Forewarned!! Pics a little gruesome...

[DWJoyce]

Wow, that's a great face mask! Is there any way to ventilate it so it's cool?



Thank you for posting this "warning" and for sharing your horrible experience. It'll help others to avoid the same...



Been working with metal and wood for 50 years and have never had an injury that severe. Plenty of "busted knuckles" and minor abrasions, even a broken finger, but nothing that took me to the hospital.



Why? Because my dad and shop teachers would never have allowed non-safe work conditions. Also, my grandpa was missing fingers from both hands because of table saws, etc... His example taught me to take my time and be aware of dangers. Uncle Sam REALLY taught me about dangerous surroundings!



Thank God you're OK. You've got more chances to enjoy your craft and ultimately that awesome bus you're creating!

[Smokey's pipe dream]

they are all right to use but not at high speeds 10-12,000 rpms is to much ive had this happen to me as well i hope you heal up good man people want to watch loose shirts too when using a cut off wheel when you get a shirt caught it sucks the wheel right in to your belly or where ever it gets caught not good they hold no prisoners they are just brutally dangerous and if they scare you at all dont use one you have to be able to man handle it to keep it from kicking back on you theyre just scarey

[Celticlady]

Were I work safety is number one. They spend millons on safety education and safety equipment. If you get hurt because you did NOT use the equipment it could cost you your job.

I also have 120 acres in the Ozark's. The nearest medical facility is 1 hr away.

This post is not for you. You have learned this lesson.

STOP and LISTEN when your instincts are telling you it is dangerous.

STOP when you are at the end of your day. You do stupid stuff when you are tired.

Aways use PPE. Person Protective Equipment. Yes it is a Hassel, to go find and sometimes to use.
Going to the ER is a hassel AND expensive.
And dieing is a big hassel.

STOP when a job is arkward. Sleep on it. Your subconscious will find a better(safer) way.
Ask for help. There is someone out there that has been there.

When we put a new crown skin on a 737 there are all kinds of structure you want to cut. Lots of structure you done even want to put a scratch on. Scaffolding to support the old skin as you cut the support structure stops the cut off wheel from getting in a bind as the load changes. We use some sacrificial .030 stainless sheets inserted between the stuff to cut and the stuff not to cut.

Your montra should be: You want to go home to the wife and kids, alive with all your bits still attached.

[ColoErik]

Super worthwhile reminder. Thanks for not being too proud to mention your mistake for our benefit.

98% of the time I wear chainsaw chaps when working with a chainsaw (just look up accidents without -- yikes!) But just this last week was working with a cutoff wheel and didn't even THINK of a full face mask. Yeah. Had the ears and eyes protected. But didn't think of full face. Now that you mention it… wise advice. Thanks again.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by whiskey runner

and yes i raised the roof on my bus 14".. and made it out alive..

ER nurses are nosey creatures; it makes for better stories later when they know the details.

When asked what I was doing none of them knew what an angle grinder is; that's ok. Then I told them I was converting a school bus into an rv.... or, a coffin. That got a chuckle out of them.

Originally Posted by MountainJeff

"That's gonna leave a mark. "
"Chicks dig scars."
Sorry, thoughts just came to my head.

No it's not too soon. Yes, it is all good.

Is the bus stabilized? Sounds like you were just about to pop the top?

Not as well as I would like but that isn't what caused it. The rib I was cutting didn't "pop". I still have half of it left to cut. The blade caught on something else.

Originally Posted by CE42

sent him to the ER even with the fact that he had face protection, had gloves AND was wearing long johns as well as a HEAVY DUTY pair of workman coveralls … in the heat of the summer!

Canadian heat might not be as bad but that is still brutal. I do have a heavy pair of Dickies. Probably jeans thick. Not the insulated kind. Would have helped with the chest and arm. Those were superficial in my case.

Originally Posted by DWJoyce

Wow, that's a great face mask! Is there any way to ventilate it so it's cool?

Yeah, use a cutting wheel!!
I have been thinking that a leather apron might not be a bad idea either.

