Turning Alone Safely (from face shield)

[Michael Schneider]

In the face shield thread, someone mentioned a topic I struggle with.

My main two time diversions are nature photography and turning. I turn very poorly but enjoy it greatly.

I enjoy doing both solo. My work is often surrounded by people, and I enjoy my quite, alone time in my leisure.

My wife was called home a couple of years ago and I am solo in my house when I turn.

I thought a couple of years ago and added a couple of things to my shop, and follow practices:

• I do work to turn safe (face shield)
• I tend to turn small and medium things, I know that anything is possible, but the risk is lower to "knock you out" accidents
• I used a voice-activated phone in the shop to be able to call if needed
• In the wood I use a Garmin Inreach with an SOS button, I have kept that hand when turning so larger things. ( bit extreme maybe, but it is already in the house and small to tuck in a pocket.)

Yes it is always safer to always work with someone, but sometimes life or just preference for working alone


What, if anything, do you do when working alone?

 

[john lucas]

I've worked alone my entire life. In turn sound wood. It's just not worth the risk to turn crappy wood. I worry more about a bandsaw or table saw injury and how would I get help. However I've never worried about it enough to buy any gadgetry to solve the problem. I'm told the smart phone has a way to set it to alert your emergency contacts but the I dont own a smart phone.

 

[hockenbery]

My wife turns too. We are often in the shop together. But it’s not uncommon for one of us to be be working alone for several hours and occasionally for a full day.

We work safely. First is inspecting the wood and evaluating its risks if any. We don’t get catches, we wear face shields.
Airstream for larger work.
We have both benefited from classes and working with other turners in our clubs.

We have a stocked first aid drawer. A cut from a carving mishap is probably the biggest risk we face.

 

[Donna Banfield]

Up until COVID ceased all my husband's business travel, I was often working solo in the studio. If something happened, it might be up to 12 hours before someone would investigate why I wasn't answering the phone. After the death of Joan Kelly more than a decade ago, I invested in an Airstream helmet and Hepa air filtration system. I don't take chances in trying to 'save' a piece of unsound wood with epoxy or CA glue. I never use any powered or sharp tools if I'm am tired, and never after dinner, although I am often back in the studio working until 9 or 10 pm. When you do this full-time, as a business, there is a lot to do that has nothing to with actual turning.

 

[Doug Freeman]

My #1 hobby, motorcycles, is much more dangerous than #2, turning. I am alone a lot of the time doing both. Over the 8 years I have been turning I have had a splinter or 2 and some faceshield saves, nothing major. Cant say the same about bikes.

I have a Garmin Inreach device I use for the bikes because I spend time in areas w/o phone service. In the shop I’ve relied on the smart phone, though I never thought about voice activation. If knocked out it doesnt help, but it does if severely injured but awake. I do pay attention to how sound the wood is and staying out of the line of fire, and both have saved impacts/possible injury a few times.

 

[Charles Cadenhead]

I have a small Amazon Echo in the garage (it;s built into an external wall outlet) that I use as a timer to control how long my lithium batteries charge. I can also tell it to get help or call my wife if I get hurt. She worries about me turning solo.

 

[Charles Cadenhead]

I'm told the smart phone has a way to set it to alert your emergency contacts but the I dont own a smart phone.

John, they must be pretty fancy smartphones then. None of the ones we have will automatically contact someone if we get hurt. Maybe there's something like OnStar you can get and if you fall and don't get up in a certain amount of time it phones home? You can store emergency contact info, including health history, in your smartphone that people can see without unlocking your phone.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

I don't know how the Garmin Inreach operates, or whether I'd get satellite signal in my basement shop; the cell signal is spotty. We have maintained our landline phone line and I have two handsets in the shop for the specific purpose of calling 911. When you call 911 from a landline they automatically get not only caller ID, but the address of the call.

A lot of other good points above. In particular, the lathe isn't the only danger, No machinery after 8 pm. Don't work tired.

 

[Dave Landers]

John, they must be pretty fancy smartphones then. None of the ones we have will automatically contact someone if we get hurt.

It's not "automatic" exactly, but works at least on iPhone. If you setup each other as Emergency Contacts, they should get a notification if you call 911. Mom called 911 a year or so ago, and I got notification of that, plus her location as she was in transport to the ER.

