First off this TECH Week is the shizit! My Tech post is Safety Items - now this isnt meant to try to be a all inclusive list but some things that I have. I know this is pretty much a no-brainer common sense but it's always good for a refresher course. 1 - Fire Extinguishers - have one mounted in easy view and access at each door opening and at welding/cutting areas. Check to make sure they are charged once a month - if not replace or get them refilled. 2 - Slip hazards - Safety dry, kitty litter, absorbit, rags all work to clean up spills. Be sure to check for risidual oils that dont appear to be there. Degreaser such as floor stripper that can be had at discount warehouse stores work well. 3 - Trip Hazards - Pick up tools, hoses, pipes etc. to avoid falling over them or stepping over and pulling a groin muscle (dont ask) 4 - Long Hair & Loose Shirts - these can get caught in moving equipment and next thing you know you and the machine are one 5 - Shoes - wear proper shoes to avoid stubbing toes, cuts and burns. Steel toe boots are nice when doing metal and heavy work. Be sure laces are tied. 6 - Paint & Thinners - Be sure to have paint & thinners in a designated area away from flames and sparks. Preferably in a metal locker or storage cabinet. 7 - Storing spare gas cylinders - Oxy and Acetelyne and all gas bottles needs to be stored with caps on in case they are knocked over. This will avoid a new hole in the shop wall or hot rod. 8 - Cutting and Burning Area - have a seperate area that is away from fuels, paints and combustibles. Have a fire extinguisher handy just in case. 9 - Welding Shields & Cutting Glasses - Watching monster garage and American Chopper and seeing these guys that are brilliant craftsmen welding without shields pisses me off and its on national TV (fuck safety, its all about the ratings) Once you wake up at 2 in the morning with your eyes on fire with a thousand needles in them you wont understand the importance of this. Always were a rated shield and eye protection whether it be brazing, cutting or welding. 10 - Hand Protection - wear gloves that arent too loose that they will get caught in your work. Nitrile gloves work well for doing paint work. 11 - Paint Suits & Respirators - Lowes and HD sell these cheap to avoid a reaction to the chemicals by your body. get a confortable respirator that will fit snug and has a filter rated for what you are painting. Well that is all i have for now - everyones safety should be the first thing to think about, afterall what good is a cool car if you cant see it or enjoy it because your hurt. Your safety squirrel - Dixiedog
I've got nothing against alcohol consumption, but Don't over indulge in the shop!! I was working with this guy who had a couple (too many) for lunch. He was operating a lathe when he came back, and pushed a thin piece of stock too far out the back of the lathe. The end started wipping around and he thought it'd be a good idea to try to stop it... Luckily he just got a gash in his arm for his stupidity. I don't think he ever drank at lunch again!! Drinkin' does throw off your perception and while sometimes that can be pretty fun, it's not a good idea when working with metal, fire, etc... Mark
dont mean to hyjack thread but pisses me off to see that DiMartino kid on Orange couty choppers drilling away with no satefy glasses Only get issued 2 per person. after that you are blind end of rant
InPrimer - exactly! At least some of those home improvement shows stressed safety - even monster house showed the guy almost loosing his finger as a wake up call.
Learned a lesson young, in the days when long hair was the thing...embarrassed and dazed walk from the shop to the house so that my wife could cut a 3/8th heavy duty Milwaukee drill off my head. Blood, hard punch to the head, the whole dismal shot. Yes it can happen to you.
[ QUOTE ] ...drilling away with no satefy glasses Only get issued 2 per person. after that you are blind end of rant [/ QUOTE ] I wear prescription glasses. I used to think they were good enough eye protection. After three trips to ER with chips in my eye, I finally learned. The first two didn't hurt top bad, but the last one was the worst pain I have had, and I had vision problems for a week or two after. It got so bad driving one day I had to pull over on the freeway. Every thing was just a blur. I wear a full face shield whenever I pick up a grinder now. Neal
I tell people: Make sure you take all your fingers with you when you leave ! I read an article by a Neuro Surgeon,he said you would not believe the number of people who show up at Emergency after they cut a finger off,and forgot to bring the missing finger.
[ QUOTE ] pisses me off to see that DiMartino kid on Orange couty choppers drilling away with no satefy glasses [/ QUOTE ] That whole show Pisses me off.
I used to wear my wedding ring all the time. That stopped the first time I dropped a weld glob on it. You can't believe how fast gold heats up. Cost me a gold band (had to be cut off). Goes for working around moving stuff also. Know any machinists that are missing fingers, dodsn't take much to snag a ring, braclet, necklace (gold chain? ) , and snatch a finger etc off. Also had a fireman tell me once that you don't want to hve the fire extinguisher hung in the likely place for the fire to happen. Other side of the room is better. Sorry to rob your thread. Never can hear too much about safety. Good job.
