Safety first - Pinch points (minimally graphic image warning)

JV Knives

JV Knives

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jun 11, 2008
Messages
1,392
Hi gents,

While my passion is knife making, engineering for an automotive manufacturer pays my bills :). One of the great things we do in industry is reflect back on safety issues/accidents and evaluate with the desire to improve. That process, puts me here talking to you gentlemen after a recent event in the shop. Hopefully, something good can come from my mistake.

I buy materials from an online supplier who includes a bandage in every shipment. I chuckle when I see them. This week, I used them all :oops:.

Below, is an attachment close up of what 60 grit zirconia does to your middle finger nail when combined with a pinch point from a tool rest (not super graphic, but not putting it in the post due to some people are squeamish about such things). It was quicker than "a jack rabbit on a date" and man did it bleed. Luckily, my 2HP 2x72 was only running about 25%. I'm fine now, and hoping to pass on some hard learned reminders.

ANY time you are dealing with a moving wheel or abrasive belt, you must be careful of stationary objects close to the movement (think tool rest, guard, cover, etc). They create a "pinch point" which could also be viewed as a hungry blackhole, seeking your skin ;). Complacency and familiarity were my enemy in this case. Don't let them be yours. Identify pinch points with bright colors or stripes to help remember and identify.

Grind on, brothers. Safely :thumbsup:

John
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1778[1].JPG
    IMG_1778[1].JPG
    359.9 KB · Views: 4
You should *try * what can 36 grit ceramic belts do to finger on 30 m/s 🤣
We are just human and human make mistake :)
 
In the industry I work (automation), we want gaps between stationary objects and moving objects to be .250" or less.
What happened to you was best case scenario (sorry it happened) but still...... I'm glad it wasn't worse!

If the gap were larger..... fingers, hands, arms, etc could have been lost.

I was always taught..... Short sleeves No loose fitting clothing, No gloves, No watches or Jewelery, No long hair.

Now a days in the shops I see, are just accidents waiting to happen. :/


I hope you heal quickly, keep it clean.
I find hand washing the dishes seems to speed the recovery of hand injuries. A good soaking.
 
Natlek said:
You should *try * what can 36 grit ceramic belts do to finger on 30 m/s 🤣
We are just human and human make mistake :)
Click to expand...
I thought about 36 grit after it happened as I use it often, and in ceramic which just looks more brutal 🫤 glad it wasn’t that !
 
I ground a good bit of my right thumb off when my toolrest dropped down suddenly when I was hogging a blank on a Grizzly Knifemaker grinder (Super fast belt sander) with a 36 grit ceramic belt and the blade and my thumb went between the rest and the wheel. My thumb got ground down until it was able to go between the rest and the wheel, took less than a second. Almost got down to the bone! I went inside, washed it out with peroxide, wrapped it up and went back out grinding. Everything grew back fine, so I was very lucky! I don't like tool rests much because of that, so I am very leary of them and make sure they are fully locked in place!
 
Taz said:
I ground a good bit of my right thumb off when my toolrest dropped down suddenly when I was hogging a blank on a Grizzly Knifemaker grinder (Super fast belt sander) with a 36 grit ceramic belt and the blade and my thumb went between the rest and the wheel. My thumb got ground down until it was able to go between the rest and the wheel, took less than a second. Almost got down to the bone! I went inside, washed it out with peroxide, wrapped it up and went back out grinding. Everything grew back fine, so I was very lucky! I don't like tool rests much because of that, so I am very leary of them and make sure they are fully locked in place!
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing that one....but sorry it got you like that! Honestly, I went right back to grinding too with 2 bandaids on. I'm a firm believer in getting back on the horse...of course I used peroxide and such later :)
 
When teaching shop practice to jewelers, the rules are the same as a machine shop - NO loose clothes, jewelry, long sleeves, or long hair.
I'll tell you a very serious instance that happened in a friend's shop.
He was partying with his staff and friends on New Years Eve at the shop after they closed. Alcohol flowed freely. One of the gals decided to buff her ring. She had very long hair which was usually tied up on her head but was down for the party. Our buffing machines are beasts with large powerful motors. They have a self-contained vacuum system to catch all dist. She bent over while polishing and the vacuum pulled her long hair toward the wheel. The wheel grabbed her hair and in 1/100th of a second pulled her head down to smack the polishing machine ... and ripped the top of her scalp off her skull. She was out cold on the floor with an exposed skull and the buffer still running. My friend was a quick thinker (army training). He shut off the buffer, unwrapped the hair and scalp off the shaft, wrapped it in a wet towel, and put another wet towel over her skull. He picked the gal up, tossed her in the car and headed straight for the ER. They were able to re-attach her scalp and she eventually had hair again.

I have seen fingers de-gloved at the Ford Plant and fingertips pinched off in pinch points on machinery. You cannot take these things for granted.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
When teaching shop practice to jewelers, the rules are the same as a machine shop - NO loose clothes, jewelry, long sleeves, or long hair.
I'll tell you a very serious instance that happened in a friend's shop.
He was partying with his staff and friends on New Years Eve at the shop after they closed. Alcohol flowed freely. One of the gals decided to buff her ring. She had very long hair which was usually tied up on her head but was down for the party. Our buffing machines are beasts with large powerful motors. They have a self-contained vacuum system to catch all dist. She bent over while polishing and the vacuum pulled her long hair toward the wheel. The wheel grabbed her hair and in 1/100th of a second pulled her head down to smack the polishing machine ... and ripped the top of her scalp off her skull. She was out cold on the floor with an exposed skull and the buffer still running. My friend was a quick thinker (army training). He shut off the buffer, unwrapped the hair and scalp off the shaft, wrapped it in a wet towel, and put another wet towel over her skull. He picked the gal up, tossed her in the car and headed straight for the ER. They were able to re-attach her scalp and she eventually had hair again.

I have seen fingers de-gloved at the Ford Plant and fingertips pinched off in pinch points on machinery. You cannot take these things for granted.
Click to expand...
Stacy, you are gonna give me nightmares and I even have short hair.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top