Just want to relay something that happened to me a few hours ago so that you will be careful when turning!

I was turning a wood grip on a 3/8" steel mandrel when the tail stock end came off of the live center (only thing that I can think of is that the mandrel bowed enough for the end to come off of the live center). Centrifugal force made the mandrel bend almost 90 degrees and was spinning like a 2,000 rpm windmill in the chuck. By the time that I was able to hit the ground, it had caught the back of my hand (all swollen) and put a nasty gash in my big stomach. I hit the ground but couldn't reach the lathe power switch because of the windmilling mandrel but was able to crawl and pull the plug. I

I think that I may start using a "Live" Jacobs chuck in the tail stock so that both ends of the mandrel ar secured. Penn State know offers an MT2 "live" drill chuck that would prevent that happening [www.pennstateind.com]
That was a close call that I don't ever want to see again!!

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

strange same thing happened to me today while i was turning some cork.

The idea of using the live tailstock is a good one.
However, the use of the live tailstock cuts down your milling length. so, if your lathe is just long enough to turn the handle you want witt the normal tailstock - you won't be able to use the chuck style live tail stock.

Take care
Roger

Glad to hear you're ok Mike. Sounds like you hadn't tightened up to the mandrel with the tailstock enough, and the cutting pressure bowed it enough for it to push free of the live centre. The end whipping round and bending is frightening. A live chuck in the tailstock would work: you'd just have to make sure the centres are aligned, but you already know that.

When I dabbled with a bit of wood turning for inserts and grips I used a metal lathe at the workshop at my university's engineering department. The tailstocks have 2 locks: one for the base of the tailstock and one for the screw feed. Using mandrels or when turning pieces that needed end support, after drilling the pilot hole with the centre drill, we set the piece fairly firmly in the headstock chuck, then pushed the tailstock right up to the workpiece, with the screw feed locked. We then locked the tailstock, and tightened the chuck. Then slacken the screw feed in the tailstock, retighten and lock that in place. I would think the tailstock on a wood lathe would have that second locking for the feed screw as well.

Hope the hand and stomach wound heal quickly.

I have almost had the same accident with a live center by failing to lock down the tail stock or not having it tight enough when I locked it down. I only turn cork and EVA at a little under 1000 rpm. But thats enough rpm to make your wife a widow.

Mike , you may have cracked one of the little bones in your hand, better have it looked at. Wouldn't worry too much about breaking your belly, but the hand,,,, you really need those. I mean,,, who would I get to make me a pretty set of grips......???

Seems like you just can't be too careful with rotating equipment. I have seen some bad , bad accidents with lathes and drills over the years.

Shawn, hope you didn't get hit also.

Mike,

Glad you're ok.......scary!.

DR

"Seems like you just can't be too careful with rotating equipment. I have seen some bad, bad accidents with lathes and drills over the years"............. me too Jay, one a fatality with larger spinning equipment...really horrible results forever stuck in a brain cell I cant destroy

...thanks for the warning Mike, hope your okay. Posted warnings are a good thing. You never know when something will happen working with high speed, cuttting tools and torque. Triple check your equipment, set ups, and tooling folks. Wear safety glasses and hand protection.....no loose clothing (or long hair Billy)

My occupation has me repeatedly involved in OSHA training and other affliated safety seminars and courses.

"Complacency" was last weeks issue in a safety training class.....doing something like spinning a grip " done it a million times". " I dont need to wear gloves or safety glasses".." wearing protective equiptment is for pussy cats"..."the equipments fine, worked yesterday"

Things to think about.

NERB that types with a bar of Ivory soap in his mouth.

Michael Joyce; you've got mail !

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY

One thing I have seen when I have turned parts but was lucky enough to catch it before anything happened, I was using a 3-jaw chuck on my lathe and while turning, the mandrel had slipped into the chuck just a bit. I could tell something was wrong because I could hear a noise coming from the tailstock. So now I only use a Jacobs chuck instead of a 3-jaw chuck to drive my mandrel. I can put the mandrel all the way into the chuck and then tighten up the tailstock and it is not going anywhere.

