# Who wants to see an idiot taking an oak bowl off the face mask?



## toddbeaulieu (Mar 5, 2010)

*ALWAYS WEAR A FULL FACE MASK !!!!*

So as most of you know, I'm new to turning. I've now blown up 3-4 bowls at the very end of the project … finishing the bottom. The next bowl will be different. I swear it. I'm going to quit while I'm ahead, saw off the thingie and sand it out.

Here's a video of a natural edge oak bowl that was 99% complete, finish and all coming off the lathe as I got a catch on the thingie (what's it even called? nub? umbilical cord?). It glanced off my shield, nailed a heater, the ceiling and smashed into a planer in the back of the room, turning it on. Noticed how I ducked AFTER it was well behind me!

Four hours wasted. Much of that time was spent trying to balance the blank with a chainsaw because my 18" bandsaw is dismantled.


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## builtinbkyn (Oct 29, 2015)

Hey you weren't an idiot. You had the facemask on! Thankfully it was just a piece of wood that broke. There's always more wood. Teeth? Well you don't want wood teeth.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

YIKES !!!


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

well okay, now I will have a drink.


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## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

Glad you're ok and it missed you. Just wondering if the glue block or the chuck grip let go? Could you post a pic of the bottom of the bowl?


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## Gixxerjoe04 (Jan 31, 2014)

How are you finishing the bottoms? My cole jaws have thrown plenty of bowls off which is frustrating as hell. Looked like it was gonna be a nice looking bowl.


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

Glad you had your mask on and were safe. I still think that bowl is salvageable. I see lots of high end art bowls with rather large cutouts like that. Become one with the wavelike organize patterns in the natural material or some such BS like that and I bet you can still make something nice out of it.


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## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

Wow, glad you did not get hurt. Question, what direction was the lathe running in. In the video it looks like you had the lathe running in reverse.


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

Things flying of a lathe is the biggest reason I'm not keen on turning. Doubt I ever will be. Like everyone else I'm glad you survived unharmed.


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## rustfever (May 3, 2009)

try wrapping the bowl with flexible plastic wrap, after turning the exterior and before starting the interior.


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

If that would have been me, my first thing would have been going into the house to change my under drawers.


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## Betsy (Sep 25, 2007)

All you turners are brave in my book - lathe work takes guts as well as talent.

As to this bowl - clean up the sharp edges - put on a finish and cal it art. No one will be the wiser.

Glad you are okay.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Before you throw it away, ask yourself, what would Frank Howarth do? 
He'd probably make a segmented section to fill in the missing piece and it would be better than before!


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## LepelstatCrafts (Jan 16, 2011)

I like it with the crack. Looks cool!


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## Woodmaster1 (Apr 26, 2011)

Looks like it got loose in the Chuck. I tighten mine periodically too keep it tight. There still is a chance for it to come loose. That is the fun part of turning green wood. You just need to duck once and a while. Happy turning.


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## Bill7255 (Feb 23, 2012)

Glad you are OK. I'm learning too. Haven't thrown one that big yet. I started checking the chuck was tight every so often. Your lathe looks to be the same as mine that is a 1973. I am thinking of raising it to a 18" swing next year.


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## toddbeaulieu (Mar 5, 2010)

Bill … Mine a '74. How's your Reeves drive working? I recently went through mine, half-assedly cleaning it up to solve a sticking problem. Been meaning to do a write up on it case anyone is interested. Would like to go back in and replace the key at some point.

Anyway …

I didn't take a photo before the incident, showing the final setup. I made a jam chuck with a paper towel to protect the inside surface. Brought the tail stock up. Not sure if a jam chuck by definition should hold the piece, because mine would not have. I was 99% done with the bottom and got greedy near the center, which I got a catch on.

I try to stand out of the line of fire as much as possible.


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## accidentalCarpenter (Oct 5, 2015)

Thanks for sharing, that was intense.

I'm still very much a beginner, yesterday was my second time on a lathe ever. The bowl I was turning caught and flew off. It smacked me right in the mouth.. Thankfully it was a small bowl and I walked away with only a split lip. I'm on Amazon now ordering a face mask.


