Help - this is scary!

peter blair

Member
Messages
42
Location
Ladner BC
Greetings all.

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this request for help, but I hope if it isn't, that someone will move it where it belongs.

Today I read a News Letter from an extremely talented and world respected Wood Turner. I won't mention his name here because I am certainly not trying to cause him any difficulty.

In his News Letter it is indicated that an Articulated hollowing tool is dangerous as it can cause a catastrophic catch and somehow cut a finger off the turner! This of course is worrisome for me as I use an older style Articulated arm hollowing tool and wonder if there is any history of injuries especially amputations that can be attributed to this type of tool.

If this tool is as dangerous as portrayed, I would sure like to know, I have been crusing along believing that I am turning in a fairly safe manner at least safer than when I was hollowing with a hand held Sorby scraper . . . . .

Pete
http://www.woodbowlsandthings.com
 
Pete, Most tools are dangerous, it's the operator that is usually at error. Having not used an articulating arm for turning, I can't say that it's more or less dangerous than a free hand with a rest style, but sure looks safer than using the free hand/rest style. What did the article say was the un-safe part of the tool?
 
Hey Darren.

I am a VERY LONG term woodworker and as such have a huge respect for the dangers of working with tools.

The suggestion in the article was that if you are working inside a vessel undercutting and something unwanted happens a catch could amputate a finger.
I don't doubt that there is a very real danger of a catch but I can't believe a finger could be cut off, but I've been wrong before, so I was just wondering if there was any history of this actually happening. If this is a real danger I would sure like as much information as I can get to minimize the hazards to my fingers while using my System.

Pete
http://www.woodbowlsandthings.com
 
i quess i would talk with folks like bill grumbine and others that have done alot of turning.. maybe talk with the national turners club, dont know there right name and se if they got any answers for you..
 
Every tool is dangerous and each possesses multiple ways of hurting you.

Recently I heard of wood turner who lost the last joint of his ring finger on the band saw. No, he did not cut it off. He was cutting a large square to length and somehow the bandsaw grabbed the piece of wood and rolled it toward the blade and slammed it on the table with such force that the end of his finger was crushed. Who would have thought such a thing was possible?

Without details of how the accident happened a blanket statement that articulated hollowers are dangerous is both true and not true. Anything is possible under the right circumstances. Possibly there was gigantic catch of some sorts that caused the hollowing bar to lift and slam down with a finger under it and crushing or cutting the finger on the tool rest. Same thing can happen with almost any lathe tool under the right circumstances. Catches have been known to break tools, tool rests, tool slides and worse bones.

Let's be careful out there and make sure we are presenting the tool to the wood safely at safe speeds.
 
Hey Randy. I was trying not to do that but if I must I must.
The Oct/Nov News Letter from Lyle Jamieson. I really like the fact that he seems so open to questions and has answered a few of mine. Just concerned that the statement he makes suggests that the type of system I use is inherently dangerous. He didn't actually indicate an or some instances of injury only indicated that there is the potential for injury.
If you are interested in the News Letters they can be found at https://www.lylejamieson.com/information/newsletter.asp but I don't see the Oct/Nov 2011 listed there yet.

Pete
 
Peter, the only way I can see an articulating arm hollower pinching (and amputating) a finger would be if the user put his finger in a position that could be pinched. By their very nature, the articulating arms have several pinch points. I just keep my fingers out of those areas. I don't know Lyle, and I respect him greatly as a turner, but I also suspect there could be a bit of bias in his suggestion, since he does sell a competing hollowing system. (A system which, if held incorrectly, also has potential pinch points.)
 
I have to agree with what Vaughn said. I got one of the first articulating systems that Randy put out. Yes there are areas that could pinch but like any other tool you just have to be aware. I have never had a pinch or a problem and of course that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. I also have the captured system that Randy makes much like the system Lyle makes. There are points on it that I think are much more likely to pinch than the articulating arm unit. I do have the upmost respect for Lyle and have seen a couple of his demo's. I think he gets a little carried away at times on the safety thing but I also agree it may be a little bit biased.
 
Haha, I must be psychic! My first thought when I read your original post was Lyle Jamieson. It appears to be a not-so-subtle way to encourage folks to buy his system. Ya' know, scare people....get them to ask "Then what system IS safe?" Cue product plug.

In any case, I have used small and super huge trapped bar hollowing systems (like Jamieson's). There's danger with those as well (i.e. - hollowing natural edge vases.) In the very least his letter is a good reminder to know the tools and systems you're working with so you can use them as safely as possible.

Hutch
 
not being a woodturner, and not using a lathe more than 1 hour in my life, am I right to say that using a hollower is working blind inside the piece, not being able to see what your cutting?(just by feel?)
 
I have the Lyle Jamieson hollowing rig.

That being said, any tool is dangerous..including Mr. Jamieson's version.

When dealing with any tool.....there is a potential for them to be dangerous. Different methods of using them, a lack of experience and training can all lead to an accident. In my personal life, the worst injury I've experience while using a tool was involving a drill press. The young dummy operating it (that would be me nearly a half century ago) was holding a small piece of sheetmetal with his left hand while operting the drill press with his right hand. When the drill bit failed to completely exit the sheetmetal, it caught the sheetmetal, and it became spinning blade. I suffered several deep cuts on my left hand as a result. Was it the drill presses fault? No. It was my lack of experience and education using a drill press. I was the nerd who took physics, chemistry and higher level math classes in HS...no shop.....:doh:
 
I have a Monster hollowing rig - I like it - I feel its as safe (or safer) as anything else out there, including the hand held hollowing tools - I make sure everthing is tightened up when using it and I keep it maintained (oiled and clean) - When using my hollowing rig if I do not feel comfortable with the cutting setup or if the wood is questionable (cracking, checking, punky etc.....) I just do not proceed - I scrap it out and start another project - working as safely as possible is what keeps turning fun for me. If I have a mishap like going thru the side wall and ruining the vessel I stop everything im doing and analyze carefully why things went wrong. You can call it operator error because it usually is but that is always a possiblity with any tool your using.
Hearing about seriously bad accidents that happen during turning is always of concern and interest because hopefully we all learn from them also by analzying what went wrong .......although I hate hearing about them happening.
 
Hey guys and thanks for the comments. I agree that all tools are dangerous if used without care or improperly. This is probably the message he was trying to send but it sounded as if it was an everyday threat. With all your comments in mind I shall continue to use my hollowing rig while keeping focused on what I am doing and where my hands are.


Pete
http://www.woodbowlsandthings.com
 
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