 

[robo hippy]

Donna hit on a very key point, if you are tired, don't work with sharp tools. NEVER! Most accidents in just about every facet of life happen due to being tired. Some days, it may not even be safe to sweep the shop. When tired, you make more bad decisions....

robo hippy

 

[sjbrandt]

An Apple Watch (and maybe other brands too) will call both 911 and another number of your choosing if it perceives that you’ve fallen and you don’t respond that you’re ok in a short amount of time. I wear one all the time due to losing consciousness and falling during a heart attack 4 1/2 years ago, before that feature even existed. Luckily my wife was right there to give me CPR and call 911 for me. Some of the meds since then make me a little dizzy at times and I have tripped and fallen and can verify that it does know when you’ve fallen. I did say I’m ok before it called 911 however—just a damaged ego.

—Steve

 

[john lucas]

John, they must be pretty fancy smartphones then. None of the ones we have will automatically contact someone if we get hurt. Maybe there's something like OnStar you can get and if you fall and don't get up in a certain amount of time it phones home? You can store emergency contact info, including health history, in your smartphone that people can see without unlocking your phone.

I don't know. A guy at the last place I demoed showed me one on his arm and told me that is why he bought it. I don't even wear a watch, much less a smart watch.

 

[Hugh]

Do not tell my wife that I may get hurt while out turning in the shop.
After I broke my ankle and wrist while out hunting alone, she made me get a cell phone to take with me. I walked out about 1/2 of a mile to get to the truck that time. Made it though
I turn wood when I am alone.....all the time. Actually, like it that way.
I go into the woods with a chainsaw and cut wood alone. Like that too.
I am 73 years old......something is going to get me........not sure what at this time......but something.
Smartest way to go....most likely not.......but the way it is.
When I was working for a living (law enforcement......25 years), my boss wrote a performance report one year.....said "Hugh is a loner, but plays well with others".
Still a lot to do and most of it will be done without company. Just the way I am.
At some point something will get me. Hopefully, I will be doing something I enjoy when it happens.

 

[Karl Best]

I know that no activity is perfectly safe; you've got to balance risks and benefits. I've been eliminating activities that I don't feel safe doing: I no longer ride a motorcycle after dark, and may not ride much longer at all. I don't ride my bicycle on public roads -- just the bike trails, and I always tell my wife where I'm going and when I should be back. I always wear a face mask while turning, and have been working on my technique to avoid catches; it's been quite awhile since I had one. I always tell my wife when I'm headed out to the garage, and I always have my phone with me.

 

[Brian Gustin]

I'm more like Hugh - Sooner or later, *something* is gonna getcha.. I'd rather go out doing something I enjoy (And I don't enjoy laying around in a bed doing nothing!) Hugh's boss's "loner" comment also fits me to a "T" On the other hand, I *DO* try to take common sense safety precautions (rather avoid pain if at all possible!) and like others, I don't work with machinery when I start feeling tired, frustrated, or distracted..

 

[John Walls]

I turn alone in my shop. But my wife finds a reason every couple hours to go through, I suspect to check on me. I'm not allowed to be on ladders alone as I tend to lose my balance and fall off them. I don't hunt alone anylonger as I can loose my balance too often. That is why I gave my motorcycle to my son, I can't hold it up well but on other hand gave me a reason to buy a new HD Triglide (3-wheeler for those non-riders). I have for quite a while refused to ride at night as we live way out in the sticks as my mom puts it and this place is loaded with deer. I've had 2 friends hit deer that showed up out of no-where so night riding, just doesn't happen, driving a vehicle here at night is not really safe either. I probably should not turn alone as I'm a disabled veteran and standing very long usually ends up with me going down un-expectantly. But, no way in heck will I stop living my way until it's worm day. Oh, and I turn every machine off ~ 4pm as that's when I start getting tired. No sense in pressing Murphy's law.

 

[JeffSmith]

I started wearing an Apple watch the first of this year - not so much for the shop time as when I'm out paddling. Living on a small island, I'm often alone in the shop, working on the property or just out for a paddle. I discovered the watch can call 911 and another number if I don't respond when it thinks I've fallen or may be unconscious. I find it good peace of mind...my wife likes it, too. Technology can be a good thing.

I really bought it to monitor my workouts and keep me moving - the heart monitoring and fall notification is just a nice plus.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

I turned alone....never thought about it. I have not turned recently because I get shaky at times and wood moves. I enjoy the board and plan to continue membership. I have not sold anything but at some point it is possible.

