Saftey First - This could have been nasty!

**Milo** · 19th January 2012, 11:43 AM

Well I hold my head in shame and embarrasment but I will share my mistake!

Ok, so I get my new Carba-Tec 3/4 power Drill press home and I whip it together faster than grease lightning. I take the time to read the assembly instructions carefully and tighten down all the bolts etc...ok looks good to go.

My drills are on the other side of the garage so I just grabbed what was closest a 400 mm long shaft Forstner bit, one of my late fathers. I thought mmmm it will make a nice pretty hole in some scrap.....

So I whacked it in clamped the scrap down and switched on the machine......

Of course I hadn't check what speed the drill was running and as it turned out it was on the fastest setting.

With a 400mm of shaft spinning too fast the Forstner bit/shaft went into a death spriral and before I could reach for the kill switch it snapped and projectiled off 90 degrees to me and impaled into the dry wall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just stood there in disbelief!!!! and shock!!!!!!!

We are having our first kid in 3 weeks time and I bent over and kissed my own ass on how lucky I was...that could have been VERY Nasty!!!!!!!!!!

I promptly adjusted the belts to a slower speed and things are much better noiw!

I was complacent...end of story.

I have always had a very healthy respect for the table saw, for the jointer and now the drill press!

Hopefully this story will make others think about their saftey and how easy it is for these machines to bite you.

Cheers

Milo

That was a Russel Coyte moment! bwahaha!

**WOODbTURNER** · 19th January 2012, 11:56 AM

Milo,
It's moments like these that make people realise that machinery can be very dangerous. You were very lucky indeed.

**Sawdust Maker** · 19th January 2012, 12:41 PM

ouch

**rustynail** · 19th January 2012, 02:05 PM

May be a good idea to let the manufacturer know, otherwise you may be the first of many. They could set the belts at lowest speed during assembly.

**Milo** · 19th January 2012, 02:45 PM

Rustynail

Its a good point but they will just fall back on their warnings in the manual.

I was silly, thinking that a nice big forstner bit would be "cool"...how bloody wrong I was!! I think I would have been ok if it was a short shank forstner bit, it still would have been spinning too fast and might have grabbed the wood but I did clamp the stock down.

Anyway you live and learn. Its funny because I was looking at that post of that guy who got a piece of wood through his hand via the table saw and thought to myself..."how the hell did that happen?"

IanW actually mentioned to me just two days ago how the drill press can pick stock up and fling it around....never a true word has been spoken.

**Scott** · 19th January 2012, 06:27 PM

Very, very nasty. That's a skid mark moment for sure. I've absentmindedly left the key in the chuck before amd turned on the drill. Most scariest moment I've had. Luckily it hit the wall behind the drill press

**NeilS** · 20th January 2012, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by Milo

We are having our first kid in 3 weeks time....

...and could have removed any prospect of another, along with all the fun required ...

**Sawdust Maker** · 20th January 2012, 08:12 AM

Originally Posted by Milo

... the Forstner bit/shaft went into a death spriral and before I could reach for the kill switch it snapped and projectiled off 90 degrees to me and impaled into the dry wall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...

Did you get a piccy of it impaled in the wall

**IWieldTheSpade** · 20th January 2012, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by sjt

I've absentmindedly left the key in the chuck before amd turned on the drill. Most scariest moment I've had. Luckily it hit the wall behind the drill press

Haven't we all?

**Milo** · 20th January 2012, 04:48 PM

The shaft that snapped off in the chuck! swhacko!

**Milo** · 20th January 2012, 04:49 PM

and a pic of the said 400mm long forstner bit! It makes for a deadly projectile!

**BEKKY** · 20th January 2012, 05:12 PM

Last year our woodwork club purchased a new Woodfast lathe with variable electronic speed control.
It has an on and an off button and a speed control knob.
One of the members hit the on button, and the control knob was in the fastest position
It shattered the bowl he was turning and buried several pieces in the wall and ceiling.
Narrowly missing several other people watching him.
It now has a large sign on it to
check before switching on.
You can,t be too careful.....

Stay safe, Keith.

**munruben** · 20th January 2012, 05:25 PM

It always pays to check and double check these things but of course, we don't until something like that happens to give us a warning.. You were lucky to get off with just a warning Milo. could have been catastrophic Pleased to hear is was only the wall it hit.
Let's all be more careful in future.

**oldiephred** · 21st January 2012, 10:10 AM

I have attached a small spring to the blank end of the chuck key so it cannot stay in the hole unless held. Sometimes a darn nuisance but so is looking for it or maybe removing it from some body part.
One of the many strange things about "intelligent beings" is that all too soon the scare wears off and KABOOM we do some other stupid thing.
Sure glad no one was hurt

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