Had a scare

[Kevin McGovern]

I was finishing the bevels on a mini fighter last night with a30 trizact belt. I was really in a groove. The blade was post heat treat so I was methodically making a pass, dip, making a pass, dip...BANG. What happened was as I was going back to the platen, I caught the tip on the belt. The blade was ripped from my hands and thrown to the floor in an instant. Luckily, I use a funnel topped spark bong under my platen, so I grind with my feat about 2 feet apart to clear the bucket. So the knife hit the bucket, then the floor. There was a rip down the center of the belt about 16" long. The blade was completely fine save for a tiny scratch on the spine. I just got glasses for the first time in my life (bifocals- getting old sucks, but it sure beats the alternative right?) and I think i was slightly off distance judging wise due to the glasses. Or maybe I was just getting to familiar. Either way, stay sharp out there.

 

[KnuckleDownKnives]

I had one almost exactly like that happen except it was a karambit made from a file and the tip nicked the top wheel on my platen and in an instant went across the room. I now have a small gouge in my top wheel where the tip dug in about 1/4" and it shredded the belt. Scared the bejesus out of me. I gathered it was a good HT as the tip was still intact and not even bent.

 

[DanF]

That'll make the pucker scale redline! Glad you are o.k.

Edit; I couldn't deal with the bi's and had to do progressives, just couldn't get used to them.

 

[Busto]

Progressives are the way to go....ditch the lined bi-foculs you will be much happier!!!

The 3 most abused body parts...Teeth (still got 'em) Feet (take daily punishment) EYES (you only get one good set).
We take these for granted but when you think about your daily routine where would you be without any one of them?!!

 

[Brock Cutlery]

Glad you were unharmed Kevin. I had a similar experience over a year ago. I was taking the blade to the belt and just fumbled it into the belt.
Cut the belt clean in half and scared the heck out of me. Could have been worse. Keep an grip and take it to the belt methodically. No slop!

Progressives too! Much better than bi.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Yeah, I think all of us eventually do that when we are doing the fine finishing and sharpening. It still makes your heart jump into your throat. I fellow I know says, "I was glad I was wearing my brown pants that day."

About 20 years ago, I cut the heel off my left hand doing the final edge polish on a fillet knife with a leather belt ... and the tip caught as I returned from a pass. Cut the palm off my glove and the piece of hand was sitting on the bench under the glove material. I froze it for posterity ... until Judy asked what it was ... and I had to get rid of it.

 

[Kevin McGovern]

Yeah, I think all of us eventually do that when we are doing the fine finishing and sharpening. It still makes your heart jump into your throat. I fellow I know says, "I was glad I was wearing my brown pants that day."

About 20 years ago, I cut the heel off my left hand doing the final edge polish on a fillet knife with a leather belt ... and the tip caught as I returned from a pass. Cut the palm off my glove and the piece of hand was sitting on the bench under the glove material. I froze it for posterity ... until Judy asked what it was ... and I had to get rid of it.

Your wife is a saint.

 

[v8r]

I had a buffing wheel chucked up in my drill press the other week buffing some handles on a wharnie I was almost finished with. It got launched across the garage. It only had a small scuff near the tip and on one of the scales. My son then walked through where it's flight path had been about 2 minutes later. I told him probably not a good place to be walking through the garage.

 

[Kevin McGovern]

I am definitely not a fan of buffing wheels on drill presses. At least with a buffer you can position the work piece so that if it is grabbed, it will go to the floor. A buffer in a press makes me think of a spinning wheel of death.