Safety concerns for new knifemakers

Thanks! I spent the last two days regrinding, shaping, sharpening remaking an old knife. I used a Sears bench grinder and a 7" Skil belt sander wired upright on a jig I made. I also made handle scales starting with a chainsaw, compound mitre saw, and Skil sander. Darn near every thing I used wacked or bit me one way or another. I realized I needed to be more careful and started to wear my resporator.I had to drill out the knife blank holes with a hand drill and turned it into a spinning knife. I had sharpened the knife before I deceided to modify it. No harm done but stupid!:foot: I was too much in a hurry to put it in a vice. Thanks! I needed this safety thread before I really did something unwise. I use power tools every day and frankly I have forgotten how dangerous they can be. I will also get some beginning knife making books so I have some clue what I'm doing. The old butcher knife I worked on now looks like a persian fillett knife:D Sure is fun!:D I have too many questions which I will ask later after I have done some research. Thanks! What's in Mesquite wood that turned my hands purple?
 
Ah, yes, the old "spinning blade".
It works very well on a drill press too. A scar on my stomach bears witness to that. Fortunately I was drilling a piece of flat bar and not a knife blade or I might have had my guts all over the place! Just quickly drill this, I can hold it!
My trips to the emergency room to have grit removed from my eyes because I just quickly wanted to grind something and the safety glasses were a bit too far away have stopped though since I have to permanently wear glasses due to age and maybe some of those accidents. Now I always have glasses on just to see what I am doing!
Sometimes though, when you lose, you win!:)

Workshop safety is an attitude you have to learn and keep in mind ALL the time or.....

Mike
 
I worked as a safety professional for about 13 years, trained a lot of people, bought them equipment, re-trained them, supervised them, recommended discipline when necessary, begged, pleaded, etc. Even the best trained, best equipped, best motivated person will be injured when they become complacent.....when they finally reach that point where they've done it so many times that they don't have to be careful any more.

Right next to complacency is letting your mind wander. Sometimes, especially when grinding blades, I'll start to think about something else and have to get my head back where it is supposed to be.....where the belt meets the metal.
 
Very wise words Raymond.
Complacency, I think, leads to the wandering mind. Too tense is not good either!
With me, I remember vividly, the wandering mind led to the hit in my belly.
I had done this many times before and all was going well, I am after all, experienced and was feeling and listening to and looking at the steel. I felt the drill bit start to go through so I eased up on the pressure so that it would not bite, that is always the tricky part. I distinctly remember feeling it go through as it should and then I withdrew the bit too fast and lost concentration because after all, the worst was over. It grabbed on the way out!! :eek:
Good post Sir!

Mike
 
wow i definitely need to add these things to my list all i have is a hammer, a pair of long channel locks and linesman pliers and umm fire and a big rock, i don't even have an anvil, lol, question, it's cool to quench my blade in the creek right
 
I-think I'll stay away from the buffer thank you! :D ;I've had the fun of getting it from a grinding/cutting disk or a hand held drill...not good! :eek:

I'm gonna work at getting to be knife maker,these tips mean a lot thanks! :thumbup:
 
Using a buffer placed in the middle of the shop I find myself standing behind the wheel buffing on the topside with the knife pulling away. Is there a greater danger buffing from the back?

Went to Washington Arkansas this summer, saw a forging demonstration roughing out a Bowie knife and caught the bug.
 
I have my buffer mounted on a 2X6 that sticks out about a foot from the edge of the bench. In the event a knife gets thrown, it goes away rather than hitting the bench and bouncing. I have heard of some guys having a cloth below to catch a knife but I don't know how that works. Best just to be very careful.
 
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