# Equipment SAFETY tips: The Lathe



## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

Safety in the shop tips; for the lathe.

What are some* tips to work safely on and around a lathe*?

(See all SAFETY TIP GATEWAYS here)


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

1. *no loose sleeves/cuffs* - they can get caught on the equipment or the wood and get spun onto the machine.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Whatever you do, no matter how bad you want to, NEVER use your lathe to baste a turkey. It gets gibblets EVERYWHERE!


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

2. *Always use full face protection.*


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

I also don't reccomend using a lathe to spin dry your shopdog after a bath. Imagine where that live center has to go and you'll understand why my dog bit me!


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

On a serious note, ALWAYS turn the piece by hand before turning the lathe on to be sure it won't hit the tool rest and take your head off!


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

haha *Jim* - I thought you said "gobblets" everywhere .. and laughed out loud… gobble gobble.. and woodturned goblets. Get it?? lol
But giblets is funny too

4. *rings are a no-no.* (Although I have to say, that my rings don't come off so I am extra cautious of how I place my hands on the lathe tools. Perhaps taping them would be a good idea.)


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Well, I wouldn't recomend wearing a tie - especially a good one - it might get a stain on it. Of course it could also get caught in the machine in which case you may find that your face has jut been remodeled.


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

6. long necklaces or *strings from a hoodie sweatshirt* would also fall into that category. .. how easily something disastrous could happen.

7. *safety glasses*-if a piece of wood flipped off and hit a "regular" pair of glasses.. not good.. or straight into unprotected eyes.. yikes…. of course, if you have the full face protection then that isn't an issue.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Use sharp tools, especially when rounding a square blank. A dull gouge catching a thousand mile an hour piece of maple can be a disaster!

Also, keep the speed down for large objects. If you're turning a 12" bowl at full speed the piece is going to kill you eventually.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

Inspect the wood for any weak spots that might cause a piece to fly off.


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

8. *Make sure you start out a new turning with your lathe set at slowest speed.*


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## GaryC (Dec 31, 2008)

MsDebbie, what a great thread! This should be done more often. GREAT IDEA! By the way, with my experience with the lathe, turning the power on is a serious safety no-no


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Great subject Debbie. The best safety rule I know is to learn as much as you can about how to turn properly. This will include how to use your lathe the right way, proper chucks, good turning techniques for spindle and hollow turning, tool maintenance, etc. etc. Turning courses are good depending on the teacher, professional videos are also great. I had to learn most of what I know from books. Professional presentations are best for inexperienced turners no matter what the media in my opinion because they normally focus a lot of attention on safety and they try to cover the whole range of issues.


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## Roger Clark aka Rex (Dec 30, 2008)

Rules to *LIVE* by !!
Super subject and great information.


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## Roger Clark aka Rex (Dec 30, 2008)

I could add: "Make sure your brain is engaged before turning the lathe on"


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Gary- Did I misunderstand or did you misspeak? Turning the power on is a safety no-no? Do you mean durning the power on with the speed set to high?


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Jim, I think "with my experience with the lathe, turning the power on is a serious safety no-no" was said "tongue in cheek". I could make the same claim myself.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Wow, now I feel like an idiot! I should have saw that! I always think people who don't get jokes like that look a bit foolish- and here I am on the "not getting the joke" end of things this time!

I'll try to recover by making a joke of my own…

Seventy year old Martha woke her husband, seventy-five year old George from his nap on the sofa.

"There is a truck backed up to your shop and theives are loading up your tools." she told him in a frightened voice.

He immediately looked out the window, then phoned the police.

The police informed him that it was Saturday night and they were really busy but would have an officer over to his place as soon as one was available, probably in about half an hour. He was advised to stay inside the house with the doors locked until they got there.

He hung up the phone, waited about a minute and called back.

"This is the fellow that just called about the theives stealing his tools, don't hurry, I just shot them."

Three minutes later an ambulance and two police cars arrived and the burgulars were caught red-handed.

"What is going on here?" asked one of the officers, "We were informed that you had shot them."

"Yeh, and I was informed that nobody was available." Old George replied

That's not actually MY joke, but hopefully everyone is now laughing WITH me instead of AT me!


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

I'm still back at the thought of waking up to someone saying that I was being robbed! YIKES.

safety discussion .. yes, I'm going to start one of these topics every month, for the next little while and include the link in the eMag.

Roger - that is a REALLY good point that should be made on all of the safety discussions. "THINK"

(and don't lathe when angry, or bored, or laughing, or … )


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## GaryC (Dec 31, 2008)

Jim, I'm saying that with such little experience with the lathe, it's almost a safety hazard when I turn the switch on. I'm afraid of that thing!


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

MSDebbie-How can you even run a lathe in Canada? I didn't think they had electricity in those igloos!

