Author Topic: Do Not Try This At Home  (Read 11008 times)

Offline Tennessee Whiskey

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Do Not Try This At Home
« on: January 21, 2014, 11:27:28 AM »
Seems like this is one of our least used sub forums and that's a good thing. Now, I have debated since Sunday whether I was going to share this with you guys and I've decided I probably should. I think it will good for "new" machinist, for those of us starting to have our first "senior moments", and will give the ones accustomed to having them a good laugh. So, here goes. Sunday after lunch I started making studs. I was using 1/4" 416 SS. Here comes the senior moment. I decided to just stick the length of rod thru the headstock and lock the outboard end with the spiders. There was about 2' sticking out on the outboard end. I set BooBoo on 800 RPMs, brought the tool bit up to face off, and turned it on. Well, about the time I touched the bit to the rod centrifugal force overcame the strength of the rod and it bent to near 90 degrees at the spider. Here's the real kicker. My lathe is right in front of a window, about 18" away. When that rod made it's first rev of course it hit the glass, it sounded like bomb exploded, glass was flying, and I was fighting back bodily functions and trying to get the sucker shut down. Nobody was hurt or cut, DOG took off to the far end of the shop and hid, and I stood there shaking. I cleaned up the mess and removed the broken window, ( got the price this morning $102.2 + tax) filled in the hole and called it quits. At least the shop was clean to start in yesterday morning. So, that's my confession. PLEASE pay very close attention to these kind of things. Think about what could happen to any section of your workpiece, not just the end you are working on. I hope my mistake will at least keep someone from making it.

Y'all come see us'
Whiskey

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Do Not Try This At Home
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2014, 12:07:38 PM »
Thanks for sharing it Eric. Far better that the window was broken than that bent end of SS tearing through flesh at 800 rpm!!! 

Bill

Offline ths

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Re: Do Not Try This At Home
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2014, 12:09:03 PM »
Something similar happened to me once, but not to that extent. I now have a block of wood about 18" away from the rear of the mandrel, with an aligned hole that longer pieces can be restrained by. Bummer about the window.

Hugh.


Offline ColH

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Re: Do Not Try This At Home
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2014, 12:13:57 PM »
Don't feel too bad one of my class mates at school did the same thing except the lathe was against a wall.  I would think that if I went back today the groove carved in the wall would still be there 40 odd years later.  :ROFL:
ColH

Offline wagnmkr

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Re: Do Not Try This At Home
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2014, 12:26:02 PM »
Thank You for that. I have been in the habit of doing the exact same thing. I won't do it any more.

Cheers,

Tom
I was cut out to be rich ... but ... I was sewn up all wrong!

Offline sshire

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Re: Do Not Try This At Home
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2014, 12:43:56 PM »
Glad it wasn't you that got broken.
Redneck air conditioning? :lolb:
Best,
Stan

Offline Mosey

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Re: Do Not Try This At Home
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2014, 01:01:59 PM »
Thank you for sharing, Eric. I have never done anything that stupid,  :lolb:. Not in a while, anyway. Glad your are all OK.
Mosey

Online steamer

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Re: Do Not Try This At Home
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2014, 01:06:03 PM »
Glad you didn't get hurt bud.    We call that "experience"..."Experience means you've survived all of your mistakes"

 8)

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline Don1966

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Re: Do Not Try This At Home
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2014, 01:19:33 PM »
Glad to see you didn't get hurt my brother. A lesson well learned, poor window.  :lolb:

Don

Offline Bezalel

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Re: Do Not Try This At Home
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2014, 01:20:13 PM »
Scary stuff Whysky.
 
Now I'm gunna need some help,  can you put up a photo of the spider clamp thingy yer talkin 'bout.
 
Pardon my ignorance but the spiders in my shed are there to catch the flys and roaches.
 
Bez
Queensland - wet one day, humid the next

Offline Tennessee Whiskey

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Re: Do Not Try This At Home
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2014, 01:31:32 PM »
Thanks for stopping in fellas. It was one of those "Why did you ever think that would work, dumb a$$" moments. Stan, redneck A/C, yup, supposed to be in the single digits this week and window is taking 7-10 days to be installed. Bez, I'll snap one this afternoon when I get home. Tom, no, no, no, don't do dat no mo.

Y'all come see us,
Whiskey

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Do Not Try This At Home
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2014, 01:34:29 PM »
Thanks for sharing.
It's worthwhile to show the wins and disasters. I learn from both.
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline Bezalel

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Re: Do Not Try This At Home
« Reply #12 on: January 21, 2014, 01:39:55 PM »
Thanks Whysky
 
I'm with you Zee, I just aint got enough time to make all the mistakes myself.
 
Bez
Queensland - wet one day, humid the next

Online steamer

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Re: Do Not Try This At Home
« Reply #13 on: January 21, 2014, 02:02:30 PM »
Don't beat yourself up bud.    We are human.   Which translates....we make mistakes....all of us

And anyone who says they haven't .....well....their not being honest...... 8)


Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline Jo

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Re: Do Not Try This At Home
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2014, 02:12:00 PM »
Just be thankful you didn't do what this guy did that was posted on MM:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOCVLRvGBl8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOCVLRvGBl8</a>

The exciting bit is 3 mins into the video and notice it took them 20 seconds to turn off the lathe :o

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

 

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