Face shield

[Russ Braun]

This came up at a recent club meeting. One guy was insisting that wearing a face shield on very large turnings was not only ineffective but actually detrimental. Pretty much that if a chunk of wood came flying off and hit the face shield, the face shield would crack and the sharp edges cause more damage than the wood would have. He said that standing out of the line of fire was the best (and only) defense. He also said that a famous pro turner made this same point at the Symposium in Raleigh.

Now I am aware that most face shields do not fully protect you from a large chunk of wood. Lynne Yamaguchi's article in Am. Woodturner thoroughly discusses this. But I still was under the belief that even if it breaks, the face shield would be absorbing at least some of the impact energy. Plus I believe a face shield would be effective against glancing blows from larger chunks, and direct hits from smaller chunks.
I also know that the AAW requires all demonstrators to wear face shields.

What I really want to know is the best reasoning to use when arguing for or against the use of a face shield. 1. What is known based on physics and/or experiments and/or direct experience rather than just opinion. 2. Is the pro turner's opinion just an opinion or is it based on some experience. 3. Are there any statistics relevant to this?

I think it’s pretty simple, two rules to practice:
1) Participation in most things require one to follow rules/ format. If you don’t want to follow the rules/ format, dont play. Arguing against the rules regarding whether they are right or with merit interests no one; save your breath and your opinion!
2) Personal responsibility is yours and yours alone. If you elect not to protect yourself, cry/ moan to yourself as you walk the road to recovery. If personal freedom supersedes your own common sense, reread rule one!

 

[John Hicks]

The several times I had something "klonk" me; it was usually turning something that was way too cracked, or punky. I tend to get my face real close when hollowing out a bowl; I have searched for a better faceshield, but have not found one. I even bought the bubble faceshield from craft supplies, thinking it was a great idea. Because of the shape, it refracts light and you think something is moving in your peripheral vision; which is very distracting. Get bonked enough times, and you'll go ahead and spend the money.

 

[Michael Schneider]

I am sure there are many good ones, on the factory floor (when needed) we used Honeywell UVEX. Lots of varieties, and I usually use the one that fits in a hard hat. Here is a standalone with a fog free https://smile.amazon.com/Uvex-Bioni...i-Fog/Hard+Coat+(S8515)&qid=1637500498&sr=8-5



Note: You still need to wear safety glasses under a visor for full safety

I have an old airmate with helmet that I use most of the time

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Note: You still need to wear safety glasses under a visor for full safety

Yes, according to OSHA.

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

I am sure there are many good ones, on the factory floor (when needed) we used Honeywell UVEX. Lots of varieties, and I usually use the one that fits in a hard hat. Here is a standalone with a fog free https://smile.amazon.com/Uvex-Bionic-Polycarbonate-Anti-Fog-S8510/dp/B001VY3ACE/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Uvex+Bionic+Face+Shield+with+Clear+Polycarbonate+Visor+and+Anti-Fog/Hard+Coat+(S8515)&qid=1637500498&sr=8-5



Note: You still need to wear safety glasses under a visor for full safety

I have an old airmate with helmet that I use most of the time

I do. Mine are prescription.

 

[Paul Grenier]

I Have the 3M Versaflo full helmet and heavy duty face shield. When I looked up the spec's for the helmet / face shield when I bought it several years ago, I seem to remember that the face shield is rate ANSI 87+ which is substantially stronger the the Bionex which is rated by ANSI at 87. For turning wood that is sound and not punky I only use the Bionex face shield. From personal experience, the Bionex face shield has saved my from injury several time when things went wrong and good size pieces ended up hitting and deflecting off the Bionex face shield.
As Russ Braun so eloquently put it, it's your PERSONAL choice to not wear face protection, but 1) DO NOT advocate for others not to wear face protection - especially newbie's - and 2) Don't go around saying "I should've worn face protection" because you made a conscious decision not to.

 

[John Hicks]

My face is so ugly; the faceshield is the only thing that will get near it!

 

[Michael Schneider]

I Have the 3M Versaflo full helmet and heavy duty face shield.

Paul, Thanks for sharing that info. For risk things, and when I just want to simple deal with dust, I use an old Airmate system with an updated (but still old) Helmet that does that job, but the Versaflo looks much more comfortable.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Which face shield would keep me safe you think .

I just stand out of the line of fire ................... I hope

 

[Michael Schneider]

Which face shield would keep me safe you think .

I just stand out of the line of fire ................... I hope

View attachment 41422

Ha,

Leo, I am amazed and some the things you guys turn. I just do small and medium stuff.

An Exoskelton Suite That Raytheon has been working on might do the trick (you many not even need to use a tool rest, the Suite would let you just hold the tools )

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered_exoskeleton

 

[hockenbery]

Which face shield would keep me safe you think .

