Can of worms....... safety

[John_C]

I think I probably have or will hit a sore spot, but oh well here goes. Regarding safety....I haven't been carving long maybe a year. I got into it because I like to work with wood and have since I was a kid, I am in my early 60's. I spent some time with a friend this weekend he is an avid woodworker. I had asked him for some help working a bowl on a lathe. While demonstrating something he stuck his finger into the spinning wood and severely damaged his finger. I couldn't help noticing he had only 9 fingers to begin with. Strangely enough many of my wood working friends are missing parts of there hands. Recently I had the misfortune of stabbing my hand with a small gouge while honing the tool. fortunately it was not bad. which brings me to my query......
Often when I see a post with newbees asking about safety gloves they will get a response like" I don't use one or cant work with them." I also help teach some of the local school kids woodworking to help keep them off the streets and I would never suggest to them that I dont use this or that safety product. I have a Kevlar glove which I wouldn't work without and even that glove I my opinion Is not safe from stabbing...............I guess I am looking for feed back and opinions or else I am just feeling fired up

[Claude]

When I have a can of worms, I do worry about safety! If the wrong type of can opener was used, I could get a nasty cut from the edge of the can while tryng to pull a worm out. Doesn't seem to matter to the fish, but it gets the clothes messy and I get yelled at when I get home.

Oh...wait...you meant something else... I agree with you completely, John, about wearing the safety equipment. Planning ahead for "disaster" is all too often not given a thought. A knife is an inherently dangerous tool, so I wear my carving glove, my thumb guard, and plan where the knife will end up when I slip or the wood breaks. Repositioning my holding hand, or even moving it over the workbench instead of over my leg has prevented me injuring myself many times. The last cut I got was a couple of months ago when I picked up my box of gouges from the blade side instead of the handle side - oops!

By the way, good for you for helping teach youth a skill. As a former Scoutmaster and Cubmaster, I've also been fortunate to be able to teach youngsters something; i've even been fortunate enough to have some of them pay attendtion

Keep promoting safety!
Claude

[mrgrouch]

i think most safety devices can be a double edge sword by making you complacent and more vulnerable.


i also have a kevlar glove which i bought after my first major cut. and i'm proud to say i haven't had any bleeding incidents since then, but in all honesty i hardly ever wear it. so more than the protective glove, the one thing that has kept me from cutting myself is the experience of the previous cut (it was bad... never recovered the feeling to my left index).


so in my opinion the best safety device is the awareness of were your fingers are at all times and were your knife is going, know and understand the potential of your tools, never become too confident, glove or no glove...


cheers

[capney]

As an ex Health and safety champion with the company I used to work for I can only agree with all your comments John.
Over the years I have seen the results of some rather nasty mishaps that were totally avoidable.
I myself suffered a stab wound when I started on the carving, and belive me It gives you a jolt and reminds you H & S has got to be taken seriously

Robert

[susieq]

Safety equipment for carving depends on which type of carving you are doing. If you are power carving, gloves are not a good idea. Dust masks, safety goggles, a leather apron and probably ear protection are a good idea.

For knife, gouge and chisel carving, leather apron, a safety glove for the hand holding the wood, or finger guards... bandaids too. Because no matter how careful you are, you are going to bleed at some point. It's the nature of the hobby. Focus is important too and a little hard for young folks to maintain so they need adult supervision.

[dadrunamok]

Originally Posted by mrgrouch

i think most safety devices can be a double edge sword by making you complacent and more vulnerable.

This is an interesting comment. My wife and I were discussing something very similar last night with regard to my 10-year-old daughter and that was our conclusion.

I have begun allowing my daughter to carve when I am carving or when I can sit and watch her. She does not, at this point, have a carving glove. My philosophy on this is that I do not want her to develop bad habits because she lacks the proper level of respect for the cutting edge of the knife. At this point, my wife is in complete agreement with me. Of course, if either my wife or my daughter expresses the desire that she wear a glove, I will head over to Woodcraft at my lunch hour and grab her one.

I have a Kevlar glove and I will admit that I do not wear it very often. The times that I absolutely put it on are a) when I am working on something very small and cannot hold it in such a way that my fingers are away from the cutting area; and b) when I am rounding out a ball in a cage, because it can slip.

In my opinion, the best safety equipment lies between the carver's ears. It starts with being focused on what you are doing. It entails knowing when you are trying to do something that is beyond your abilities or those of your tools. It requires keeping those tools in proper (sharp) condition and knowing when to stop and strop. And it definitely includes stopping and finding something else to do when you are too tired to work safely.

(wow. I just made a speech!)

[Lynn O. Doughty]

To me anyone who carves without a glove or thumb protector is like the people who drive around without seatbelts or a motorcycle rider who puts the the thrill of wind in his hair above that of his brains on the pavement. My auto insurance is higher because of the last two and I wouldn't doubt it a bit if my health insurance is higher because of the first. I've worn a glove for almost 40 years and have never cut myself while I did prior to putting one on. Whether you wear one or not it's up to you......just don't set next to me. I faint at the sight of your blood.

[Tom-H]

OK! I'll take the bait. I do not wear a carving glove. At the very least I will wrap my thumb and forefinger with masking tape (it's better than vet wrap), or that vet wrap. I do mostly small whittling, some times in public, where a carving glove just seems too much. I also am sure I have several band aids with me. I think I have several things going for me. I keep my knife very sharp. I carve small. These two items mean I do not use much pressure with the knife. When at all possible I move the wood into the blade, so that the blade never goes off the end or edge of the wood into my hand. I use stop cuts where ever I can. The wood I carve always is at least long enough to afford me a good grip away from the actual cutting. I try to know exactly where the knife tip is in the wood at all times, and where it's liable to go. I still, some times manage to nick myself, but very quickly wrap my hankie around the nick, while I prepare the nick for a dab of super glue and a band aid.

[uvawyo]

I wear a carving glove I wear thumb gaurds I put electricians tape around the thumb guard
and the fingers of the glove for extra protection and it also makes them last longer
I now have developed the bad habit of cutting toward my thumb so I MUST wear the thumb guard But my only bad cuts have been when I wasn't wearing protection
I also generally wear bib overalls or a heavey jacket and cut towards my chest another bad habit but I have been protected.
So, John, I am a proponent of rotecting oneself

[Mitchell]

You may see someone say they don't use a glove occasionally - I disagree that you see that response "often". When they do admit that they don't wear a glove, they are not giving the advice to not use one. There's a difference.

My most frequent tips to beginners:

1. Wear a glove
2. Learn to sharpen
3. Wear a glove