A close shave!

[DismalduncParticipant @dismaldunc]

Hi Chaps

So a few weeks ago I took delivery of my lovely new Warco wm 250 lathe (Which I luurve muchley and wonder how I got by with a mini lathe for so long) and needed to bore the middle of the water jacket for my Hemmingway Wyvern engine.

Unpacked the 4 jaw chuck which came on a backplate with studs and nuts, cleaned off the grease and fitted to the lathe (really just another 15mm would make it easier

did the machining which turned our fabbo and looks great then decided to refit the 3 jaw, I loosened the three securing nuts a few turns but the chuck was stuck on the lathe. So I gave it a tap with my nylon headed hammer and the chuck just FELL OFF on to the lathe bed leaving the backplate securely stuck on the lathe mandrill (luckily I always stick a big lump of hardwood on the ways when changing chucks).

I later found the 4 cap head screws in the cardboard box tucked under the oily flap. If the things had come loose while spinning at speed I'm fairly sure it would have climbed up the front of me as the jaws were sticking out from the body like gear teeth….. Not blaming WARCO at all, just my self for not checking.

No point doing the lottery this month I think I have used up my luck quota

[DismalduncParticipant @dismaldunc]

or oops I nearly hurt myself..or a cautionary tale

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Momentary loosening of bowels……
Yeah if we live long enough we will all have been somewhere like that.

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

It does make the heart beat faster.

But at least you know the backplate is machined to a close fit!

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

That's what I like about my old Drummond, it's never over 400rpm

Disaster can happen, but not annihilation

Edited By Ady1 on 04/12/2013 01:51:20

[LambtonParticipant @lambton]

Why are you not blaming Warco?

They should either have assembled the chuck safely or put an instruction or warning to alert the new owner to its unassembled state. Had you have had an accident resulting in injury you could have had a case for negligence against Warco.

Dear Worco read this and please ensure the appropriate action is taken.

Eric

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

"Near Miss Reporting" also known as "OFDFIRT" (Oh Fudge! Did I Really do That?"

You probably have gummy old oil to thank as much as the register – and a big dollop of luck.

I would let Warco know, if only to salve your conscience if someone does come unstuck in the future.

Neil

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

You had a lucky escape there!

Reminds me of the day not long ago when I put my palm down onto a spinning circular saw and felt/heard a ripping sound.

No sympathy whatsoever from other half, she being a nurse.

No pain whatsover. Still can't believe it.

1.1/2" gash and five stitches, and the only pain was from the injections prior to being stitched up.

Luckily the saw ripped into the fleshy heel opposite the thumb.

Even now I shudder when thinking how the outcome would have been so different, if the saw had been only an inch further towards my wrist.

Geoff – Started to get workshop organized, something I've been promising myself for ages (years actually)

[DismalduncParticipant @dismaldunc]

hi folks

Well thanks to you all for not calling me an eejit! I called Warco this am and let them know about this they said they were pleased for the feedback and would look into it.

Dunc

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

Well D I would be surprised if they do anything this company for years have just shipped boxes in and out. Was different in old man Warrens time.

Bob

[John McNamaraParticipant @johnmcnamara74883]

One to watch out for is working on recycled steel scrap.

A couple of years back I needed a chunky shaft for a project. There in the scrap box was just the right piece covered in rust, it needed to have a flange turned off if and a fair amount of reduction in diameter but it would be fine, the rust will be gone… Well so I thought. My lathe is a bit of a beast so a couple of nice deep passes should bring it to size, So I put it in the three jaw and set t work. Mostly the work I do is too small for heavy cuts, so a chunk like this is good, I was thinking lets see what she, the lathe can do…..From memory after a skim I set to with a 5mm deep cut and a hefty feed at about 200rpm

What I did not know was it was not one piece but two press fitted together, you could not see a join under the rust, I soon found out, there was a loud BANG as the pressed fit yielded and the end of the piece cocked sideways and somehow ripped the end off a 25mm tool holder before separating and narrowly missing me. all in a split second.

I am now very careful when working with scrap.

Regards
John

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