HAAAAAAAAAA! Sorry, hope that didn't offend anyone. I know not all Canadians live in igloos and own polar bears. I'm from Michigan, and we consider our upper pennunsula to be the same as Canada anyway. It's a whole different culture than the lower "mitten" part of the state. Those who live there call themselves yoopers (because they live in the U.P.) and refer to the lower residents as Trolls because they live below the Mackanaw bridge.

Nothing like a bit of regional humor…

Sorry, didn't mean to distract from the safety question on this thread… um… men shouldn't run the laithe shirtless because their belly hair can get caught…


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

hand-powered, Jim.. hand-powered. 
so a good tip is to never let your polar bear near the lathe.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

okay the other pretty much cover the most but use hearprotection as well 
and use the right ands sharp tool for the given task
and consider a footpowered lathe or polelathe they wuold never get up in 
the highspeed end …LOL

and remember a lathe isn´t a handtoolparty its a powertool

take care
Dennis


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

powerful words: remember that it is a power tool … I like that.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

MSDebbie & Dennis- The "power tool" reminder is a good one because I think the power of a large lathe is sometimes forgotten. I don't recall what the fastest setting on my dial is, but it's FAST and that means the outer edge of the piece is warp speed! If it comes loose, god help us all! And if you are reaching over the spinning piece to grab a tool with a loose sleeve…

Case in point- I was turning a 16 inch wheel for a wood bandsaw. The lathe head was turned to the side so the big piece would fit on, and it was secured only with a faceplate that has a screw thread in the center. That means it can strip out and fly off, which it did. Good news is it was spinning in the direction that hurled it to the floor, bad news is it then shot toward my leg like one of those flying saw blades in a Incan tomb booby trap. Twelve inch gash on my shin…

A lathe is like a car. Remember to secure whatever you're taking for a ride and keep in mind that speed kills so use it sparingly!


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

Never, no matter what you are doing, forget to wear safety glasses.
I have a simple rule with lath speed that works for me. Spin it as fast as you can *without any vibration*.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Grumpy- The safety glasses thing is such a no brainer I always wonder why people neglect it! I've seen people laugh it off and I always think, "at this stage in your life, are you still too cool for safety?" I don't care how they look, they are sure a lot more fashionable than a big pirate eyepatch! So I keep half a dozen pairs all over the shop. They're like tape measures or pencils, you always need one within easy reach at all times!

At the lathe I prefer a full face shield. I don't know if it safer, but it sure feels like it is!


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

I gotta say this, because nobody else has. There was a magazine article I read about a man who made lathe-turned trinkets to give as gifts…which he made on his old lathe in the corner of his basement for 30 years. He was interviewed in a local paper, and readers noticed in the photo that the man stood on the wrong side of that lathe for 30 years!!! The correct side was right against the wall behind it! His whole technique evolved around scraping, with the stock on the upswing!!! Lately, on craigslist and other e-classified sites, a pic of the backside of a lathe come up, with the motor and belt to the right of the toolrest!!! So… probably, that should be the first basic rule: Knowing on which side of the lathe you stand.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

That's almost as funny as your name, Poopiekat! Thanks for sharing it!


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

I wonder if they talk about that in the owner manuals??


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## Al_PG (Jan 29, 2009)

Use the tailstock when ever possible. Stand out of the way when turning it on.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

poopiekat he most have had his share of flying tools during time :-(


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

I have had my share of flying wood. Enough to know to be extra careful. When I turn on the lathe I usually stand to one side & put my hand up to catch the flyer just in case.
I got a hit on the face shield last week from a flying piece. Nothing to do with the chucking, just a split in the wood.


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

*I often wonder how safe lathe chucks are, because I've seen were a lot of you have had their work break loose.

For years I only used faceplates with no problems. The only time I did have any trouble was trying to use tech screws, because I found out they are to brittle. After that experience I've only used standard steel wood screws.

I recently acquired a chuck, but I haven't used it much yet. It's kind of hard to get used to using a chuck after many years of using faceplates*.


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## BarbS (Mar 20, 2007)

Um, I have one objection to an offered piece of advice here: wearing hearing protection at the lathe. I'd say 'no' to that, because with a spinning piece of wood, you Need to hear what it sounds like. A little 'tick' can be the warning to turn off the lathe and inspect the piece for cracks. A 'different' hollowness can alert you to punk or different density in the wood. The sound of the tool can tell you when it is getting dull. Full hearing is an advantage in this case, and there is no real danger to hearing loss with the lathe; I don't know its decibel sound level, but it can't be very high.
Okay then, I have another safety tip to add. What number are we on?
*#Whatever*: Don't try to clean chips and shavings off your tool rest with the lathe running. Blow on it if you must, but never put your fingertips between the tool rest and the spinning wood. Tempting, but a no-no. Safe spinning!


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

Actually, I knew a left-handed turner who used a reversible lathe, and stood on the "wrong" side so he could turn bowls.

