Well guys after 30 plus years of woodworking I had my first major accident. A piece of ash came flying off the tablesaw at what seemed 500 MPH. Shattered the lens of my plastic lensed prescription glasses. I was lucky, this time, no permanent damage to the eye. So, I am looking for suggestions for a full face shield. I have looked at the ones from Woodcraft and other places but they all seem too flimsy to stand up to a full impact. I want something substantial. I am willing to put up with a little discomfort to insure a higher level of safety. Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
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Replies
I use an AOSafety face shield when operating my table saw and lathe. It's inexpensive and available at the big boxes. Meets applicable ANSI and OSHA standards, FWIW.
Keep in mind that a face shield isn't supposed to be rigid armor. It works by spreading the impact force and providing a relatively smooth, slick surface that the impacting object can slide across. So, you don't need 1" thick polycarbonate. In fact, you wouldn't want it because it'd be expensive. Since face shields get scratched over time, it's better to have something where the replacement windows and/or shields are inexpensive so you don't risk working with a view obscured by scratches. Oh, one other plus about the face shield that I like: I can wear my dual cartridge half mask respirator underneath.
Lucky thing about the prescription glasses. The plastic lenses are polycarbonate (same as the face sheild) -- tough stuff. I've been wearing glasses since I was a 12 years old and have found that something hits me hard in the glasses every few years. I figure that I'd be blind now in at least one eye if it wasn't for the glasses. Consequently I have never had any desire to even try contacts.
Thanks Doc,
I'll go to the Depot after lunch and pick up a shield. Since I only have sight in one eye I think I'll wear the goggles, that came with the saw, and the shield. Hopefully there won't be a fogging problem.
There are impact resistant lexan face shields for loggers. I've only seen them with the hard hat and ear muffs. To get full protection you still need to wear glasses. Elvex is a well known manufacturer. Have you figured out why you had the kick back? We all should wear face shields in addition to safety glasses but they should not take the place of proper technique on tools. There is always a reason for kick back and it is usually the operator.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Hammer,
Yes, I did figure out why the accident. It was a stupid mistake on my part. I am building an outfeed table for my new General saw. I was cutting half lap joints for the leg supports. I haven'nt put an extension on the sliding T-square, only a third of the workpiece was against the square. As I told Doc I am headed to the Depot after lunch to get a face shield. Next I will put an extension on the sliding square then finish my project and hopefully many more, SAFELY.
If you can't find a face shield at HD that suits you, I would suggest tracking down a place that sells only safety equipment. If you live in a metro area that has a lot of commercial building activity (and an OSHA presence), there will probably be at least one or two such places -- and they will have a pretty extensive selection of face and eye protection equipment -- including many items you won't find at a typical HD.Of course, all this stuff is available online, but I prefer to try it on before I buy.As another poster noted, it's a good idea to get one where the shield itself can be easily replaced. And, I have one that has a knob to quickly adjust for head size -- which will accommodate different hats, or no hat at all.
Are you using the fence as a stop? Glue some fine sandpaper to the miter bar extension, clamp a block to the fence for a stop that is well behind the blade and don't back up after the cut. Also watch where you put your hand on the miter bar, especially on the return. Glad you weren't hurt too bad. It's amazing how hard the saw can throw something, more so if the piece is trapped between the blade and fence.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Hammer.
I was using the fence with a block of wood, clamped well behind the blade, as the stop. I think the problem was that I didn't have enough of the work piece supported by the sliding mitre. I was cutting half-laps at a 45 dgree angle. I will try the sandpaper trick. Thanks.
You can order a face shield from Lab Safety Supply as well as other personal safety items. Their website is http://www.lss.com I like them because the selection they have is so much greater than the big boxes.
Glad you didn't get permanent damage.
What a coincidence. Yesterday, I was cross cutting tambors for a project, and a small piece flew back and hit me at high speed. Luckily I have been wearing a face shield for some time now, so no damage was done. The shield I have is just a light weight piece of clear plastic, with no kind of reinforcement at the edges, yet it easily deflected the off cut. I think anything you find would work, as I'm sure they are all tested and meet industry standards.
