Gloves/Safety Practices?

Steve,

I figure I will be quite a sight wearing my 3M airhelmet and a armor apron. Kind of a cross between a knight and Buck Rodgers! If I ever wander away from the shop I will be locked up for sure.

Shawn

Anything you want to do to get custom knives some press is OK.

Well.......keep it legal.

No gloves, EVER when operating machinery, and no wedding ring, jewelery, etc.
Only time I wear gloves is heat treating, and only 1 on the hand that is closest to the furnace.
I know a bit about Kevlar, having designed helocopter parts made from it for some 16 years. The cloth WILL NOT stop any sharpened, or pointy object.even in multiple layers. Hell-in the factory, they cut the cloth with utility knives. Bullets, it will stop-knives NO.
The best safety equipment is tough, strong hands and a head that is focused on the work at hand. And, once in a while, even with that, you're just going to get bit. I've got the scars to prove it.

RJ Martin

Thanks for your thoughts, R.J. Maybe we ought to open a thread of knifemaking scars, complete with pictures!?

Steve: Actually, that might be depressing. I'm coming up on the 1 year anniversary of my biggest cut-it took 14 stitches to close up, and required surgery 2 weeks later to repair 2 major tendons and re-connect the large nerve that runs up the outside of the finger (middle finger, Right Hand).
4 months later, after daily therapy, I had regained about 80% of the motion. However, I am still working hard on it, and am convinced that I will eventually reach 100%, and that the feeling will return to normal, although I do not ever expect to be able to straighten it fully.
If you want strange looks, just tell them you're a custom knifemaker as you bleed all over the Emergency room at 11PM.
All this because of an uncontrollable reflex action-but, it does serve to point out that you can NEVER be casual about making knives. Mostly, what I get hurt on are belt edges, as I do slack belt work and the belt jumps-those mylar belts will cut you bad and fast.
Also, I have seen several BAD cuts occur at shows as customers unsheath knives incorrectly and either stick the knife point into themselves or slip-up onto the blade. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS, and it is us knifemakers, behind the table, who need to properly instruct and monitor our potential customers.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

RJ Martin

RJ, God knows we all have scars, if we have been doing this long enough.It is not just the knives that are dangerous either.
Tools draw more blood then blades, as a general rule.
My wife hates how rough my hands are, but it pretty much comes with the territory.
Most accidents are caused by carelessness.
A sharp mind and a good focus are essential for self preservation. ALWAYS think safety.

R.J. I'm sorry to bring up a bad experience. Thanks, though, for filling us in however. I'm sure that someone will be alittle bit, or a lot, more careful because of reading about your accident. Keep working on those exercises and we all hope you'll get full use back.

Gene's right, we need to pay atttention to what we are doing, all the time.

Steve: No problem. It's just something to live with-you really can't forget about it, because, right now, it's "different". So, at least I'm always focused on safety.
Like my wife says, who is way smarter than I, "just be glad it didn't end up on the floor"
You know what? She's RIGHT.
When I worked at Sikorsky, they used to have pictures all over of injuries-really nasty ones-fingers getting ripped off (wedding rings), etc.
Safety glasses were MANDATORY in the shop, as was hearing protection in a lot of places.
Point is, this is a good topic, and, it's being uncomfortable with the possibilities that makes it sink in-that's why I posted.

RJ

Thannks. Two great points you made:

Think safety!

Admit that one's wife is the smarter of the two and listen to her!

I'm a knifemaking newbie, but am a Gunsmith, have trained as a machinist, and do hobby blacksmithing.. and have managed to at the same time give myself about every MINOR injury possible, and avoid stitches or hostpital trips...

First; J Loose mentioned Didymium safety glasses...
THEY DO NOT STOP IR OR UV UNLESS THEY ARE GOLD COATED! Check the Manufacturers specs! They are made to stop the yellow spectrum flare from sodium in glassmakers kilns. Once again, UNLESS they ALSO have a gold overcoating, they DO NOT STOP IR OR UV!
There was a very long thread about this last year on the Blacksmiths' Virtual Junkyard... and I did a LOT of reading.

Gloves; I avoid wearing them around ANYTHING that moves... particularly if it moves under power. The only time I wear gloves is on my work holding hand when I'm forge welding. I don't even like the loss of control on the tongs I get then, but the flux spatter is worse.

My own personal safety tip (other than safety glasses and hearing protection from the moment I walk into the shop to the minute I step out) is to PAY ATTENTION to what you're doing; if you are daydreaming, and being lax with work holding (etc) , you're GOING to hurt yourself! If you're going to clamp something, CLAMP IT! Don't try to half-ass it, get the vise, vise grips, C-clamp, or whatever SET PROPERLY so it's not going to slip.

Anyway, those are my thoughts... that I can think of right now...
Paul F.

Hey Shyning,

I just came across a website that mentioned the gold-coated lenses. I was curious since it seemed a bit like an advertisement:

www.glassschell.com/eyecare.htm

However- I am thinking of adding a health / safety compendium to my website and would love further information on the subject.

Would you mind posting a new thread with a brief cover of the subject?

I'm assuming that your are specifically talking about the need of these types of glasses for forging....

Yes, I was referring to forge-safety-glasses... Sorry if I caused confusion..

I will start another thread, but I'm far from an expert!
Hopefully the experts will speak up with their expertise.

Paul F.

Thanks. I thought so. The new thread will be good and I'm sure we'l get some good input form those who know.