I'm an idiot....

[ted van halen]

I (thought) I had a small piece of metal clamped securely to the work plate of my DP & proceeded to drill a 3/8 hole. It came loose, walked up the bit & started spinning at 3000 rpm. You all see where this is going so I don't think I need to explain any more. A minor cut on my thumb & a bruised ego are the worst casualties. This post is more of a be careful than anything else. Well, I'm done bumpin' my gums now & my village needs me...


Ted

[just4funsies]

You're only an idiot if it happens AGAIN...

[AlanJ]

You're only an idiot if it happens AGAIN...

and if it does, we'll send you your sign

[mater]

A good reminder to always double check.

[bebop]

Don't feel bad Ted,

several years ago my cousin was drilling a bowling ball for a customer at his bowling shop. he had a drill press with an auto feed arrangement, that would advance a really big (like thumb sized) bit into the ball very slowly. The ball sits in a vacuum device that looks like a dog food bowl with a rubber seal around the rim.

he's boring the thumb hole, when the phone rings out front. he takes the call, talks for a few minutes, and hears what sounds like a car running into the back of his shop. he runs into the back, the drill press is still spinning although now the 1" or so bit has a graceful 30 degree bend about midway down.

The 16lb ball is nowhere to be seen, however. The seal on the vacuum has let loose, and the bit picked up the ball and sent it across the room and most of the way through a cinderblock wall. we were all kind of disappointed not to have gotten to see this happen live, but in retrospect its hard to say what trajectory the ball might have taken had we been in the room to watch! It must have been something to see, though.

He no longer owns the shop but he had that big bit hanging over the press to remind him to check for dust on the vacuum base before he started drilling another ball

[Knottscott]

You're in good company Ted!

Last summer I was using a cheap boom type circle cutter on my DP. The cutter came loose and slid off the boom. I estimated that I took up probably less than 30 degrees of a potential 360 perimeter, but dang if that thing didn't wack me right square in the sternum! No major damage, but it definitely got my attention! (...if it happens again, I'm an idiot and unlucky! )

[WayneJ]

If i'm not mistaken I think that "Murphy" has a law covering that. DAMHIKT
Wayne

[Knottscott]

If i'm not mistaken I think that "Murphy" has a law covering that. DAMHIKT
Wayne

Yeah...Murphy was a woodworker before becoming a legislater!

[wreckwriter]

Well, since we're all sharing these things....

I had built a deadman T to help with putting up a plywood porch ceiling. I put the T together with regular nails then I wrapped an old towel around the top bar and banged it on with a 15ga finish nailer.

The other day, about a month after finishing the ceiling I noticed the deadman laying up against the shop wall and decided it was a good time to reduce it back to 2x4s. I pulled the towel off, just tore it off, and put the claw of my hammer on the first nail head. Of course the whole thing moved so I put my bare feet (yea, I know but it was going to be a 2 minute job....) on the crossbar to steady it... and, of course, put each of my big toes directly onto the sharp end of a 15 ga finish nail! Ouch!

Lessons learned..

[ted van halen]

and if it does, we'll send you your sign

Many thanks. This all took place in my shop(duh!) that is in the walk-out basement/garage of the house LOML & I just built. I thought I'd be smart & put up a MEN sign on the door right after we moved in to stake my claim. LDIK it probably should have been the stupid sign instead.

[just4funsies]

You could also put up a sign that says "Paramedics, This Way Please!".

[rockfish]

Not only is it a good idea to have your work securely clamped......but you might want to slow that drill bit down. If you are seriously drilling a 3/8 hole through metal, 3000 rpm is way too fast, in my opinion. That speed would probably toast your drill bit. I would run that size drill somewhere between 800-1200 rpm. If the shavings are coming off blue, back the speed down even slower. Use of cutting oil or some other lubricant helps out too.






rockfish

[Stytooner]

I drill all my steel with a little HF DP. Its on the slowest speed. If its a small part, I always use vice grips. I also drill pilot holes smaller and drill larger holes like 3/8" from both sides. This also helps keep the rim clean.
If its sheet steel, rarely will I clamp it down at all, however I do not reccomend this. I also wear glove, which is a severe no no with a drill press.I have the belt tension set loose enough that I can stall the bit with my hands. This is key if you intend to hold the parts. For thicker steel, I always use a vice.
Take it fo what its worth. A thin peice of steel flying around on a drill press can certainly do some svere damage and not just to your hands.
If you are going to drill steel, slow the press down and ease the tension on the belt.
So far I am 100% with this method. Be careful. Big Drill presses can easily break an arm.

[ted van halen]

I drill all my steel with a little HF DP. Its on the slowest speed. If its a small part, I always use vice grips. I also drill pilot holes smaller and drill larger holes like 3/8" from both sides. This also helps keep the rim clean.
If its sheet steel, rarely will I clamp it down at all, however I do not reccomend this. I also wear glove, which is a severe no no with a drill press.I have the belt tension set loose enough that I can stall the bit with my hands. This is key if you intend to hold the parts. For thicker steel, I always use a vice.
Take it fo what its worth. A thin peice of steel flying around on a drill press can certainly do some svere damage and not just to your hands.
If you are going to drill steel, slow the press down and ease the tension on the belt.
So far I am 100% with this method. Be careful. Big Drill presses can easily break an arm.

It was indeed a small piece of sheet. I was actually just drilling the holes to size after a 5/16 predrill so the actual depth of cut was 1/32 per side. The bits are sharp & were making quick work of it. Chips were not discolored at all. I do use cutting fluid when drilling steel.

I'm a freak about clamping stuff & was sure it was tight. I think what happened was that the clamp actually moved once it saw the stress of the bit turning. I say this because of a witness mark left on the under side of the table. I apparently had the clamp(5" C) at the edge of a slight ledge on the under side.

At any rate, it moved, I got a warning shot over the bow, a lesson learned & some good advice from veterans who have been there, done that, got the scar.

Thanks,
Ted

[smorris]

Long ago when I was a teenager working in a machine shop over the summer I was directed to ream out gear blanks prior to hobbing them. They chucked into a vise and then you ran the reamer through them on the drill press. One day the reamer stuck, tore the vise out of my hand and as it spun the folding handle extended. When I got up off the floor I had a broken rib and some pretty bad bruising. I still remember that whenever I need to clamp something on the drill press and make use of the bolt holes for the vise.