And I don't have an anti-fatigue mat at my lathe (I'd like to be able to say "yet"), and I like having a layer of chips under my feet. Softens the concrete floor a bit.


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

*I think that turing from the wrong side would be really unsafe.

The reason is that attachments such as chucks, faceplates, or whatever is screwed on would

come loose, because they'd back off of the left handed thread.*


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## JJohnston (May 22, 2009)

I neglected to ask him about that. It does sound like it would be a problem.


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

we have a "foot power" on/off switch. That is really nice as you don't have to move your hands or take your eyes off the wood to stop the machine.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

This should go without saying… But no naked wood turning…. Just imagine the damage that could do!

Okay seriously though. proper clothing is key. I am a chunky kind of guy and tend to wear my shirts un-tucked. That is NOT the case with the lathe, where I tend to use a shop apron, and clothes get tucked and secured quite nicely…

Dust collection on the lathe is difficult, but don't ignore it! The shavings coming off the tools isn't that big of a deal beyond being messy, but the fine dust from sanding needs to be dealt with!

It was mentioned ad nauseum above, but I am going to nag again. FACE SHIELDS PEOPLE! Even with I still had a nice bruise on my forehead after a tenon broke free and pitched a bowl blank at my noggin. That sucker HURT!

If you can, hog off as much waste from a blank as you can on the band saw or whatever. Dancing with your lathe is not fun. Now I KNOW what Norm was getting at in all those episodes!

If it's so cold in your shop you can't feel your hands, then you can't feel feedback through the tool right? Warm it up in there with a safe space heater like an oil filled radiator or something…Numb hands tend to make for numb brains.

Likewise if it's so hot you are pouring sweat, that sweat is getting on your workpiece as well as the tools. Making those handles kind of slippery, one catch could rip the tool from your hand and make it a projectile. Keep your cool, keep your grip! (All it takes for some is just a simple box fan, for those of us on the gulf coast, it takes a bit more!)...

I am sure there are more, but I am pulling a brain blank right now…


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

Naked turning. I shudder at the thought. LOL
I am a leftie, I see no reason to stand on the other side.
I agree with Barbs on both counts. I don't wear ear protection & never put my fingers between the turning wood & the rest. If you need to touch the wood, as I often do, be reasonably sure it is round & even & touch it lightly underneath.
Another one to be careful of. I use 000 steel wool for a nice polished finish but be careful if the lath grabs it. You can get a surprise.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

Safety glasses, safety glasses, and safety glasses…. I also have a box fan with filters on the air infeed, and outfeed to catch dust from sanding…. works grrrreat


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## sedcokid (Jul 19, 2008)

1-Always safety glasses or faceshield
2-Always start the lathe in the slowest speed
3-Never under no circumstances leave the chuck key in the chuck !!


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## Roz (Jan 13, 2008)

Good topic and a fun read!


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

do regular maintenance checks on the equipment.


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

- Don't use sheetrock screws for attaching stock to the faceplate, they are too brittle. 
- Use as SMALL of a rag as possible for applying finish. 3" x 3" works for many applications. 
- Turning in reverse uses chucks designed for that purpose so they won't unscrew. They already thought of the unscrewing thing.

Jim, I loved the Turkey and Shop Dog comments.


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## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

Not nearly has there been enough talk about Dust and wearing a respirator. Unless you know the toxicity of the different woods you are turning do you even want to take a chance. A few years ago I had a reaction to spalted wood. My eyes swelled shut, I broke out in a rash and my lungs hurt. After visiting my optometrist, and after I explained that I had been turning spalted wood, and explained what spalted wood was, and caused from, was she able to treat me for fungal infection. Even if the spores are dead, they can still cause a reaction. 
There are many, many woods that are just plain toxic to breath. I just read an article, and I'll have to look it up, that gave the toxicity of different wood, and what I got out of the whole article was that wood dust of any kind isn't a good thing to breath. So my suggestion is to wear some type of respirator. Anything is better than nothing. I'm a living example. GB and safe turning, mike


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## canadianchips (Mar 12, 2010)

1.Turn material at proper speed 
2. Set tool rest at right height.
3. Keep floor area where you stand clean.
4. NO smoking during turning.
Jim we don't have igloo's in Canada? lol


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## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

I don't know if someone has touched on this subject, but you should learn to turn with both hands. I believe I read that in a book by Richard Raffan. It's just good practice so you can turn with either hand so you don't have to put your hands or body in danger of the spinning chuck or item you're turning. Try it and you will see the value in it.


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

Mike, what you say makes a lot of sense. Richard Raffan is is a well respected experienced turner & craftsman.


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## papadan (Mar 6, 2009)

Never wear gloves when turning, could get caught by turning piece. Along the same line is to always use small pieces of sandpaper or rags for finishing. large pieces can be caught and pull your hand into the spinning work, while it will just yank a small piece out of your fingers. Full face shields are nesccesary, but also wear safty glasses under them. The shields are not unbreakable.


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