Basic Woodturning Safety Tips

Since our group is called WoodTurningBasics I like to focus on some of the basics of woodturning every now and again. Safety and safety basics are things we really do not think about but are so important to turning wood….since if you get hurt by flying wood, getting caught up in a turning spindle or have a gouge catch and come flying at you …..you just might call it quits on “wood turning” and I really don’t want to see that happen to anybody. So it is important to understand the basics of woodturning safety!

Over Confidence Is a
Woodturners Worse Nightmare

I will say that over confidence is your worse enemy. You might ignore some of the rules and become very confident in your abilities. All it takes is one mishap and that could be the end of your woodturning career ….especially if you get badly hurt. In our facebook group, Woodturning Basics, we get people posting pictures of their mishaps and their wounds. I get requests to delete those posts because people get grossed out with pictures of fingers hanging on by a thread, stitches and blood…..but I leave them there for the simple reason that it might help our fellow woodturners to understand that the tools and equipment we use is very dangerous and needs to be used with caution.

Someone recently commented in our facebook group that they knew of a woodturner that was killed while working on a woodturning lathe. I’ve also gotten messages from woodturners that expressed how dangerous a lathe can be, whether it be metal lathe or wood lathe. Never let your guard down, always be aware of the dangers that might be in front of you. A bowl blank flying off our chuck or faceplate might go away from the lathe or it could target your head! Always wear a facemask and always stand to one side or the other of the piece that you are turning.

Safety Concerns With Dangerous
Equipment Is Important to Understand

I worked construction when safety issues were not a big concern. You did not protect your hearing, eye protection was rarely considered, the focus was on getting the project done and your personal protection be damned!

Much has changed in the construction industry regarding the safety of workers and of the work site. Transfer much of that safety to your new lathe hobby. You have a block of wood, anywhere from a couple ounces to couple of pounds spinning at 300 to 2500 rpm at which you are going to stick a metal tool into.

Now we take the time to keep ourselves, that is our bodies, safe. Sometimes you need to read about safety 20 times before you began to consider it, sometimes its after your first accident or maybe you are just reading, watching and considering what can go wrong when turning wood.

Learn How to Use Your Woodturning Tools Safely and Practice Safety Habits All the Time!

Always properly and securely mount your wood to the lathe. I won’t go into details but you need to learn how to keep a project on a chuck or between centers. Learn what type of screws to use if using a faceplate or if using a glueblock, use the right kind of glue. These are all basics of woodturning but will help to keep you safe. A bowl that breaks apart or comes off the lathe happens fast, it might shoot off away from the lathe or it might come right back at you. If it heads your way and you head stops it, you will be a mess and it will cause serious damage……might even end your turning adventures. Always wear a full face shield, you can get one at Amazon for a small investment ….believe me, it is worth the price! This one only costs around $20 and you will thank me if you don’t have one already https://amzn.to/2pWf2NT

Stay Out of The Line of Fire

One of the biggest lessons I learned about woodturning is where to stand when turning a bowl blank or bigger. Never….never stand directly in line with the turning piece!

Remember this, always ….always….try to stand to one side or the other of your turning piece since if the wood blank blow apart it will probably shoot off 90° to the bedways, both toward the back and toward the front (where you are) If you get hit with a 2 or 3 lb cracked bowl blank, you will be going to the hospital.

Keep Your Body to One Side or the Other Of Your Spinning Piece of Wood

So, always stand off the one side or the other of your spinning blank or spindle. Even if it does hit you, it will be glance but for all that I have turned, standing to one side or the other has saved me. Sometimes that makes for difficult turning, but if you have a headstock that rotates you can make your turning a little easier.

Sorry…..I didn’t mean to go into such a discussion.

I was watching Mike Waldt’s video on “Woodturning-A Beginners Guide To Basic Safety” and I thought I should make mention of the importance of safety since we are growing fast as a group and there are some very new newbies. After all, I would like to see everyone stay safe and enjoy our hobby.

Watch Mike’s Video….it has some very basic information

And for all you experienced turners please take this serious and add some tips for newer turners to stay safe while learning how to turn wood!