 

[Mike Johnson]

You can turn smaller spindle projects and master the different tools before turning large projects that having a bad tool catch can ruin your day especially if you are alone. A bad tool catch on an out of round large billet can wrench the billet out of a bowl chuck if you don't have the tail stock supporting the wood billet between centers. Staying out of the line of fire if you are turning alone is a safety concern, smaller, longer spindle blanks
usually do not present a problem if you get a bad catch compared to a large out of round bowl blank.

 

[Doug Freeman]

@John Walls I stopped riding at night many years ago also due to deer, but have hit 2 on a bike in the middle of the day. When they pop out of the tree line 20 ft from the road on a dead run there isn’t much to do…

 

[Mark Jundanian]

I have not turned recently because I get shaky at times and wood moves.

Would an articulated arm tool holder be of any help:

Articulating arm hollowing systems

I run a one on one turning group for disabled veterans. It's kind of slow right now because of everyone being very cautious about this crazy virus. I'm looking for a articulating hollowing system that works well, but doesn't cost a fortune. There are several that I can't find any info on, so I'm...

www.aawforum.org

 

[Charlie Knighton]

I have the "elbow arm" with ⬛ arm.....early model.....i have stonewall's arm relief of raising arm above head....not good in movies

 

[Charlie Knighton]

I think it was about $250 ... It needs good oiling....let me check $$$$ on tool inventory when I get home

 

[John Simmons]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy4HA3vUv2c

 

[John Walls]

Awesome song, one of my favorite!

 

[Charlie Knighton]

Yep elbow tool from '06
Got 249.99 in it + cutters
as much as oneway chucks have gone up I believe 30% or so markup reasonable
not sure if they make em anymore
$330 U.S.$ it's yours I'll pay shipping east of Mississippi river....since this is square stock I had machine shop make square stock tool rest for it $20 U.S.$
1" tool post

 

[Brian Deakin]

The additional other safety safety measure I take is to have an emergency First aid kit next to the lathe
The other step I feel you need to do is to open the kit and refresh your memory of its content and to give some active thought to how it could be improved
I plan to ask an ambulance driver what he/she would suggest should be in a kit

 

[Rick White]

In the face shield thread, someone mentioned a topic I struggle with.

My main two time diversions are nature photography and turning. I turn very poorly but enjoy it greatly.

I enjoy doing both solo. My work is often surrounded by people, and I enjoy my quite, alone time in my leisure.

My wife was called home a couple of years ago and I am solo in my house when I turn.

I thought a couple of years ago and added a couple of things to my shop, and follow practices:

• I do work to turn safe (face shield)
• I tend to turn small and medium things, I know that anything is possible, but the risk is lower to "knock you out" accidents
• I used a voice-activated phone in the shop to be able to call if needed
• In the wood I use a Garmin Inreach with an SOS button, I have kept that hand when turning so larger things. ( bit extreme maybe, but it is already in the house and small to tuck in a pocket.)

Yes it is always safer to always work with someone, but sometimes life or just preference for working alone


What, if anything, do you do when working alone?

I keep my iPhone on the buzz mode in my jeans back pocket or in my shirt pocket under my turning smock. I've tested the Siri voice commands "hands free" and it works well but I do need to talk very loudly for Siri to hear me and respond. I have 911 and other numbers entered into the Contact List, so if I have an emergency I just need to shout loud and clear to tell Siri to dial that person or number. Of course I make sure my shop Wi-Fi is working and that my cell phone is at 100% charge before I start working in the shop. Even if the Wi-Fi is down my iPhone still gets a good signal inside my shop on LTE and sometimes on 5G.

 

[Jim Woods]

Hmmm, I feel like a slacker for not planning for potential mishaps with electronics. All my woodworking , including turning has been a solo endeavor. My grandfather lost a hand in a farming accident and impressed upon me to visualize how a potential accident may occur. A couple I had the fortune to get 6 large logs of cherry and after working them to manageable sizes, I took a 32" long by 22" half log to cut some boards with a neighboring woodworker on his new Rikon bandsaw. I was a literal nervous Nellie telling him to keep his hands away from the blade etc. I guess we all have to do what we feel keeps us safe.

 

[Tim Tucker]

An iPhone can't help you if you are unconscious, or get slammed in the face by a large piece of wood which breaks your jaw. I would strongly urge anyone to invest in much better head/face ND lung protection. It is an all-in-one approach that costs more initially - but simplifies the mission to turn safe and comfortable. There are several brands, 3M, RPB, SUndstrom - to name a few. These companies have units that provide legitimate face and head protection while supplying the wearer with clean, filtered air.
My question is ...WHY would someone NOT want that? DOn't believe it can happen to you....? Then, wait - let me get some popcorn......

