Thought I'd put this up as a food for thought type of thing. I was setting up the guide spacing on a Super Seeker 2x4 (2hx Tip, 4hx butt section) hefty 100+ pound live bait stick.

I had a pretty good load on the rod laying out the guides and adjusting and a little voice inside my head broke the analog (well I've had them wake me up at night too). She started saying, "You probably shouldn't have any part of your body between that rod and the ceiling." I caught myself bent over this bent rod with about 20# of strain on it. See I still had my magnifiers on and needed to get close to adjust the guides.

I stepped away from the rod to take a picture of the placement for my customer and KerrrrPOW, the tip top cement failed and the rod recoiled out of my jig and hit the ceiling stuff flying everywhere.

I was real surprised to find that the rod had not punched a hole through the ceiling and was even more surprised to find it still in one piece. That was when I realized how close I was to get ripped up by that rod. Note to self, "Never put any part of your body between a rod under strain and the ceiling!"

Here is the pic just before it let loose - I think my mermaid was looking out for me!

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Thank you whoever you are

WWW.WeSeekHerRods.com

That would have left a mark.

Ted,
Speaking about safety.
I was raised on a farm out in Montana. In the summer of the year, we would pull a rod weeder through the fields to remove the weeds without disturbing a lot of the soil. Essentially, this was a long steel rod that rotated backwards - just under the surface of the soil to pull out the troublesome weeds which were stealing the water from the fields. As we did this, from time to time we would encounter an immovable rock and the long steel rod would bend. We always carried a jack and a chain in the tractor and would place the chain on either side of the bend in the rod, put the jack in the middle of the bend and move the bent rod back in place. Unfortunately, one or our neighbors was doing this when the chain broke, flew back and took out one of his eyes. His patch over his eye was a constant reminder on the energy in some things and the need for safety.

Also, many years ago, my family was camping on the side of Lake Sakakewa - in North Dakota on the wide open plains of this lake. We had heard that storm warnings were up and the single boat that was in our camping group was taken from the shore where we were camping over to the Local Marina for overnight storage away from the potential storms. However, there was another pickup camper who had left his boat just pulled up on shore. About 1 in the morning, I went out to check on the children when I noticed that the winds were really howling. The children were all safely sleeping in the tent, but when I glanced down the shore with its 4 foot drop to the waterline, I noticed that the camping neighbors boat was being filled with water from the crashing waves. We awakened the neighbor, used my new car as a tow vehicle, and our friends trailer to attempt to remove the battered boat from the wind and wave swept shoreline. The trailer was a tilt trailer which we tilted down over the edge of the 4 foot drop. We had to lift the boat vertically 4 feet to get the boat up and out of the waves and depressed shoreline. My brother was working the winch and everyone else was standing well away from the winch, boat and car. Suddenly, the hook on the end of the rope broke, and the broken hook and rope came flying forward with enough force to punch a hole in the trunk of my new car. Fortunately, my brother had been keeping his body and head out of the flight line of the rope and hook. We doubled the rope, tied it back on the boat, and finished pulling the boat up on the trailer - spilling all of the flood water out the back of the boat to safety.

Again - never be in the potential flight line of loaded objects. Never rely on a jack or a bracket to be 100% reliable. Always use jack stands, always use backup retainers, and above all - BE SAFE.


Great post and good advice.

Take care
Roger

Yes, Safety is nothing to take lightly. Even if it's as simple as wearing glasses when mowing. The small (seemingly) inconvenience is nothing compared to the grief that could happen. Oft times, though, things just happen...
Years ago, I was employed at a custom boat trailer mfr and witnessed a friend get more than "slapped silly". On the Jig line, the trailer is upside-down as this is where the cross-members are welded in, the tongue is built and the axle(s) added. Once the cross-members are welded in, cables attached to a winch are fastened to the rails to pull them in to weld in the 'T' assembly for the tongue. Imagine a piece of 4" channel steel under a load similar to Teds situation but horizontal. My friend was following SOP by standing away from the jig while using the remote to operate the winch BUT, when that 3000 lb cable decided to break as the rail was almost in position - you can imagine the stored energy! That 4" channel rail unloaded, hit him in the gut just below the ribs and knocked him 15' across the shop. That was from the 'back flex' of the beam. If he had been hit as it was unloading... I'm sure there would have been some serious internal injuries.
Be careful, folks.

Since we are on the subject of safety, its also amazing how many flamable liquids and materials are laying around on our work benches. Keep an eye on these as your lighting up that alchohol torch. I now have a fire extinguisher next to my bench. have not had to use it because my mishaps have been small, but its there.

I once chipped a tooth on a glass bottle of Coors Extra Gold. Do they still brew that? I have a few more teeth.

I have a Zuni saying hanging near my table saw: The coyote is always out there, and the coyote is always hungry.

Tom White
Rod & Reel Restoration

This did not happen in my shop, it happened fishing a few years back. I hooked in to a a 20 pound Chum Salmon in a local river. Unstead of playing it out I wanted to horse it in and go back to fishing. Well being a dumb Englishman I reached above the foegripe and started to lift the tip almost past 90%. Thats when this fish decided the fight was not over. Anyway the next thing I knew the rod exploded where I had my hand. I had to go to the hospital to have those graphite slivers dug out. I could not fish for a month. So never reach above the gripe and never place the rod over 45%

Good Wraps Bob

one i remember as a kid, that i had to re-learn the other day...


ALWAYS keep hot ferrule cement (or tip glue, whatever you want to call it) BELOW hands and away from bare feet!

sometimes after you heat up the hot glue stick, it can drip... and whatever it hits, it sticks too... nothing like a glue topped blister!

I didn't think you were a true rodbuilder unless you had incidents in a few categories.....1. Drew bood 2. Unexpected flames 3. Trip to the hospital 4. glued something you really needed to the Bench 5. broke a rod showing how tuff it was

I have been a part of all those, sometimes as a witness, sometimes a victim

But trully lets all stay safe. Rumor has it rodbuilding is a lot easier with all 5 fingers..........lol

When closing up the alcoloh burner the other day. some leaked out on to my hand with out my feeling it..


I now have nice smooth hairless hand and fingers. It reminded me of some of my finer bar- b* q`s

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

Bob,

This brings up another thought.

Many rods are being built with out fore grips to keep the weight down.

It seems as if that is a bad idea. Could this be a liability issue ?

Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio