This is an article I wrote for my monthly article in "The Virginian". The monthly newsletter for The Blacksmith Guild of Virginia. I wanted to share this with everyone here as well. Sorry for the length...but hopefully the read is worth it.
President's Corner: "When wire Brushes Attack" July Newsletter. "The Virginian" Vol. 2, Issue 7
I recently switched out blowers on my forge. The new blower was bought at Quad State last year and was near perfect except for all the years of rust and crud. I decided to pull out the power wire brush and clean her up to get ready for the installation and a new coat of paint.
Maybe now is a good time to add that this was not my first time wire brushing. One of my main responsibilities is wire brushing, and I actually enjoy it.
Back to the story… I pulled out the saw horses and a short sheet of plywood and made a table outside. There was a breeze blowing, and I wanted to use that to carry away the dust and debris I was about to create. I also grabbed my safety glasses off the desk. I plugged everything in, slapped on my safety glasses, and got down to work.
I was getting close to finishing the blower up when I noticed I missed a spot where the fan housing meets the gear box (Champion hand cranked blower). I had squeezed the brush down into the corner to clean it out when the wire brush had enough – it decided to leave my hands and try to take a break on the ground. Unfortunately I was between it and the ground. In a heartbeat, I had a very powerful power wire brush mangled and tangled in my shirt, dead-center in the middle of my chest. I was surprised to say the least. I have had wire brushes hop and bump around while working but this was the first time it actually left my hands. This was also the first time I did not wear my full front apron. Luckily I had two shirts on. My top shirt had a hole in the front big enough to stick my head through. I went and got my apron and finished the job.
I am always hearing about safety from things I am reading in books and on internet forums. I also hear a lot from the blacksmiths I have seen demo and in class I have taken. Some of it I think is over kill but there are some basics that we can all use to keep us safe. The two big ones are safety glasses and wearing the right clothing for the job. Whether that means wearing steel toed shoes, aprons, or work gloves. Anything has the potential to harm you if used in the wrong way or if laziness gets in the way. I was lazy. I knew what could happen, and knew what I should have been wearing but failed. It brought something to my attention about general safety rules and advice. The things we are hearing about are not due to the everyday injuries of people doing the job and having freak accidents. We are hearing about people who knew better or were too lazy to take the proper steps to avoid an accident. Laziness is much more dangerous than ignorance. Lets all persevere to keep both out of our shops by knowing the equipment and taking the time needed to be safe.
Peyton