Kickback - NOT woodworking

[PG-Zac]

Many of us have had a kickback at the table or radial arm saw, but this one does not involve wood at all.

Hands up all who have lost a little skin and maybe a few drops of blood to the wire wheel while restoring a ShopSmith?

OK I think I see a few raised hands - good let's be honest now.


Generally that skin contact with wire wheel happens when you are holding the workpiece right? with the wire wheel attached to a stationary tool - right?
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Try this one on for size:
I had my drill clamped in its little holder (shown here) and was firmly holding on to the carriage casting and vigorously working to get rid of some particularly stubborn muck when the brush jammed in a narrow space in the casting and launched it towards me.




Fortunately, I was holding firmly and was able to slow that speeding chunk of aluminium down quite a lot. It hit me square in the mouth and nearly knocked me off my stool. Luckily I didn't need stitches, but I now have 2 fat lips and scabs inside my lips where the teeth punctured the skin. I can't even smile without pain, and drinking from a cup or glass is quite a funny operation.
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[robinson46176]

I have never been injured by a wire wheel throwing something at me (just luck) but I have probably lost more skin to wire wheels than any other standard shop power tool. I have also had to pick a lot of parts up off of the floor. Buffing wheels are also very good at relocating parts unexpectedly. That and getting things really hot and you suddenly realize that your fingers are cooking.

[mickyd]

Your very lucky PG!!! Good thing you didn't break your teeth. Who would think it could launch at such high speed from a simple hand drill. I will probably use a face shield in the future when doing op's like that. I always have safety glasses on but now think a shield is best. I want to keep my teeth.

I was using a drill / wire brush combo between my knees a few months back and my T-shirt got caught up in the wheel. The entire drill climbed up my T-shirt and popped me in the chin (not to mention leaving some nasty wire brush scratches on some VERY SENSITIVE chest parts). Lesson learned.......wear a heavy coat along with a football helmet.

[wannabewoodworker]

Just to make you feel better last week while cleaning up one of my many table saw inserts for the greenie I had a similar experience. I got an arbor off of EBay that allowed med that was awesome to mount my 8" wire wheel on my Mark VII and that was awesome because now i had nothing in my way and could manipulate the piece I was working on in many different directions. Well while looking at this setup it dawned on me that this could be somewhat threatening to my body so I put the safety glasses on and gloves. All was going swimmingly until I moved the piece downwards and caught the edge of the insert on the wire wheel, it then launched it straight at my face/head hitting me square in the noggin'. This also caused the insert to break in half so nobody can ever say I don't have a hard head. I was lucky to have the glasses on and not get really hurt. I can be quite a knucklehead at times not thinking and rushing things without first thinking about what I am doing. The next time I made sure the wheel rotation was in the opposite direction from me so that if it caught it would launch it in the direction away from my pretty face and not at me. Lesson learned and without much damage done to my body only one table insert busted in half................

[hobbydad]

I had a wire wheel in my hand drill climb up my sleeve and get me right between the eyes. I was not wearing glasses, so it was a close shave... It was hard to get sympathy from my family for that one.

[foxtrapper]

I've also never had a piece launched at me, but that's only because I don't aim them that way.

With bench type grinder equipped with a wire wheel, the part always rests on the rest. I still sometimes loose them, but never had one launched at me.

With hand held grinders equipped with wire wheels, I've had pieces launched good distances, away from me. As well had the tool grab hard and jump.

I've lost a good bit of skin over the years to electric wire wheels, but never gotten a fat lip.

[johnmccrossen]

Also remember that pieces of the wires can break off easily when using a wire wheel. That's why a face shield and safety glasses should be used. A small chunk of wire is a very dangerous missle.

[fiatben]

My most recent experience had the drill clamped (or so I thought) to a worktable and cleaning up a handle off my SS. The drill vibrated loose from the spring clamps, grabbed/caught either the piece of my sleeve, and proceeded to walk up my arm at full speed (as I had the speed locked). It then leapt to the concrete floor and did a circle dance around itself and it's cord.

I totally agree with John about bits and pieces. I think that's the real danger. Sure, it hurts to get clubbed with a drill or to have a wire wheel claw its way all over your body, but those little flying projectiles of wire pose a very serious threat to the eyes.

I do find that as I get older I get more cautious. I tighten the chucks on all three holes, run the saw blade back down below the table when I'm not using it, put tools back where they belong so I can find them someway other than tripping over them, and keep my goggles, face shield and ear muffs handy on a pegboard hanger over the workbench. I intend to get very old while woodworking and to do it with a full set of digits and sensory organs.

[Ed in Tampa]

Never happened to me!

Will I go to hell for lying?:eek:

[PG-Zac]

I have safety glasses, earmuffs and gloves in 3 different places in my shop. That way I never have an excuse for not using protection.

I guess next time I'll pay attention to the wheel's spin direction.

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