I just stand out of the line of fire ................... I hope

i think a face Shield would be of great value if something comes off the blank unexpectedly.
loose knot, bark, unseen defect that frees a couple pounds of wood.

if the whole piece comes at you the face shield might push your head to the side just enough to save your life or it might not.

where you are standing is fairly safe. I would feel comfortable turning in that position. The biggest danger is the extremely unlikely event of the blank being launched at you off the tool rest If somehow the screws on one side of the faceplate failed or the faceplate came apart. low low probability.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

i think a face Shield would be of great value if something comes off the blank unexpectedly.
loose knot, bark, unseen defect that frees a couple pounds of wood.

if the whole piece comes at you the face shield might push your head to the side just enough to save your life or it might not.

where you are standing is fairly safe. I would feel comfortable turning in that position. The biggest danger is the extremely unlikely event of the blank being launched at you off the tool rest If somehow the screws on one side of the faceplate failed or the faceplate came apart. low low probability.

The thing I was trying to point out is, what are you expecting a face shield to protect you from, there seems to be the expectation that if you use a face shield you are safe .

And NO you are not, even a relative small solid piece that comes at you at high speed can hurt you badly, so slow down inspect and stay out of the line of fire, pieces generally fly away in the centrifugal released force, and yes they can bounce off if colliding with the tool rest or other part of the lathe, taking a lot of the power away in that case though.

 

[Lars Hansen]

Leo, this contraption might be what you're looking for:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/23936

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Leo, this contraption might be what you're looking for:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/23936

Even that would not keep you safe from a speeding train or rolling log !!

Guess it was maybe enough to scare all the peasants to bow to ground and give him all there money or women

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Ha,

Leo, I am amazed and some the things you guys turn. I just do small and medium stuff.

Michael I do turn small as well, Here I have a double crotch White Ash mini platter with 4 boxes, 2 of them inlaid with spalted Maple and curly Sugar Maple, 2 in the shape of acorns, 3 goblets, 2 HF and 2 tall vases, a spalted Oak weed pot and 2 closed vases, plus a dime for scale.

 

[Roger Chandler]

For what its worth to any reader, I have been hit twice really hard since I started turning in 2006. One, a log piece came out of the chuck and hit me in the chest. Made me shut off the lathe and stop for the day. It weighed about 3 lbs, and I was glad I took it in the chest, not the face. The other time, a piece of sycamore that had some ring shake in it that was invisible to the eye, let loose from the larger 17" diameter round, and it hit me in the face shield, which at that time was a Trend Airshield Pro unit, and that piece that came off weighed about 1.5 lbs. and was turning at about 800 rpm's if I remember correctly. Had I not had on face protection, that would have smashed my teeth out, and no telling what else would have happened when I fell over in my shop, perhaps hitting another machine on the way down.

I encourage anyone and everyone who turns to wear face protection! My Trend Airshield Pro not only absorbed the impact and bounced the wood back across the lathe to the floor, but kept me from having extensive facial damage. I will always come down on the side of a face shield, especially after reading of the injuries and deaths from turners who did not wear them. Stay safe!

 

[Tom Lucas]

This thread is 2 years old.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

This thread is 2 years old.

Not anymore, just started a while ago, but it's all new now

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

For what its worth to any reader, I have been hit twice really hard since I started turning in 2006. One, a log piece came out of the chuck and hit me in the chest. Made me shut off the lathe and stop for the day. It weighed about 3 lbs, and I was glad I took it in the chest, not the face. The other time, a piece of sycamore that had some ring shake in it that was invisible to the eye, let loose from the larger 17" diameter round, and it hit me in the face shield, which at that time was a Trend Airshield Pro unit, and that piece that came off weighed about 1.5 lbs. and was turning at about 800 rpm's if I remember correctly. Had I not had on face protection, that would have smashed my teeth out, and no telling what else would have happened when I fell over in my shop, perhaps hitting another machine on the way down.

I encourage anyone and everyone who turns to wear face protection! My Trend Airshield Pro not only absorbed the impact and bounced the wood back across the lathe to the floor, but kept me from having extensive facial damage. I will always come down on the side of a face shield, especially after reading of the injuries and deaths from turners who did not wear them. Stay safe!

I seem to recall something like that.

 

[Lou Jacobs]

A question (well, maybe a few) for users of the Trend Airshield Pro, or other similar units: I like to turn with wireless earbuds in part to listen to music or podcasts, but also to hear the phone if it rings. When I use the dust extractor now, I tend to put ear protectors on to keep the extractor noise from drowning out the earbuds. Do the clip on ear protectors on the Trend unit work? I’ve read that they are flimsy. Any other solutions? Do normal ear protectors fit under the cap of the Trend unit, or would that compromise the air seal?