 

[Lou Jacobs]

An iPhone can't help you if you are unconscious, or get slammed in the face by a large piece of wood which breaks your jaw.

Actually, it can. A 40-something bicyclist just died of a heart attack in our neighborhood a few days ago. It prompted a big discussion on our neighborhood listserv about using the ICE (in case of emergency) function on the phone. You can set the iPhone to call 911 and text, I believe, a list of emergency contacts, just holding either one of the volume buttons and the opposite button (top right side, I don’t remember what it’s called) on the phone for a few seconds, or by pushing the top right button five times. It will then start a countdown to an emergency call. If you don’t tell it not to, it will go ahead and make the call. All without having to use your voice.

 

[hockenbery]

Actually, it can. A 40-something bicyclist just died of a heart attack in our neighborhood a few days ago. It prompted a big discussion on our neighborhood listserv about using the ICE (in case of emergency) function on the phone. You can set the iPhone to call 911 and text, I believe, a list of emergency contacts, just holding either one of the volume buttons and the opposite button (top right side, I don’t remember what it’s called) on the phone for a few seconds, or by pushing the top right button five times. It will then start a countdown to an emergency call. If you don’t tell it not to, it will go ahead and make the call. All without having to use your voice.

The Apple Watch has a 911 function that activates with a fall. When it detects a fall it gives a few seconds for the wearer to stop the 911 call. A pricey solution but it does other things like ekg, blood oxygen…..

 

[Tim Tucker]

Still…..I sincerely hope that no one relies on an “ after the accident” solution- when we have plenty of choices for prevention of the injury/accident? I like the idea of both prevention and something that can reach out for help if we fall. But would not equate the feature on the Apple watch to that of an ANSI approved faceshield/helmet/respirator such as many here use

 

[Rachel Aberle]

The Apple Watch has a 911 function that activates with a fall. When it detects a fall it gives a few seconds for the wearer to stop the 911 call. A pricey solution but it does other things like ekg, blood oxygen…..

I have an Apple Watch but assumption was not safe to wear while turning?

 

[hockenbery]

Still…..I sincerely hope that no one relies on an “ after the accident” solution- when we have plenty of choices for prevention of the injury/accident? I like the idea of both prevention and something that can reach out for help if we fall. But would not equate the feature on the Apple watch to that of an ANSI approved faceshield/helmet/respirator such as many here use

Totally agree with preventive protection and safe practices. However
Working alone folks have falls due to electric shock, strokes, heart failure, various fainting conditions…..
Also in the rare case that a big chunk hits someone with the best helmet they can get concussed and loose consciousness

 

[hockenbery]

I have an Apple Watch but assumption was not safe to wear while turning?

I don’t like having anything past my elbows when turning.

The Apple Watch appears less unlikely to catch on a turning wood. I don’t know if any of the band options would break away.

It’s a trade off… If a person feels unsafe turning alone it’s an option.
I haven’t been able to verify if the fall detection works if the Watch is in a pocket.

 

[Rachel Aberle]

Still…..I sincerely hope that no one relies on an “ after the accident” solution- when we have plenty of choices for prevention of the injury/accident? I like the idea of both prevention and something that can reach out for help if we fall. But would not equate the feature on the Apple watch to that of an ANSI approved faceshield/helmet/respirator such as many here use

I agree. I have the 3M papr and love it. Especially like have the top of my head protected as well. It was an investment but someone here mentioned we put a lot of $ into the tools and such but what about our health.

 

[Rachel Aberle]

I don’t like having anything past my elbows when turning.

The Apple Watch appears less unlikely to catch on a turning wood. I don’t know if any of the band options would break away.

It’s a trade off… If a person feels unsafe turning alone it’s an option.
I haven’t been able to verify if the fall detection works if the Watch is in a pocket.

Good point. The elastic bands can be tightened on wrist with no gap.

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

I wear my Apple watch while turning. Unless I'm taking pictures for an article. Our editor won't allow rings, a watch, long sleeves, or gloves. I do not think I can have a catch on the watch. If I do, I think the strap would break. I like to see who is texting me or calling without having to stop. I can even reply OK to my wife. I only answer to her when I'm turning. The rest goes to the mailbox.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

My wife was turning in a blouse with tight knit cuffs and still got caught up in the chuck (minor injury). Since then it's been nothing below the elbows for us. Something like the Apple watch might be a reasonable trade off, though.