Baldocker learns two lessons

[baldrocker]

Brain Fade.
Made a tapping handle to suit my new el cheapo drill press.
Tried it out, tapped several holes really happy with results.
Then BRAIN FADE! I switched it on. I dont know why, I just did.
Hasty step back instant cold sweat then watched in slow motion
as my hand went out to grasp the revolving handles. IT HURT LOTS
I was lucky it was a slap across the palm, it could have been broken knuckles.
Two lessons learnt,
1. BE ALERT.

2. ALWAYS PULL THE PLUG WHEN USING POWERED MACHINES
WITH HAND POWER.
Baldrocker

 

[Kludge]

OUCHIES!

I do hope it heals quickly. And I hope that it's a reminder to everyone that brain fade (or brain freeze or whatever one wants to call it) happens to everyone at some point or another. It only takes a split second of inattention to bring disasterous results.

You were fortunate to get only a "warning shot". Some don't even get that.

Best regards and best wishes for a rapid recovery,

Kludge

 

[mklotz]

I made a lock-out tab for the main power switch on my lathe. In use, it hangs from the handle on the gear cover and prevents the power switch from being turned from the off position.

I'm fairly adept at forcing myself into patterned, reflexive behavior so I always use it when I'm doing something like using a hand crank on the spindle or shaping a keyway with the carriage.

The amazing thing is how often I've reached down to turn on the lathe and thought, "What the hell is this obstruction doing here?"

On the mill, I leave the drum switch in the forward position and control power to that switch with another, front-mounted series switch. Thus I have no "muscle memory" for using the drum switch. When I'm doing something where turning the mill on would be dangerous, I simply turn the drum switch to off.

May I add that, had you been using a tap handle with a freely rotating guide pin as per some of my old posts, your accidental energizing of the motor would have been scary but uneventful.

 

[rake60]

Baldrocker you not alone in the "Brain Fade" area.

We've all done something similar at some time.
96% of all injuries involving machine tools are caused by human
error. The other 4% are machine failures.

The last one I pulled was defiantly human error!
No injury, but a broken chuck key, two broken belts and a gouge
in the back V-way of my lathe, added a little financial reminder.

Rick