Thank you for posting this "warning" and for sharing your horrible experience. It'll help others to avoid the same...

Been working with metal and wood for 50 years and have never had an injury that severe. Plenty of "busted knuckles" and minor abrasions, even a broken finger, but nothing that took me to the hospital.

Why? Because my dad and shop teachers would never have allowed non-safe work conditions. Also, my grandpa was missing fingers from both hands because of table saws, etc... His example taught me to take my time and be aware of dangers. Uncle Sam REALLY taught me about dangerous surroundings!

Thank God you're OK. You've got more chances to enjoy your craft and ultimately that awesome bus you're creating!

Everyone "knows" better. Everyone knows someone that rushed it. Everyone knows what can happen. Everyone needs the occasional reminder; THIS IS IT!! STAY SAFE!!

Originally Posted by Celticlady

This post is not for you. You have learned this lesson.

STOP and LISTEN when your instincts are telling you it is dangerous.

STOP when you are at the end of your day. You do stupid stuff when you are tired.

Oh it's still for me. This is the second time I've been bit. Tried taking half of my left thumb digit off with a table saw back in Sept. Wasn't even safety equipment. Was plain plain stupid. Cutting a piece of purple heart wood. VERY hard wood. Finished the cut without using the little pushy stick. No harm no foul. Then reached over the blade left handed (blade on the right side) to grab the other piece. I could have turned the saw off with the left hand. The switch is over there. I was done cutting anyway. No idea why I didn't. Maybe the piece was headed for the floor and I was trying to grab it first. The wood is kinda brittle. Anyway, didn't give the blade a wide enough berth and brushed it with the thumb. That's all it took. Took the pad off my thumb almost to the bone. I don't think yanking my hand back it it any favors.

I was staring at eye level on the 4" wheels thinking "if this thing let's loose which way is it going?" and to that, I would move my head to the other side of the grinder but still wearing regular glasses.




Thanks all and keep it safe out there.

[Seriousracer]

Wrote a long response last Thursday but the website siad I waited to long to post.

We go through about a hundred slitter wheels a week at the shop. Red Steel fabrication and overhead crane fabrication.
We can have any number of millwrights and iron workers at any one time.

Only have had one incident with a slitter in the last five years, and the iron worker was at fault. No guard.

Cheap skitters are a problem. Buy matabo or equivalents. The cheaper they are the more they fail. We switched to all matabo five years ago. Been great. A lot less problems. There are other brands.
Flexing a slitter is hard to feel but it destroys them really fast.
Pinching or dropping them is biggest problem
Pinching isn’t as big of a problem if your grinder has a clutch. But when it does pinch look close at the slittter. Any imperfections throw it away.
Cheap grinders play into the a slitter failure

If a wheel is wearing un even throw it away.
Same for if it starts throwing consistent chips that are not metal. It is the disc disintegrating.
Flex the discs is a huge no no. They are not capable of grinding the flex caused cracking failure.
Check speeds to docs and to grinders as siad before there are different grade and speeds.
Any doubt about the slitter throw it away $3.50 isn’t worth the medical bills.


Edit here. Never ever align yourself in the line of the slitter. And try not to be on the exposed side of the wheel. When they go the guard work but. Damage can still happen.

When doubt throw the slitter away.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Seriousracer

Cheap skitters are a problem.

Good to know. I've not owned an angle grinder prior to a year ago. I've used them but they were someone elses alont with whatever kind of wheel they had on it. I don't have the shop experience to know good from bad.

Except for matching prices for the exact same thing, I don't know if I'm buying a good wheel cheap or spending too much for a cheap one.

Pinching isn’t as big of a problem if your grinder has a clutch.

Craftsman $45~$50 I think it was. Definitely no clutch. It goes until it doesn't. Then something has to give.

Check speeds to docs and to grinders as siad before there are different grade and speeds.

I'll google to double check but the disk that bit me is rated for 10krpm. I doubt the entry level angle grinder tops that.

$3.50 isn’t worth the medical bills.

