Safety discussions

A friend from another country was using a thin cut-off wheel by canting it on its side as one would use a disc sander with flexible backing. The wheel blew apart and caused him the loss of one eye. Another shard penetrated his skull and stopped 1/8 inch from his brain. He was wearing a face mask, but nevertheless... Since that time, he has recovered and is still in business.

Hi, newbie. Had a trial day blacksmithing and have been meaning to sort out a forge for some time. I was going to get a coke forge with a neighbour but he has been very busy with other stuff. Anyway, rightly or wrongly I have started down the path of a gas forge. I will go with a variation of a pile of bricks forge where I clamp together bricks to make a roof and floor and then have moveable walls. I also happen to have some ceramic blanket so may also try an alternative design. For a burner I have a pre-make 90,000 BTU burner in the post that I think I will mount through the roof. We have an anvil, although it is a little small but will do to get us started. My main is…

Hey guys, I'm wondering what the health implications of Tin Bronzes are. The easiest to get for me is 660 "High leaded tin bronze" which is pretty clearly a health hazard, but what about plain old tin bronze? Is that a safe material to handle on a regular basis? Let's say a knife handle (or something) were made out of bronze. It would be in frequent contact with the user's skin. Is this hazardous? Are there bronzes or bronze colored alloys which are safer in that regard? Thanks, and sorry if weird question...

I know where there are some large sheets of wrought iron plate from an old municipal water tank but they have what I assume is lead based primer (the old red-lead) on one side. I have removed lead paint on machinery with a needle scaler and proper PPE but that was for repainting, not forging. I know that fumes from burning lead based paints pose a severe health hazard but if there is a good way to go about rendering it safe for hot work I may buy a few tons. Does anyone have any recommendations or experience? I know people with lead poisoning from cutting up bridge steel with a torch and that it's not something to take lightly.

hello, i am looking for advice on prevention/coping strategies. i suspect i have the beginnings of a repetitive strain injury on my hammer arm. take your right arm, wrap it around your stomach and place your palm on your stomach, at the elbow there should be a point facing forward. there is a thin line of tenderness extending from that point about an inch toward my hand. i dont think im gripping my hammer excessively hard. this has developed after an uncharacteristically long production run. thanks.

I do most of my wire wheeling on a pedestal grinder, five horsepower, with large wheels. The radial velocity of bristles on a wire wheel is very high, especially on large diameter wire wheels. While deburring grinding on tools that I forge, these wires break off, at high speeds, causing missiles which have actually stuck into my forehead. Wearing safety glasses is a GIVEN, but to prevent these Quills from sticking to other body parts including my scalp forces me to wear a hat while wire wheeling, and donning a face shield. Pulling these needles from my forehead, drawing blood, is not too pleasant!

I was working with a striker early this month. At one point a tiny piece of slag shot into my finger. Naturally it burned as it cooled. It hurt a little and of course I tried to dig out what I could and kept working. Well three weeks later it still feels like there is something in there. I have dug some tiny bits out 2 or three times now but it just swells back up and feels like there is still a splinter in there. I've gouged around with a needle and just can't seem to find it. It's not a big deal but does anyone have a secret to locating these little devils and getting them out for good? This is also in a spot where a hammer callous has developed. Ha…

so i have a pretty bad cough, could maybe be the flu, but i am probably going out to my forge today, are there any reasons for me not too go, because of my cough?

Pretty rare for something like this to happen obviously, but its pretty nuts, if you watch the video you'll hear what she had in her trunk as the fire marshal explains what happened. http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c4#/video/us/2013/01/29/dnt-ma-trunk-remote-car-explosion.wbz

Hi guys, great fan of what this forum is about, been reading up threads as a guest for a short while now trying to get my own forge going. Just have a health issue that I need some input on. Last week I had a charcoal fire going in a makeshift pit/brick setup in my backyard. Everything was outdoor and there was a good breeze going, but I stupidly put my face over the rising exhaust of the fire while heating a piece of steel. I don't know how long I was out there near the fire, but it was around 1-2 hours. When I finally quit, I realize my head was really dizzy and throbbing. I was light headed for the rest of the day, and it was lights out for me the moment my head hit …

I am typing with the left hand. Only the left hand. Along with wood I passed a finger, the right index, on the circular saw. The bone was not cut. It could have been much worst. I was operated on. The tendon is back in place. I will get my finger back. i will not get back the six to eight weeks away from the forge the doctor condemned me to this morning. I have been working with that saw for more than forty years. It seems like it was only a matter of time. It's my fault. The price is high. I was always carefull. Not enough.

I have #2 wire...three lengths, two are more than long enough, one maybe not. The question is can I splice it when I'm using it to supply the power to my new shop, about a hundred feet to the panel. Or can a junction box be installed out side of the house and connect from there.

To All, If you have to have an MRI make sure to have a set of Orbital x-rays to check your eyes for metal slivers. Please do not assume that the hospital personel understand that this is necessary. The first time I had an MRI I had to go up the chain of command three steps before I found someone who knew what I was talking about. This procedure is recommended for anyone who works with metal whether machinist or smith( I'm both). Daniel Mods, I placed this post in this forum in hopes of more people seeing it here than in the safety forum. Just because you dont read the other sections, others do. If everything was posted in one section, then there would be maj…

I've just striped out the fire pot from a ceramic chip gas forge thats in the throws of being converted to solid fuel and think I might have a problem!! It wasn't untill the sun streamed its rays through the open forge door I noticed the place was full of dust from the white refactory insulation that I'd been chipping away at. What are the chances of this dust being asbestos?????? I think the forge is from around the 1980's. Was asbestos still in use then? If so how long have I got? LOL!!!

