[TheForge] Fatal acccident

[jerry Frost]

I just don't know. I heard second hand and the obituary only carries the
pierced hear detail. Gordon's wife isn't in the best health and all our
E-mail was through Gordon.

Knowing Gordon however, leads me to believe it was a serious pedestal wheel,
he was a serious bladesmith so I don't see him using hobbyist tools. He
owned several square wheel belt grinders so he didn't have to waste time
changing belts while working. I'm pretty sure it would've had to be a pretty
large wheel, at least 9" or the blade wouldn't have passed through the
guard, Gordon wouldn't work a wheel without a guard on it. This is
speculation but I base it on what I know of Gordon and his working
practices.

Wire and buffing wheels are probably the most dangerous tools in most shops.
Given the least excuse either will grab the work and throw it hopefully at
the ground or jam it in the wheel shield. Small work is really dangerous as
it can pass all the way around the wheel through the shield. Hand held wire
and buffers are really dangerous too and will illustrate just why you NEVER
wear loose clothing while running rotary tools. I've seen a right angle
grinder with a buffing disk wind a guy up so badly he couldn't get out of
his clothes without help from someone with a knife.

I'm going to start really rambling if I don't stop now. I just got word my
older brother passed away today so I gotta make a few calls to family.

More later Bruce, be careful out there.

-----Original Message-----
From: TheForge [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Bruce
.
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2014 4:59 AM
To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Fatal acccident

Jerry,

I don't want to dwell on this excessively, but do you happen to know what
kind of buffer was involved?  I'm envisioning it was your typical
cloth-wheel buffing pad mounted on some powerful pedestal grinder.  I'm
asking so as to be able to "file it away" in my mental safety archives.

I frequently warn folks at our weekly open forge meets about the danger of
wire wheels.  Marshall retired a powerful pedestal grinder with wire wheel
in favor of a much smaller after a friend got his hand pulled through the
wire wheel and had to be rushed to the hospital.  So THAT hazard I was aware
of.  I need to understand how a buffing wheel can kick a blade into
someone's heart.  I do NOT want to see this happen in person!


Bruce
NJ