Pain and suffering (real not the lawyer type) aside, it still ain't worth $3.50. With insurance, my first bill is $300 something.

[Rovobay]

Using this bad boy last night cleaning up my newly acquired wood stove and sent a strand into my forearm didn't notice it for a while, but I was wearing safety glasses. As previously mentioned, a full face shield has been purchased and is in the mail...

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Rovobay

Using this bad boy last night cleaning up my newly acquired wood stove and sent a strand into my forearm didn't notice it for a while, but I was wearing safety glasses. As previously mentioned, a full face shield has been purchased and is in the mail...

Those aren't even considered "dangerous" tho a direct hit to an unprotected eye would certainly change that in a hurry!!



Because of the wires going everywhere and the lack of work they actually do, I tend to avoid them. A flapper wheel is better. Hopefully those don't come apart. Personally, I've never had the grinding wheels or flappers explode. And I'm not looking to change that any time soon!!

[o1marc]

While all that PPE is a good thing, most of this type injury comes from taking the guard off the tool. Leave the guard on and most of the danger goes away, that's why it's there.

[Tango]

Spent most of the past month wearing out large wire wheels on my 7" grinder. Trust me...you do NOT want to even turn one on without DefCon 4 eye protection.


Those crinkly little wires come off at near sonic speed and will absolutely penetrate deep into an eyeball. It's one thing to pick them out of your gloves, clothes, arms (or in my case..ass even) but I don't think removing them from an eye would be nearly as much fun.

[Brewerbob]

Had a tiny piece of scab on my cheek that was itching. Couldn't pick it off. Finally went into the bathroom and used my knife to pick at it. Turns out it was a piece of the mesh from the disk that was embedded in my cheek.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Tango

Spent most of the past month wearing out large wire wheels on my 7" grinder. Trust me...you do NOT want to even turn one on without DefCon 4 eye protection.


Those crinkly little wires come off at near sonic speed and will absolutely penetrate deep into an eyeball. It's one thing to pick them out of your gloves, clothes, arms (or in my case..ass even) but I don't think removing them from an eye would be nearly as much fun.

What I hate are when you pick up the little wires in your shoes and they deposit themselves in the carpet up stair. You will always find them when walking barefoot or in socks. I step on a few that went almost 1/2" in. Those little wires hurt like MoFo when all your weight hits one.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Tango

Spent most of the past month wearing out large wire wheels on my 7" grinder. Trust me...you do NOT want to even turn one on without DefCon 4 eye protection.

They are bad enough at 3,000 rpm on the end of a drill. You can keep the 7" angle grinder and wire wheel to yourself thank you very much.

[Tango]

I can verify that a high speed, 7" grinder can throw them little darts about forty feet. I am finding them all over my shop.

[Seriousracer]

Yep go through about four a week in the six inch knotted cup brushes.
Another case where if they start chucking pieces you take them out of service.
And the bristles do go through gloves

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

Those aren't even considered "dangerous" tho a direct hit to an unprotected eye would certainly change that in a hurry!!



Because of the wires going everywhere and the lack of work they actually do, I tend to avoid them. A flapper wheel is better. Hopefully those don't come apart. Personally, I've never had the grinding wheels or flappers explode. And I'm not looking to change that any time soon!!

I get plenty of "work" out of those.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I get plenty of "work" out of those.

Flapper wheel gets the dust flying quicker.

[Tango]

But flap wheels eat a lot of metal where a wire brush does not.

[Ronnie]

Been doing heavy metal work for many years. Have never had a cutting disc break and hit me. Have had a few only a few break. It is really important to stay out of line of them, it is the best thing safety wise to do. They will cut through gloves and other PPE. Had that happen as a teenager went right through my gloves ate a nice hole in my wrist. Remember all he safety gear in the world does NOT prevent an accident, it reduces the injury, might even prevent an injury but it does not prevent the accident. I have seen way to many people rely on their safety gear to protect them. Safe working practice is where it all starts.

By the way I go through about a hundred cut off wheels a year. Treat them well and they will do you well, abuse them and you are in trouble.