The Flying Bowl

Sorry that happen.I hope it’s the pieces of the bowl you can’t find not pieces of your face. I’m glad your well enough to post this.

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

Sorry, to see it didn’t go well for you. Maybe there is a way to salvage it in some way and make work for something. Glad to hear you were not hurt. I have been taking classes in my area for a couple years. I was told they only resently let the highschools have use of the lathes in the shopclasses after a student was killed in an accident with a lathe in a scholl near by. I never realized the danger could be this high. I am sure it may have been the kids using the machine improperly and were not properly instructed on safe operation. We must be careful accidents happen quick.

-- Aaron - central California "If you haven't got the time to do it right, when will you find the time to do it over?"

@559: I actually took woodshop in high school back in the early ‘80s and that’s where I fell in love with turning. We had a very good high school shop and a great teacher. I’ve had a few things happen on the lathe that weren’t good, but I’m not sure I’d call it a dangerous tool. You can get hurt with a kitchen knife of course and all it takes is a split second of not paying attention or a simple mistake. So there are risks, to be sure.

-- Aaron

Glad you are ok. This can happen to the pros thats why i started wearing a face shield. they can be a pain in the butt but I still wear one most of the time. had a 10 inch piece come off and hit the side of the shield, after I changed my shorts I kissed that shield. Your bowl looked like it was going to be a nice one. Now it can be a nice plate.

-- PAPLOU

Ow, that is one big chunk to come off that thing. I’m glad you weren’t seriously hurt.

-- http://barbsid.blogspot.com/

Anyone who has turned wood for very long has had similar incidents. I had one large piece come off and smack me in the forehead, dropping me to my knees and another went through a $100 window. It does make you pay more attention to what you are doing.

Also glad you weren’t hurt but I did find a small bit of humour in your statement about it hitting you in the face…”and I haven’t found the piece(s) yet”. I hoped you were referring to bowl pieces and not your face.

-- Les B, Oregon

I can’t really tell from the pic, but it kinda looks like it may have had a crack that finally let loose.
Did you hear a tick tick tick noise before it broke?
I have heard a crack before I saw it.
Glad you’re ok. I had my face shield almost knocked off, it’s a wake up call.

-- It must be jelly baby, cause jam don't shake like that...

Unfortunately it happens to most turners sooner or later. To me more than I care to admit. Better to wear at least a face shield with those safety glasses, or maybe a “bit more”. Maybe even spring for the Kevlar EOD rated models. (GRIN)

-Dave

-- I'm not old. Just "well seasoned".

Glad to hear you are OK. Had it happen myself. I use a face shield

-- Norman

Yep Aaron we have all had this sort of “event” with the lathe, can be scarry at times, generally comes down to lack of / loss of concentration & not studying the changing timber as we turn, I always wear a full face shield when ‘roughing down” a new piece untill I am satisfied it has settled down.
Man I am pleased you weren’t hurt. :)
Pete

-- Pete G: If you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got

I’m glad nothing serious happened to you, and I enjoy humor note that I notified among that you wrote.

-- Ovidiu from Transylvania

Yeah it gives you quite a jolt alright. I try to keep out off the firing line as much as possible.
Glad you’re ok

-- A family man has photos in his wallet where his money used to be.

I’m glad you didn’t get hurt…

-- Chris ~ Central Michigan

Wow – usually these kinds of incidents are when turning some kind of really odd, gnarley crotch from a tree and you find a split.
Your bowl material seems very uniform, and you weren’t getting the wals very thin. Amazing this was such a catastrophic wood failure.

Always a surprise how often this happens with bowls – even happend to the guy right in front of me at a turning class – - as the remnants bounced around my feet.

Guess that powermatic cage is a good feature afterall.

-- "_If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves_." Edison

New to turning—- as in just turned my first little bowl yesterday. Your word of caution has not fallen on deaf ears! Thanks for sharing.

-- "Take extra care not to lose what you feel" (Winwood/Capaldi/Wood)