon slice open your hand or arm.

You want to spend time in the workshop, not in A & E!

Guards are there for your protection, if available, use them

I am not suggesting going to the extremes of a full safety suit, but take sensible care at all times.

Howard.

I'm a time-served Centre Lathe Turner/Toolmaker - so I have used many machines with/without Guards. I believe my opinion is valid.

The figures are for all workplaces, not just industrial. I think since 1990, workplaces have become less and less industrial and more and more office work. Lathes have been replaced by computer printers. Milling machines by photocopiers. Stamping presses by coffee machines. Inherently a less hazardous working environment. Ergo, fewer serious injuries.

Many of the worst injuries have been "offshored" to China where safety standards are on par with our 19th century levels if the videos one sees are at all typical. Stamping presses without safety guards just make me shudder, having worked around them for some years but in the time when safety guards were mandatory and thorough.

From another of your posts (my underlining):

Chuck guard (I know everyone takes them off, but I'd like to use one at least until I get fed up with it)

Seemingly not expecting a lot of stamina?🙂

Rudyard Kipling , ' Secret of the machines ' , a 'must read ' above the entrance to every workshop.