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...
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...