Rob Millard
I would be wearing safety glasses, the real ones. AOSafety has a wide array of lenses and frames along with the side shields. They may look geeky but the work.
Glad you weren't seriously hurt. I wear prescription safety glasses and have for nearly 2 decades. I go for the largest frame they have as I want the greatest area of protection I can get. I never forget to put them on before doing something that requires them and I never forget where I left my regular glasses when I'm done.
When I go in the shop I put my safety glasses on and put me regular glasses in their case. The case is always where it is so I don't have to look for it to swap back. I have forgotten and worn my safety glasses out to lunch or for a trip to the hardware store but, no one would notice, right?
You are the alien from Area 51 and I claim my $10 voucher towards a ray gun!
These ancient threads. Who revives 'em and why? I recall corresponding with some o' them fellahs 15 years ago in Knots ....... How many are still extant? We will never know.
As then so now. What you lads need isn't all that head protection but proper tablesaws that don't fire wood bits at your head. Melt down you unisaw! Sell it for the $3.99 scrap value or make an anchor-shaped boat anchor instead of a tablesaw-shaped one.
Purchase a proper tablesaw from Yrp, with a sliding carriage but also a riving knife, blade guard, blade brake, fence that doesn't push wood into the back of the blade and micro-adjusters allowing accuracy of cut to 0.05mm on both rip and crosscut. You will like it but, more importantly, it will like you, demonstrating this liking for its master by not trying to kill you with a 100mph wood lump.
But if you insist on the tablesaw-cum-wood-firing gun, wear a welder's mask. It will save your eye from being scooped out by a bit o' black walnut or smoking cherry and you can keep it on for when you dismember the evil machine that just tried to do away with you, with your welding torch.
Lataxe
Fortunately dogging an important bullet - we should all be thankful.
Several years ago I had a piece of oak come back at me, from my cabinet table saw - fortunately, the pain didn't last longer than a few days, and nothing important was damaged. From this, I got religion.
I researched sliding table saws, purchased a good one, and now, I'm never in the line of fire; in fact, I'm normally several feet left of the cut line.
Safety glasses, a good respirator, and ear plugs are now standard equipment.
I tried a full face shield for a month or so, and gave up - I got tired of the on-off, scratched polycarbonite, and clostrophobia (sp); at least with the safety glasses I can move freely from distance to close work.
By the way, the slider is worth every penny of its high-cost, and it fits neatly into my small shop.
I actually had the safety guard of my saw fly off and hit me.
Bloody thing has a badly designed locking mechanism which seems to be fully engaged but is not, so it worked loose and fell into the blade.
A hit to the hip ensued, but only due to lack of experience with the slider - I would have been out of the way had I been using the saw properly.
I usually use a lightweight full face shield from 3M. Cheap, light and effective. Also allows me to use a mask without fogging.
@lataxe, your ray gun order has been processed. If you remove your tinfoil hat, the mothership will know where to find you so it can be delivered.
Three to five kicking horses encased in a WW machine is always going to be a beast to be wary off. My own TS is festooned with various guards and hold-downs, with four different shapes of push stick ready to hand. I don't like to even see that blade except when changing it. Even then, I check the saw is unplugged in an excessively paranoid manner, draping the wire and plug where its always visible, in case it somehow plugs itself back in just as I'm leaning over the ON switch to place the blade on the arbor.
The TS and other whirring monsters are also all plugged into a 3HP dust sucker, as they like to get you slowly via poisoning with iroko or even tambooti, as well as trying to cut orf your fingers. A fan in the wall also pushes air through the shed in a direction away from the machine as I stand at it and out of a ventilator grid. Dust masks don't really work, especially if one is a hairy chops.