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## toddbeaulieu (Mar 5, 2010)

Andrew, I really like this mask and it's only $30 or so on Amazon.

Uvex S8510 Bionic Shield, Black Matte Face Shield, Clear Polycarbonate Anti-Fog/Hardcoat Lens


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

First: I'm really, really glad you are OK and the mask worked . Second: I'm really, really glad the mask worked…it's the same one I have. Somewhere I saw someone's tag line that reads: If it holds soup it's a bowl, if not it's art. That certainly looks like art to me.


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## Knothead62 (Apr 17, 2010)

Turning isn't any more dangerous than driving on the highway. I always wear a full face mask.


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## Picklehead (Feb 12, 2013)

> Turning isn t any more dangerous than driving on the highway. I always wear a full face mask.
> 
> - Knothead62


Of course. But do you also wear it when you're turning?


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

When I was in middle & high school, the various levels of shop classes they allowed students to progress through always entailed the maximum level of safety guards, technology, PPE, etc. I do remember specifically that the wood lathes always had a drop down guard of a heavy welded wire. I think most new lathes still have these. I also think many people relegate these things to the same shelf as guard that came with new tablesaws. They took some getting used to for spindle work and they were a huge PITA for turning bowls, but if one exploded, there was no way it was going through the guard.


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## JollyGreen67 (Nov 1, 2010)

Glad to see you are ok! But - first things first, DO NOT attach the face plate to the bark ! Remove the bark where the face plate is to be, so the screws have a positive place to bite into.


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## toddbeaulieu (Mar 5, 2010)

Jim, I bought a large big to clear out a spot for the faceplate but I killed it hollowing a single vase. Either burned it up on my bad or it was junk. TBD. Irritated because it was to be used for plates, too.

I used really long screws on that mount to ensure it was well seated.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

> When I was in middle & high school, the various levels of shop classes they allowed students to progress through always entailed the maximum level of safety guards, technology, PPE, etc. I do remember specifically that the wood lathes always had a drop down guard of a heavy welded wire.
> - bigblockyeti


I remember those, our shop class Deltas had them although I can't remember seeing them on new lathes. We never used them anymore than we used the table saw guard.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

In the video it looks like your wood is turning backwards.Maybe you were working the inside opposite of you?I think I saw a gouge in your hand so you were not sanding.Glad you were not hurt.


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## toddbeaulieu (Mar 5, 2010)

It was turning forwards. My lathe has no reverse direction.


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## Laban (Oct 8, 2013)

I am pretty new to turning myself. I got a lathe at the end of the summer and I have been trying to teach myself. I don't trust myself trying to turn a bowl yet. Glad you are okay!


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## accidentalCarpenter (Oct 5, 2015)

> Andrew, I really like this mask and it s only $30 or so on Amazon.
> 
> Uvex S8510 Bionic Shield, Black Matte Face Shield, Clear Polycarbonate Anti-Fog/Hardcoat Lens
> 
> - toddbeaulieu


Thanks for the tip. It is hard to tell what you're getting on Amazon sometimes, so a referral is nice.


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## Nubsnstubs (Aug 30, 2013)

Todd, you ducked at the right time. Good thing you were out of the line of fire. The nub giving at that time is the reason why I invented the Tail Stock Steady. It eliminates at least 99% of those types of failure.
BTW, you were wiping your nose at the end of the video. Were you wiping the right place? hehehe…....... The devil made me ask that question. ...... Jerry (in Tucson).


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## toddbeaulieu (Mar 5, 2010)

You know, I looked around for a bit about such contraptions and couldn't find anything that fit my PM.

I do see that I could make my own and might. Just haven't gotten to it yet.


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## Nubsnstubs (Aug 30, 2013)

> You know, I looked around for a bit about such contraptions and couldn t find anything that fit my PM.
> 
> - toddbeaulieu


Todd, if that statement was directed to me, you won't find them anywhere but Woodcraft Tucson, Arizona and Woodcraft Fountain Valley, California. Of course, I also have a bunch. Other than that, you will not find them anywhere else yet.

As far as the fit, the taper is MT2…...... Jerry (in Tucson)

if you think you could build your own, I'd love to see the results of your endeavor…......... Jerry (in Tucson)


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