SS sez....don't even think about it!!!..... :lol: ......Too bad they didn't throw the stuff a say a piece of copper or steel sheet metal. I bet the patterns and resulting blobs could be interesting.... Straw hats, no glasses and they were probly wearing sandals....Even I wouldn't go there.......

Hey Guys, just wondering among the gang here has anyone broken their elbow particularly your stronger arm where you do most of your hammer/anvil work? I broke my elbow a few years back and I'm very consious of how I limit the discomfort when working the anvil or similar activity. It's not a problem but i don't wish to test it and find out when it really is a pain and have to stop. Is there any advise from those who have had arm injuries or broken arm bones that could be issued that would help limit any further damage or pain say when hammering & using the anvil? Thanks

Me and one of my helpers were working at the forge this morning. We were double striking with 12 lb. sledge hammers upsetting a hardy tool into my 400 lb. Hay budden with a 1-3/8" hardy hole. We were hitting as hard and fast as we could because the bottom edge was getting cold faster then the top where it was in contact with the anvil. This was causing the forging to mushroom on the top. Out of the blue the my helpers sledge hammer head comes flying at me. He was making good clean blows and there was no damage to the handle it seemed to be in good condition by all appearances. It was strange time seemed to slow down. I twisted to the side just missing the flying ham…

well this doesn't need to get a huge response but my son was handling a 45# barbell plate and it slipped out of his hand. now for those of you unfermilure with these they are about 1" wide and 14" dia. it sliced right through his shoe and toe nail bed on his big toe. it only fell about a foot. after thinking about how many of us handle chunks of steel I though it appropriate to mension how some of us handle metal when we are tired or sweating. it may just a be a split second between walking and being carried away. on a side note his toe isn't broken. just a bad cut that required 4 stitches.

Hi- I work as a jeweler, and have one small oxygen tank (about 14"high/ 17"diameter) and one small acetylene tank (20" high/ 20" diameter). I currently live in New Mexico, and will be moving to Wisconsin in about a month- I will be driving cross country w/a small car and a 10' U-haul box-truck. I am wondering if it is safe to travel with these 2 tanks secured in an upright position, in the back of the U-haul truck? My questions/concerns are: 1. Is it safe to transport them this way- could it be too hot in the U-haul for them? 2. Should they both be emptied of gas before being transported? 3. Is thare anything else I ought to know about how to safely transport these ta…

I'm almost done with my chimney and all that. The three things to look out for is 1) carbon monoxide, 2) carbon dioxide and 3) smoke, as far as I can read. The carbon dioxide I reckon will be no problem because my shop is so ventilated by small holes everywhere and I plan to keep the sliding door half open. My question now is, the smoke and carbon monoxide is supposed to leave through the chimney... Since the carbon monoxide is odorless and invisible it is what have me most worried. Is it in the smoke or what, cause if it is I guess it's safe to say that if ALL the smoke leaves, then the CO does too...? Also I plan to buy a carbon dioxide alarm for the shop before lig…

I do most of the cutting in my shop with a Radiac 7 1/2 Horsepower abrasive cut-off saw, which takes 16 inch wheels. In 35 years of constant use, I have never had any issues with this machine. Now I know why they have cast iron wheel covers over the blade. I was cutting pieces of 3 1/2 inch round 1080 tool steel for a job I have, and had put on a new saw blade for this purpose. About halfway through the heavy barstock, I heard a "boom", a loud explosion, and saw the brand new saw blade disintegrate, right before my eyes. Now I know why these machines have cast iron wheel covers. Had the safety covers not been on, I would be a dead man! If you calculate the radial v…

I've seen a couple of comments lately on the "be careful with lead paint on items". If you think you have some of what might be lead paint on old tools/iron that you're cleaning up BE CAREFUL. There is NO safe level of exposure to lead. In other words, the old "a little won't hurt me" is TOTALLY incorrect. Get a lead pain test kit from the hardware store-they're cheap. I am suffering the after effects of lead exposure from many years ago. The neurological after effects (read brain damage/memory issues) are horrible and not to be taken lightly. The effects are PERMANENT and there is NO TREATMENT other than get the lead out of your system-and even then, the brain damage is …

Lately i've been wondering how safe it is to TIG weld in a Hanes short sleeve T-Shirt. I use welding sleeves that pull up under my short sleeve shirt and then thick rubber gloves over the sleeves. I've been doing this for years and no burns. I can tell the difference because if a sleeve falls down during some heavy welding you can get something like a light sunburn on that exposed area of skin. However over the years I was wondering why the chest area on my black hanes shirts started to look like they were getting worn out.. or bleached/faded look around the chest. Could this be from the welding? I've never had any burns on my chest. Do you think the light could be gettin…

This video was posted on another forum I read.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBUVzgCHHuA&feature=youtu.be Watch the whole video. He mentions how there have been tires explode even with the valve stem removed or even with the bead broken.

Grinding wheel safety If you have any doubt about the reliability of a grinding stone after giving a good visual inspection and a "sound test" Don’t use it! Always error on the side of safety when in doubt”. Think about it! If you are wrong about your analysis of its usability, it may cause you to experience everything that is associated with pain and loss of finances. The impact of a severe injury and being out of work is not as real to people who have never had to experience it. An intelligent person will learn from others mistakes. Three times in my (59) years of working with metal I have seen, or experienced some bad things that have happened when a grinding wh…