Safety glasses have always been the compromise for me. Goggles and masks tend to steam up as one gets busy and hot. The prescription safety glasses will save the eye from small chips flying off at queer angles and also allow one to see properly when poking chisels at things. Those sharp hand tools can be dangereux also, if they see a bit of flesh in front of them rather than just pushing a bit from behind.
****
How do we survive the woodworking!? In Blighty there is the NHS, which mends cack-hands intent on abusing themselves with sharp stuff. In Yankland, a damaged finger means you have to sell your house to pay for the bandage - or so I have heard. Why, then, do they risk those mad saws, eh, eh!? Perhaps it is a manly thing? Myself, I yam a softlad preferring soppy girls films to them with an armed loon going about in doing for the bad guys.
Lataxe
PS I hope the ray gun has purple rays and not those feeble green ones, mind.
I have been thinking about getting some real prescription safety glasses for my shop. I think I may get the Bifocals placed on the top and bottom of the lens. I know in my heart that even with glasses I need more coverage.
Bifocal safety specs are good - essential at a certain age - but get yourself the distances for best focus at "reading" (i.e. close) and "computer screen" (i.e. about 3 feet away). I find the latter is necessary for many machine operations in which the action is a little farther away than a typical hand tool action. In the shed, there's no need for a distance focus really - as long as you can see where you want to walk to have a close look at summick.
The other thing to watch out for is the fit of the spectacle arms. If you wear hearing protection mufflers over the whole of your ear, they can be pushed off a close fit by some spectacle arms. This lets the roaring and screaming of those machine tools in! If the mufflers press hard enough to stay closed over your ears even with the wider spectacle arms, they'll likely be pressing the loops of those spec arms into your sensitive flesh, which will soon start to complain.
Ask me how I know this. :-)
Lataxe
Wow! I've been doing this for 30 years and never have I heard more "can you top this?" stories. Wanabe asked for help and got quiveling for his trouble. Good thing he didn't ask if a left or right-hand screwdriver is best.
This week I started using this shield. Comfortable and easy to adjust. I hardly notice it when using a router, table saw and lathe. It doesn't interfere with a dust mask. I'm thinking of wearing it when dining out. (>;
Sellstrom Single Crown Safety Face Shield with Ratchet Headgear, Shade 5 IR Tint, Uncoated, Black, S32010 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B62AYP2/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apap_AcZYP3Px2a4nb
Mikaol,
Ooooh -"quiveling": a new word for my collection. Wot it mean, then? Even the goggler doesn't know!
Now then, about these screwdrivers. I can only suggest you visit an on-line emporium selling the Narex tools, where you will find lovely screwdrivers of many kinds, all of them very good for fondling as well as screwing. I believe they are tough enough to not only open your paint cans but to also stir the contents to pefekshun.
The largest one could be used as a sword. As you will know, it is traditional to employ large screwdrivers for all sorts of procedures other than screwing big screws.
Then there are those small blue cases containing about 100 different hex bits for screwing all sorts of queer screws, many of which you've never seen before and perhaps never will. One could probably take up a consuming hobby of "find the screws that these fit into .".........
Meanwhile, do tell of your own devices for protecting yourself from the slashing-dismembering antics of your no doubt many dangerous tools. I have a sneaking suspicion that you may be a minimalist in this area. :-)
Lataxe
Well, I got a complete set of hat & face shield but unfortunately, the glass started getting scuffs that become visible while focusing on object during work so alternatively I got face shield visors seperately and it worked for me. No doubt the hat is the toughest but the front glass material that comes with id additionally isn't that much of great quality. Here are the sources: https://www.amazon.com/Sellstrom-Replacement-Plastic-Universal-Adapter/dp/B00CA8G0PO/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Sellstrom+Single+Crown+Safety+Face+Shield+hat&qid=1594747142&sr=8-1
https://www.modell.ca/protective-face-shield-visors
I would use a top quality woodturner’s face shield.
Stuff can really come flying off of a lathe especially when you catch an edge & the bowl flies apart with unbelievable force.
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