[TheForge] Fatal acccident

[Andrew Vida]

On 11/19/14, 2:01 PM, peter fels & phoebe palmer wrote:
> You've a good argument Andy.
> My question is. are you better off with a localized injury to the hand 
> than having your arm  sucked in and wrapped around the wheel?
No way to predict how an injury is going to occur.

Best thing is the keep the hell out of the machine in the first place.

> I work both ways and am ambivalent.

And I would seriously reconsider your ambivalence. YMMV, of course.

> In any case, any tool rest or back bar needs to be constantly 
> readjusted and locked down for minimal clearance to the wheel face.

Can't do that with a buff because it is soft, unlike a grinding wheel 
which will not deflect under work pressure.  The only exceptions to this 
would be a hard felt or leather buff, or a wooden lap because they 
retain their shapes and make no space into which the work can be sucked, 
taking your hand with it.
> On buffers. I retired my buffing wheels and converted to 3M radial 
> bristle brushes. They are safer, as fast or faster and there's almost 
> no cleanup of buffing compound. Worth the extra expense.
If you mean solid hubbed radial brushes with very short bristles - under 
about 1/2", I would agree.  Much longer than that and you are in the 
same boat.  Also, the softer the bristles, the shorter they must be.