wandering a bit, a culture of safety
As editor of a journal that is read by 17,000+ woodturners, I cannot assume everyone will have the same mindset I have. I've been working with wood for more than 35 years, and (knock on wood) my most serious injury is cutting the tip of my finger with a carving gouge, to the bone. I think my pride was injured more than my finger (which probably should have had stitches but a bandaid sufficed).
But, not everyone has had that kind of training and background. My industrial arts teacher, Dabney Doty, was a stickler for safety. In his many years teaching college students, he had no major injuries. I learned a lot from him, safety being high on the list.
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I don't mind if this thread wanders beyond the initial question ... I think that's been answered.
Betty Scarpino, Editor, American Woodturner
OK, a little wandering. There is a message here, it is on the tail end of the tale. I'm living in an old farm house after losing my home in Isaac. There is an old pressure cooker in the cabinets and I have been thinking about how good a big pot of pressure cooked beans used to be. I don't remember using a pressure cooker myself but I have seen them used dozens of times and watched them at work.
I got the beans, sausage, and seasoning in the pot and started working on other things. This stove top doesn't seem to get as hot as many and the bottom of the pot is bowed outward mightily meaning I don't get good contact with the glass top range. I never did get a real stream of steam or water vapor going but work to do so I set the pea in place, a weight to control steam pressure, and went on about my business after reducing heat. About two hours later I decide time to check on my beans. No dancing pea, no steam. I tilted the pea sideways a bit and steam hissed awhile and faded away. Seemed like I remembered some peas having grooves in the bottom to vent pressure so I should be golden. Take the pea off to constantly vent pressure before unfastening the lid, check my beans, and back to work.
I haven't messed with pressure pots but I took the cap off many a hot radiator dating back to the sixties when I worked at a full service service station. I grabbed some big lens reading glasses that were handy and a thick pot holder. On second thought, if I need eye protection these glasses don't cut it. Grabbed a pair of dark bubble type safety glasses, looked cool indoors I guess, and with the pot holder I was set.
I twisted my hand so the pot holder sealed against the top of the pot facing me and vented the pea again. Then I removed the pea. Not steam but water sprayed out the top! I had my own miniature geyser going with steam and boiling water coming out the top and going up to the hood of the range. It kept going and going, it isn't stopping! Moved the pot to the sink. After a minute or so it is still spraying. Where is all of this water coming from and why don't I get steam and water vapor instead of this stream of solid water? No help for it, I opened the back door and hurried across the carpet with the pot, sitting it outside on the grass where it continued to spray happily. How much water can there be in a pot of beans? Best guess, three to five minutes worth of solid spray from that small tube.
A lot of potential for trouble here. Living alone the most obvious danger is avoided, death by significant other when they see the mess I made! However I also avoided the danger to my eyes and my skin being scalded with probably third degree burns. Steam and superheated water do terrible things.
A habit of safe practices kept me safe when one thing went wrong. There will always be things that go wrong in our homes, shops, and on our lathes. The nature of life, dangers are present. With a culture of safety we can minimize those dangers and often, just like I did less than an hour ago, break the chain that leads to an accident and perhaps major injury.
I haven't been in very many individual woodturner's shops but judging by all the video I see what is lacking is a culture of safety. The woodturners I watch routinely take risks they don't have to. Only creating safe habits as individuals and a culture of safe practices as a group can change that.
On the plus side, the beans are ready and they are as good as I remembered. Got plenty, if you are in or near area code 70456 come on by!
Hu