Speaking of wedding rings... When I was a little kid, my dad was harvesting wheat for a neighbor. The neighbor wanted to see how much grain was in the truck, so he climbed up on the bed to see. When he jumped down, his ring caught on a rope hook on the headboard. 275 lbs can take a finger off real quick. That will be stuck in my head for ever. I told my wife the story, she understands and it is OK that I rarely wear my wedding ring. Neal
eeeeeeeew neal.... its amazing, i follow almost all of these rules (I say almost because i sometimes let the shop floor be my toolbox) and i have not yet had a major injury in my shop. Is the amount of clutter where you are working on your list? It should be. Say, for example, you are working with your car up on your jackstands, and you can bareley lay down next to it because of it to close to a wall, or too much crap next to it. If you have to get out from underneath in a hurry, it wont happen. I have already told my soon to be fiance that i dont want to wear a wedding ring for the reasons stated here. I even sent her pics of some guys finger that was either posted on this board or another. those were pretty convinceing. stay safe fellas
I know too well about the burnt eyeballs, it is unbelievable pain. It happened once years ago when I was flashed too many times in one day, and once when someone else was welding near me all day. Imagine 40 grit sandpaper covering the backs of you eyeballs, and that's burnt Retinas. Remember someone else welding near you can do just as much damage - if you can see any of the light, even indirectly, you are at risk...it's a lesson you only need to learn once.
Somebody posted a thread showing his car propped up on Concrete Sinder Blocks in his driveway...! And he had that sumbitch really high! Use proper jackstands and ramps and give it a little test nudge to make sure it's stable before sliding underneath the car! Never mess with gravity..., case in point..., make sure the tools aren't laying loosely on top of the motor while you're working underneath the car. A little wiggle and you're wearing a Cresent Wrench on your mellon! And finally..., (saw this on Monster Garage and in person) Never leave any thing on top of a step ladder you're moving..., "OUCH"..., Man that's gonna leave a mark...!
yeah, weld flash sucks. i was at work welding up high above my head, had helmet on, green jacket snapped to the collar. My neck was hanging out because I was looking upward. you can guess the rest, mega burned neck. I learned my lesson, GE bought us helmet extensions, and I was on "light-duty" for three weeks!
Speaking of saftey gear: I have a problem. I am a big advocate of saftey glasses. I have at least three pairs floating around my (2 1/2 car) garage. I always reach for them before doing any cutting or grinding, etc. My problem? They FOG and I can't see what I'm doing!!!!! I like the style that look like clear shades, with the extendable arms for your ears. Does anyone else have this problem, or do I expel some exaggerated amount of moisture thru my nostrils? It's about 32 degrees outside, and 70 in my garage. Doesn't seem particularly "humid" so what gives? A face shield would be even worse. When I tried to use a cheap disposable filter mask tonight with the glasses, I took 2 breaths, and I couldn't see thru the fog. I thought about that product made by the co. that makes "Rain-X", called "Anti-Fog", anyone ever use these on shop glasses???
Try shampoo... Crazy as it sounds thats what they used in the Orange Bell that made the first flight past the sound barrier... I'm just forgetting the name of the plane!
Whenim under the car..never get under withoput something solid and bigger than my noggin under the car in case it falls. AND I ALWAYS CARRY MY MOBILE/CELL PHONE WHEN WERKING ON THE CAR/UNDER THE CAR. KEEP IT IN MY COVERALLS. COS NO AMMOUNT OF YELLINS GONNA GET YOU RESCUED FROM UNDER A CAR IF NO ONES AROUND.
We had a student at the school I teach at get metal in his eye so deep the doctor literally had to pop his eye out of his head so that he could drill the piece out. Can you imagine seeing your own face without a mirror or the feeling of your eye bouncing around separately from the rest of your body? By the way he had his safety glasses on when the metal found his eye. You also need to redirect your sparks if your grinding and be considerate of anyone else working around you.
Wingnutz: is this the picture you were thinking of??? Just to let you know: 1) I rocked it before I let if off the lift. It was as stable as it was on the frame. 2) I NEVER got under the car. I had to get the car this high to roll those damn ancient tech tires out from under the body. For those of you who are thinking of a complete body off or chassis swap: You need to carefully plan your attack. I had NO ONE to help me, and I managed to do this all by myself, in a few hours. It was stable, I used materials I thought were MORE then adequate to do the job (check out the pipe diameter of those home-made jackstands), and I never got under the damn thing. It worked like a charm, and a few hours later, the body was back on solid ground. Er, the wooden buck with casters. NEVER do anything as stupid as getting under a car supported ONLY by a hydraulic jack and no jackstands. How many of us have done that at some point?
For the fogged glasses issue I've been using the clear goggles that fit to your face all the way around. I spring for the more pricey ones with little vents all the way around, seems to keep clear longer.
Use the correct tool for the job! I worked with another guy, in a cabinet shop, who was missing his middle finger past the last knuckle, his ring finger past the first knuckle and ALL of his pinky. I asked him what happened and he told me he was cutting sheet brass on a table saw and it slipped... The next time we had a job that need some brass he asked me if I'd help him hold it on the table saw. I walked away...
NEVER grind aluminum or any other soft metal on a grinding wheel. If it loads up and then you come back later and throw a piece of steel on the wheel it will EXPLODE and throw grinding wheel shrapnel into your body!!
Wow, never heard that bit about grinding aluminum, so I googled it. REAL scary stuff. Theres a thread suggesting that the alum melts into the wheel and puts tiny cracks in it. Maybe so, maybe not. HOWEVER, the (U.S.) Dept of Energy states that the combination of aluminum grinding dust and iron dust makes something called thermite, an explosive used in incendiary BOMBS!! Relates an account of some guy half burnt to a crisp from a one second flash, after son ground off 12 pop rivets. Suggests a warning sticker on the machine. Jeez! Heres a brief quote: A safety coordinator at the Esso Oil Company plant in Longford, Australia, was using a belt grinder in his home workshop to smooth the edge of a hacksaw cut on a 2" length of 1.5" angle iron. He had been grinding for about 1.5 to 2 minutes when there was a loud "THUMP" accompanied by an approximately 2-foot diameter brilliant yellow orange fireball. The fireball lasted no more than 1 second and then completely extinguished itself. It completely enveloped the machine, his hands to half way up his forearms, and the front of his torso. Injuries included deep second-degree burns to about 60% of the victim's left hand and 50% of his right hand and first degree burns to his neck, chin, cheeks, lips, and the end of his nose. The right cuff of his shirt was smoldering, his face felt a burning sensation, and he could hear the front of his hair sizzling. Nothing on the bench was burning. A few streaks of white powder were deposited on the bench top and on a few items lying on the bench. The workshop was filled with dense white smoke with very little odor. His fingers and the ends of his thumbs escaped relatively unscathed as they were protected from the heat flash. He was wearing glasses, which protected his eyes. He also lost half his moustache, one of his eyebrows, and about 1 inch off the front of his hair. His eyelashes were curled by the heat but not singed. The burns to his face were caused solely by radiant heat, as the fireball did not come that high. Analysis: A few days before the event, the man's son had ground the heads off about twelve aluminum pop rivets. Finely divided aluminum mixed with finely divided ferrous oxide (the black powder residue from grinding steel) produced a compound called thermite. Thermite is used to fill incendiary bombs and is used commercially to weld large steel items. It burns at approximately 3500C (6300F), hence the extensive burns from such a short exposure time. Heres the site: http://www.hanford.gov/lessons/sitell/ll01/2001-36.htm and the thread: http://www.potters.org/subject29742.htm
[ QUOTE ] Wingnutz: is this the picture you were thinking of??? Just to let you know: 1) I rocked it before I let if off the lift. It was as stable as it was on the frame. 2) I NEVER got under the car. I had to get the car this high to roll those damn ancient tech tires out from under the body. For those of you who are thinking of a complete body off or chassis swap: You need to carefully plan your attack. I had NO ONE to help me, and I managed to do this all by myself, in a few hours. It was stable, I used materials I thought were MORE then adequate to do the job (check out the pipe diameter of those home-made jackstands), and I never got under the damn thing. It worked like a charm, and a few hours later, the body was back on solid ground. Er, the wooden buck with casters. NEVER do anything as stupid as getting under a car supported ONLY by a hydraulic jack and no jackstands. How many of us have done that at some point? [/ QUOTE ] That's the one ...! It's amazing how resourceful we become when we are working by ourselves...! Glad to hear you weren't wrenching under it while it was up there! But Man that thing is HIGH...!! (SCARY) Thanks for posting the picture.
[ QUOTE ] 1) I rocked it before I let if off the lift. It was as stable as it was on the frame. [/ QUOTE ] good thing you got the frame out from under there before you got bumped!
Thanks for the info on alum and steel-- scary stuff!! Here's a dumb one, but I always slide the spare tire under a car when I'm under it. It's nice and wide and there's no way it can tip like jackstands can. I'm always paranoid about falling cars, and always use at least two jackstands and leave the floor jack under it, too. I had a stock jack collapse on a van I was changing a tire on. Like a dummy I had my legs under the van, steadying the tire while I put the nuts on. Luckily I had them started, and my legs were on the sides of the tire or I might be missing a leg or two. And about a messy floor, I don't have a garage, just a carport out back, and I usually leave a few 4x4 scraps and tubing scraps on the ground. I figure anyone snooping around will make a hell of a racket.
Things work in mysterious ways sometimes. I write this post and this weekend I was under my old trailer grinding the frame to install a new spring hanger (safety glasses and gloves on) and a hot ember fell in my ear . I scrambled out from under it and washed the ear out and no harm other than a burn in the cannal - Talk about pain, damn!! Now i will wear my plugs when grinding and cutting.
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