# Endmills are sharp....



## RCatR (Jul 2, 2007)

Yeah, I't's 2am and I don't want to wake anyone up with a noisy drill so I guess I can stick this brand new 4 flute 1/2" endmill into my vise, and turn the switch housing by hand to bore it out. *Slip* Got a nice gash on both my thumb and pointer; they run paralell to my fingers and are a nice 1/4" "deep". Now I know why the endmills were on sale, they're bloodthirsty!!


----------



## modamag (Jul 2, 2007)

I hear for ya! I got my fair share of fingers and thumb scar.
Hope your fingers heals quick.

Although, I'm night owl, I try not run any machinary after 11 PM. Most of my machines are "soundproof ... dampen", it's still alot of noise ~60dB between the 5hp phase converter and the lathe.

Between worrying about waking up my wife & kids and the part it's just too much overload for my brain.


----------



## RCatR (Jul 2, 2007)

Thanks! Glad to see I'm not the only one up at all hours of the day. Farmer/mechanic/tech support by day; flashaholic by night:naughty:


----------



## Tessaiga (Jul 3, 2007)

My knife took about 1cm of skin off as I was doing some work around the yard yesterday. So sharp it was that it was painless until the blood began to flow... 

Hope your fingers heal well Ryan...


----------



## Illum (Jul 3, 2007)

Tessaiga said:


> My knife took about 1cm of skin off as I was doing some work around the yard yesterday. So sharp it was that it was painless until the blood began to flow...
> 
> Hope your fingers heal well Ryan...



usually a clean cut doesn't hurt as bad...at least in my experience, now if you cut yourself with something jagged, like a bush knife...ouch


----------



## 1wrx7 (Jul 3, 2007)

Imagine the damage it can do when chucked into a collet and spinning. I'm still amazed whenever I turn the cranks and watch the chips fly. At least the clean cuts heal well.


----------



## Tessaiga (Jul 4, 2007)

Yep.. the skin was still hanging by a sliver when i put it back inplace and applied pressure..

today, it appears to have "sealed" itself over the wound and there's no more bleeding... so all's fine..


----------



## PhantomPhoton (Jul 4, 2007)

I too am a night person. I generally get a lot more "work" done at night time. I seem to focus better at night when nothing is going on and no one else can be a distraction. Perhaps my natural affinity for the night has something to do with my being addicted to flashlights.
I sometimes got annoyed with "everyone else" though when I am up at 3am and want to do some sort of activity but know that I can not because it would wake them. Eventually I just accepted the fact that I wasn't like "everyone else" and figured out what I could do late and what I had to get done daytime. 
Hope that heals up well.


----------



## greenLED (Jul 4, 2007)

:thisthreadisworthlesswithoutpics:


----------



## Cuso (Jul 4, 2007)

greenLED said:


> :thisthreadisworthlesswithoutpics:


Yeah !! show me some gore!!


----------



## RCatR (Jul 5, 2007)

Sorry guys, nothing but a scab now


----------



## wintermute (Jul 5, 2007)

RCatR said:


> Sorry guys, nothing but a scab now


Darn it, and I came back into this thread hoping for pictures!


----------



## Essexman (Jul 6, 2007)

When I left school I worked in a machine shop. On my first day I was shown round and introduced to all the guys. I was shocked to find that out of around 10 men, atleast half had bits of fingers missing due to accidents at work.

During my apprenticeship all I managed to do was get some muck in my eye, and a couple of small cuts. I'll never forget that first day. I think the manager knew what he was doing, as every year he would show another young lad round the shop, and introduce the guys.

I now work in an electrical lab..........

Maybe we should have a thread on health and safety tips.


----------



## will (Jul 6, 2007)

Essexman said:


> When I left school I worked in a machine shop. On my first day I was shown round and introduced to all the guys. I was shocked to find that out of around 10 men, atleast half had bits of fingers missing due to accidents at work.
> 
> During my apprenticeship all I managed to do was get some muck in my eye, and a couple of small cuts. I'll never forget that first day. I think the manager knew what he was doing, as every year he would show another young lad round the shop, and introduce the guys.
> 
> ...