 

[Kevin Jenness]

Staying out of the line of fire is an excellent practice, but loose projectiles don't always follow an expected trajectory and can retain significant kinetic force even after a ricochet. For me safe practice calls for at least a face shield when turning no matter the size of the piece (and I always have my prescription safety glasses on).

 

[Ron Solfest]

A question (well, maybe a few) for users of the Trend Airshield Pro, or other similar units: I like to turn with wireless earbuds in part to listen to music or podcasts, but also to hear the phone if it rings. When I use the dust extractor now, I tend to put ear protectors on to keep the extractor noise from drowning out the earbuds. Do the clip on ear protectors on the Trend unit work? I’ve read that they are flimsy. Any other solutions? Do normal ear protectors fit under the cap of the Trend unit, or would that compromise the air seal?

I purchased some Bose noise canceling ear buds, not cheap but they work great. So good, in fact, I had to put a sign on the door to ‘flash’ the lights if I don’t hear someone knock so I’m not startled…this was afte my wife approached me and scared me after I couldn’t hear her yelling at me from the door. Somehow they still allow the sound of the cut through, quieter but sufficiently.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

The Bose ear buds are what I use, too. It is admittedly an expensive solution, but maybe you have been very Very good this year.

 

[Damon McLaughlin]

One of my mentors lives in a retirement community where there is a really nice woodworking shop. They have eight lathes including four Powermatic 3520b's. He was in the shop turning when the piece flew off the lathe. He was found on the ground by the next person that walked into the shop. Lots of stitches, black eyes, bruises and a concussion. The shop immediately instituted a face shield rule. I remember seeing my mentor for months with his damage, I have worn a face shield every time I turn since my mentor's mishap. Having been in a small shop, one of the issues I've experience in the very few times something flew off the lathe is ricocheting. In that case, standing out of the line of fire doesn't always help. Fortunately it is a rare occasion if something comes off the lathe, but the face shield is always on. Except when I'm sanding, since I usually just turn the piece by hand or slow speed.

 

[John Walls]

A question (well, maybe a few) for users of the Trend Airshield Pro, or other similar units: I like to turn with wireless earbuds in part to listen to music or podcasts, but also to hear the phone if it rings. When I use the dust extractor now,

I use this face-shield also. With it on, dust collector on or not, music streaming to my buds, actually blue tooth hearing aids, I can not hear the phone. I have to turn up the volume pretty high to hear music and then most the time, the sound from the shield's fan, I can't hear it (streamed music) Well, I can hear it but only when the volume is turned up to a level that is not healthy, or good for the ear-drums. Basically, the only way I know I have a phone call is I have the cell phone's vibrate on high so I can feel it in my jean pocket. When I started out recently, I used a pair of goggles and ear muffs with built in radio. Soon learned that was a bad choice as no face/breathing protection. But, I could hear music.... LOL

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

A question (well, maybe a few) for users of the Trend Airshield Pro, or other similar units: I like to turn with wireless earbuds in part to listen to music or podcasts, but also to hear the phone if it rings. When I use the dust extractor now, I tend to put ear protectors on to keep the extractor noise from drowning out the earbuds. Do the clip on ear protectors on the Trend unit work? I’ve read that they are flimsy. Any other solutions? Do normal ear protectors fit under the cap of the Trend unit, or would that compromise the air seal?

I have the Trend but not the ear protectors. Instead of trying to use regular ear muffs I bought a pair with behind the head wire and overhead elastic strip. Work well and no problem with the overhead wire. Think these are Howard Leight

 

[Roger Chandler]

I seem to recall something like that.

View attachment 41445

Yep Leo, those are the sycamore pieces that flew off and hit me in the faceshield…thanks for posting that pic from years ago.

 

[Tom De Winter]

What the heck. It had to be safe. He was using the tailstock!

I've had more than a few that I started to turn and decided the fireplace was a better option. Fortunately, before they came apart.

 

[Brett Schenk]

See attached picture of the combination that I wear. I find that ear protectors allow me to hear subtle sounds of the irregular wood or mechanical vibration because the very loud sounds are muted.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Yep Leo, those are the sycamore pieces that flew off and hit me in the faceshield…thanks for posting that pic from years ago.

Roger as you said at that time, the large piece hit you on body and knocked you right on your ass.

Just luck that large piece did not hit you on the face or face shield, You probably would not be posting here now.

 

[Tom De Winter]

Most of us turn in our shop alone. Our local Club requires 3 in the shop to turn on equipment. The RV Resort that I winter at requires 2.
Can't say I like it but probably a good rule.