Take a minute.....

Re: Take a minute.....

Sean Troy

>Good ideas. I would add, never turn when you tired.

Re: Take a minute.....

JamieDonaldson

>Or otherwise "impaired!"

Re: Take a minute.....

RonZ

>Well, you're right but I stope when I'm really tired. If I stopped when I was tired, I'd only have 3 hour days. =o)

Re: Take a minute.....

John Lucas

>Ron

I fuss at myself sometimes because I often stop working in the shop around 8 or 9pm. I keep thinking about how much more work I could get done if I was a night owl and stayed up till 12. However I realize that I do stupid things after I get tired so I stop. I'd rather not screw up a good project and I still have all my fingers.

I work on a lot of different lathes when demonstrating and usually get flustered with the different tailstock locks but one thing I always check is the speed. Since I almost always do demos with smaller items speed isn't a big problem but I'd rather turn at slow speed and not hurt myself or others. I save the high speed turning for production work in the shop.

Re: Take a minute.....

Fog Tanner

>Well put and some good thoughts. I approach the lathe the same way I did racing model airplanes. I had a set routine of checking the plane after each flight and on the starting line before each run. This never varied, always the same sequence, same checks. And I never flew when I had any doubts about being tired. 5lbs X 200 mph = lethal.

When I go to the lathe, I have items that I check each time, same sequence. When I shut the lathe down at the end of the day, another set of checks. While I am operating it, there are another set of things I look at on every piece (i.e. chuck key not in chuck before turning lathe on). And I do the same thing when using another lathe that is unfamilar. I take time to understand how it works and where the controls are. Start on the slow side and take the speed up from there. If I can't concentrate on what I am doing, or have any question then its time to walk away before someone gets hurt. Doesn't matter if I am alone or about to do a demo. I learned a long time ago, that making that last flight when I was too tired was lierally the last flight on that plane ( ate least I walked away from the crash). And turning when you are not sure you should can at the least ruin a piece or worse the person turning it. Life is short enough as it is, there is no need in speeding up the process.

Fog

Re: Take a minute.....

RonZ

>Hi John,

My first problem is that I'm a night person. Part by choice and part by necessity. Late at night is about the only time it's quiet and I can work. Sometimes I'll start at midnight. Now that we're into an early summer, its cooler at night, too

There has been many a time that I start with the skew and get a catch or two and realize I need to hang it up for the night.

What I usually do when I'n too tired to turn, I'll do office work or on-line stuff.

One thing for sure is when I demonstrate, I always make sure I'm well rested and usually use my own VL100 lathe so I know what's going on.

We should all stay safe and never have any accidents.