I worked as a prototype machinist for about 4 years. I still have all my fingers. I would say that in the small shop I worked about a third of the guys had lost part of a finger. The only scar I got is on the side of right hand. I had just sharpened a 1 1/4 inch drill bit and put it in the tailstock of the lathe. The machine was turned off, someone called me. I turned to the right and caught the edge of my hand on the edge of the drill bit I had just sharpened. That produced a lot of blood, very little pain ( the bit was really sharp ) and about a 2 inch scar after it healed. Suffice it to say - I try to be very careful around machines - whether they are on or off..


----------



## modamag (Jul 6, 2007)

The old machinist (worked for Lockeed for like 30 yrs) that taught me instructed us to plug our cutter after every cut and during inspection. But I'm too darn young, cocky & lazy.

If I had listen to him maybe there would have been couple dozen more nerves un-severed on my extremities.


----------



## Data (Jul 6, 2007)

I do my best work at 2:00 AM. :candle:


My shop is too far away from the bedrooms so I can run the mill if I want.


----------



## modamag (Jul 6, 2007)

Dave, what happens when the wife turns over and asked "where are you honey?"


----------



## Data (Jul 6, 2007)

modamag said:


> Dave, what happens when the wife turns over and asked "where are you honey?"



she knows my shop number!  :naughty:


----------



## wykeite (Jul 7, 2007)

*Commonsense - inbred or learnt.*

I've seen far too many machine tool accidents, including one near death on a milling machine. The guy was caught by the cuff of his sleeve and got nearly pulled through the machine. Only the awareness of the guy next to him saved his life, he was in hospital for quite a while though. That's one of the more serious yet less gory ones to tell about. 

If you're one of the self-taught, please read the chapter on safety. No rings, no wristwatches, no loose clothing, wear eye protection I didn't and it cost me six hours in emergency with 5 years before the problems cleared up. I was bloody lucky.

Another thing that should be taken into consideration is that ever bigger machines are being made available to he home market. Whether these be new or pre owned they are powerful. Consider having a good brake fitted like the Colchester Student lathe or have someone in the workshop with you, even your kid as a 'helper'.

I've got some scars and lumps removed but then I was lucky. Just give some thought before you enter your workshop next time.

Stay safe friends:wave:


----------



## Data (Jul 7, 2007)

I take wykeite's advice to heart! Also never have gloves on your hands when operating rotating machinery like mills and lathes.


----------



## will (Jul 7, 2007)

safety-safety, Most accidents happen in an instant.


----------



## FlashKat (Jul 7, 2007)

like OOPS too late instant!!! I always followed the safety rules, and luckily have all of my body parts. Even til this day I still never wear watches, rings(Wedding Bands), loose clothing.
Here is a story I was told: A machinist wearing gloves was clearing chips away when the cutter caught his glove and SLOWLY cut and smashed his hand and arm at a feed rate of 1-1/2 inches per minute for 5 minutes until someone found him. Lost his hand and arm. This was a fairly large horizontal mill.


will said:


> safety-safety, Most accidents happen in an instant.


----------



## tinkerer (Jul 7, 2007)

I know....

-slitting saws do slit flesh...

-Watching a pretty girl walking by while drilling can put a hole thru the web of my hand...

-plasma cutting in shorts and sandal may make my shop smell like burnt hair...

-a molten blob of weld will do a "china syndrome" on my leg...

I wished I didn't know so much....


----------



## LukeA (Jul 8, 2007)

The toolrest on my lathe saved my life.


----------



## OddOne (Jul 12, 2007)

Some tidbits...


Never reach across anything moving.

Chuck jaws are far FAR harder than fingernails.

If it hasn't been deburred yet, it'll cut you just for looking at it funny.

Wobbling workpieces on a lathe are a Very bad Thing™.

If it's sharp enough to gouge out steel, don't expect your finger to fare any better.

oO


----------



## Dijon (Jul 19, 2007)

I haven't set up my home Machine Shop yet, but i have learned alot at work the hard way.

-don't leave the chuck key in, that one usually only takes once.

-set the right gap between the tool rest and the belt sander or bench grinding wheel so the part doesn't suck into the gap with your fingers between the part and the abrasive.

I can definitely empathize with any bloodshed, I've liked knives too long.


----------



## LED Zeppelin (Jul 19, 2007)

I worked in a shop for years and fortunately still have all my digits, despite the best efforts of a jagged vertical bandsaw blade. It made a nice hamburger gash halfway through my thumb, but fortunately I still have feeling. Nearly 30 years later the scar is mostly healed.


----------