Another thing to make sure is that you have the chuck tight on the mandrel, if it loosens up it will slip in the chuck and allow the center to slip out of the mandrel. I worked in a machine shop for 10 years and I really don't think a 3/8" shaft would flex enough to allow a thoroughly snugged up and tightened down center to slip out of the mandrel. I would take a good look at your center for the tail stock to be sure it isn't damaged and not fitting all the way in the center hole of the mandrel. Also you should have noticed it start to wobble before it completely let loose.

Glad to hear you only had minor injuries, spinning metal especially at 2000 rpm can be very dangerous. I hope everyone takes a minute to check their tools to be sure they are in working order and being used in a safe manner. I too have had a couple minor incidents with lathes and other machine tools and in every case I messed up on something setting it up for use.

I don't want to talk down to anyone just sharing some experience with machine tools.

Mike I have had that happen to me twice must be a little faster then you as no damage except to nerves. Both times it was due to the mandrel slipping into the head stock. Warnings like you have given is a great reminder to us all thanks.
John

Wow, Mikeglad to hear you wern't hurt too badly. Hope you are alright. Scott

glad your ok mike. those power tools can really get. i always check and recheck the mandrels as i turn. the use of a live chuck on the tail stock should help prevent this

Safety is often overlooked for instance how many people use handcream after using alchohol or epoxy.????????
An incedent like this often kick starts the saftey switch in all of us to check everything recheck then continually check during the process
you only get one life (althouth body parts can be made and billy would probably wrap it for you) its not like a computer game where you just restart. when it goes belly up
You can drown in as little as two inches of water and what seems a "minor" incendent can prove fatal so let this be all of our warnings as to checking AND Using our power tools and safety equipment .
It may only be cork or eva that you turn but its the same machine and tooling AND mandrels livestocks that you can turn a five inch diameter table leg with. and you wouldnt turn one of those without your goggles and stuff would you ???. if you would then frankly you should not be using power tools at all

I to have seen many very bad so called "accidents" in a very heavy engineering / foundry enviroment.M ost of which were caused by operator error and to memory only one that i can recall that was machine failiure
dont wish to appear unconcerned or nasty in any way shape or form but glad to hear you are OK AND glad that you had the balls to post you incedent here so others can take heed

Allen

You're lucky, Mike. The price paid for lessons learned is often much higher. Your near-serious accident will probably prevent many others. Everyone that reads about your experience will treat their tools with renewed respect.

Here is what happened. When you chuck up the mandrel and then push and tighten the tailstock center against the mandrel you end up pushing the mandrel back into the chuck. As you turn the mandrel will tend to continue slipping back into the chuck. It didn't bend, it just kept moving back and further away from the tailstock. At some point it just came off the tailstock center cone. Don't ask me how I know!

Do this- Get a drill stop collar. It is a metal ring with a set screw on it. Slip it on your mandrel and bring it down to the face of your chuck and tighten it down. Then slide up the tailstock center and tighten that in place. Now the mandrel can't slip back into the chuck even a tiny bit and the tailstock will never lose it's "bite" on the machined end of the mandrel. This little trick, which I think was in Rodmaker a while ago, or some wood turner showed me, has never failed me.

Glad to read that you are ok. I am just getting over the brused big belly thing myself. had a piece fly off the drill press while working and hit my belly. Be careful out there and don't do what we do but heed our advise.

I was turning a piece of walnut down for a fly reel seat. It bound up and shot the gouge across the room...scared me a little bit!

Geez Mike, glad you are OK. Do you think you can give us a demonstration at next year's EXPO of how you crawled under the bench to pull the plug? We could do it in the seminar room or the bar later in the evening :)

Buzz

Thanks for posting the tip Ken, I have a couple of 3/8" drill stop collars setting around and will try what you suggest. I've been using essentially the same setup as Mike is.

Jeff