Gave myself a scare...

[CarvedTones]

Always remember - don't ever forget - take the tommy bars (or chuck key) out of your chuck before you turn on the lathe!

I am in sort of a factory mode with whistle blanks. I have several that I bored that I am turning down closer to final size and in some cases, getting them concentric. Before I made a single bearing steady, some of the blanks I bored using my 3 wheel steady were off center (which explains why the steady was taking such beating also). The holes are straight, but not right in the middle of the tenons. The last couple I made with the single bearing steady are dead on. I made a set of mandrels that let me turn between centers centered on the bore. Once I get them concentric, I switch to the chuck and single mandrel as it gets a more solid grip. then I swap ends as I shape so I am never working near the chuck. In all of the chucking, flipping and turning, I managed to get ahead of myself once and turned the lathe on with the tommy bars still in the chuck. They come out before it really gets up to speed, so your laundry is in more danger than your person, but it was still a pretty stupid thing to do.

I need to force that mental checklist...

 

[Mike Davis]

You only do that once, believe me!

 

[Mark Stewart]

+1 to what mike said. I really do understandas I work in a machine shope. I saw a guy leave a chuck key in a lathe chuck and turnit on at 1000rpms he had a little laundry to do.

 

[jcz]

I left the chuck in my drill press one time. So I know what you mean!!

 

[CaptnA]

DUCK!!
Very glad you didn't get thumped!
I used to keep the keys for my power tools right in the middle of the oops zone
so I'd have to check there before I could turn them on.
Now few of my tools have removable safety keys.

 

[Trent Mason]

Man, I'm glad you didn't get hurt Andy! :wconfused:

 

[gazzer]

I have never left the bars in but I have looked at them in the chuck and consciously wondered first, what would happen if I turned on the lathe, and second, how in the heck can I prevent it (knowing that we all have a lack of attention at times).

Some drill press chucks have a spring-loaded, self-ejecting rod that forces you to hold it in. My experience is that these do not always work the way they are supposed to. I wonder if spring-loaded rods are available? Shouldn't be hard to make, but I wonder if they would actually work?

-G

 

[CarvedTones]

I have never left the bars in but I have looked at them in the chuck and consciously wondered first, what would happen if I turned on the lathe, and second, how in the heck can I prevent it (knowing that we all have a lack of attention at times).

Some drill press chucks have a spring-loaded, self-ejecting rod that forces you to hold it in. My experience is that these do not always work the way they are supposed to. I wonder if spring-loaded rods are available? Shouldn't be hard to make, but I wonder if they would actually work?

-G

I suspect it isn't a huge concern because it really does just scare the daylights out of you; they didn't fly across the room or anything. Within the first revolution, when it really isn't going that fast yet, they come out and clatter to the floor. I don't suggest this as a regular practice, of course. There is a lot of danger in reacting to the scare.

 

[mtnfyre]

can't tell on dad but........

glad you weren't hurt