Safety

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I accidently sliced my finger open with the hobby knife. It’s nothing too major, just about 1/4" long. I covered it with a bandage and everything is fine.

When I am at work, I have to wear cut proof glove when handling knives while on the company property. I am going to get a pair of those for home.

It’s funny that people are preached at work about safe practices, but you would be amazed at how many people are hurt at home from something that could have been avoided.

Anyone else have any stories they would like to share.

2

I have never had an incident I would care to admit.

3

In my case, the operative words are “that I would care to admit.”

Tom[B)][oops]

4

I was told at a young age that the most dangerous kinfe is a dull one. You have to use more pressure to make it work, making it more likely to slip and go were you do not want it to go. [xx(]

5

I sliced a nice triangular chunk out of my left middle finger with a hobby knife once. More than 40 years ago. It didn;t slice completely off, was a rather nasty little flap, I put a bandage on it and it was fine. Since I know where to look, I can still see the scar al these years later. Mostly I’ve avoided any real injuries, and I’m the guy that solders all my feeder wires, under the layout. I have not dropped hot solder on myself. In many years of electronics work, I’ve had chips embedded in my fingers but that’s never even drawn blood. And around power tools I am always super careful. There have been cuts I probably could have made safely but instead I resorted to a hand saw because it just felt safer. I’m not keen on using a table saw, since that’s one tool I never really used much, even in shop class. I’ve avoided needing one, but I am leaning towards cutting my own dimensional lumber from plywood since it’s going to be straighter than the stuff the sell as ‘premium’ these days. Tough to do without a table saw - though building up a jig and using a circular saw will work.

–Randy

6

I rember when I needed to make some clearance holes a little bit larger for the operating wire on a few Tortoise operated turnouts.

Just got a nifty compact power tool called a Roto-Zip! Just like a mini router but this thing has a 1/8 bit that rotates at 30,000 RPM (Yikes!)

Perfect setup, just set the depth enough to cut the plywood but not the cork or throwbar and let 'er rip. So I’m reaching up while reclining on my roll around scooter and don’t 'ya know… I drop the silly thing—while at top speed and it falls next to my neck and is pointed at my ear… and not all that far from my jugular vein. What a news story that would have made!

So as if reaching for a live snake (the cord is tangled around my neck, too) I slowly try to find the off switch which, thankfully, pushes IN to kill the power.

No more overhead RotoZip work for me—thank you!

[:$] Ed

7

Very true George, I worked at an abattoir when I first left school and my only serious cut, (it needed four stitches and I still have the scar today), was with a blunt knife, after that I made sure that my knives were sharp enough to shave with.

8

Sign on train room door reads (as I remember it)

RAILROAD REGARDLESS OF SIZE ARE HAZARDUS AREAS

Hazards in this area inclued Thermal, Chemical, Electrical, Moving Trains and Underfoot Obstructions.

Now it came to pass when I was building this railroad, that I was cutting lumber in our carpentry shop. The lumber, used lumber, brought up from the barn where it was stored, had previously been the floor of the old science building (since demolished) and the walls of the old corn crib, (also slong since demolished). The wood from the old science building was just fine, very nice, but the lumber from the old corn crib was never a finshed wood, it had splinters in it, and organic materials on it.

LION was wearing work gloves.
LION was not using wooden finger clamped to saw machine.
LION was just cutting the wood to desired width.

Glove of LION was snagged by the blade.
LION ROARED, other monks working in the shop wet their pants.

LION gingerly removed glove, counted the fingers of him.
All fingers accounted for, no bleeding.

LION put glove back on, and returned to work.

In evening hand still hurt. Him called hospital, in those days hospital was next door to monastery, the nurse on duty was well known to the LION. He says the word “saw” and the nurse picture in her mind the LION coming into her ER with fingers in a bag. No bag, nurse much relieved, xray demonstrates a broken finger, a splint she puts on, and writes an order to see the orthopedic surgeon on Monday.

Orthopedic surgeon takes more xrays, and comes out with a far more uncomfortable splint and tells me to return in a month.

LON should not use gloves with power saw, him should use wooden fingers to hold work to the guide and to the table. (Check and Check), LION continues building railroad.

ROAR

9

60 years in the hobby = some blood = all in the fun…

Seriously,we can shout safety first, last and always until the cows come home and beyond that but,that doesn’t mean there won’t be accidents.

10

About two years ago, I was painting a model and needed to open a jar of Floquil rail brown. The top was stuck, so I grabbed a pair of pliers. I tried “firm but gentle,” I tried brute for and finally tried " going medieval." All this did was strip the paint off the lid. Being 1/4 Greek, I’m more than a little stubborn and prone to not thinking things through. I grabbed my vise grips, clamped them on, took the jar in my left hand and went “Gozer the Destructor” on the thing. The lid didn’t yield, but the neck of the jar did, lacerating my hand! Too bad my Greek hardheadedness doesn’t extend to my hands.

11

I bear enough scars from exploding cutoff discs that I’ll never neglect the goggles when the Dremel comes out.

12

I had a couple of those hit me in the face. I now wear safety glasses and a face shield.

13

Wearing gloves around any kind of revolving equiptment is a good way to get hurt.

14

When I first got my Taig Micro Lathe, nearly 20 years ago, I naturally had to try it out after assembling it and getting the motor running in the correct direction. I used the lathe itself to true up the 3-jaw check, as per instructions, and made a few test turnings. I decided to make a new drawbar post under the cab of the Thomas O scale Consol I was rebuilding, so I chucked some 3/32" steel rod (which is actually more of a thick wire), leaving it sticking out the back of the headstock spindle. If you’re unfamiliar with lathe-turning, that’s really not a good idea.

I went into O scale in my early 50s because I could no longer work on HO cars and locos for more than 20 minutes without having to give up and go watch TV–I coldn’t even focus on print so I could read! After setting up a workshop in the pantry closet of my 1-bedroom efficiency apartment (I sat in the doorway and the lathe was on a table just clear of it), with a magnifying arm lamp to help me see even better. Luckily, as it turned out, it was between me and the lathe, for unnoticed by me, the whippy end of the rod, flailing around, snagged somehow and unscrewed the heavy chuck! Next thing I knew, the thing flew off, shattered the circular fluorescent tube around the heavy 3X lens, and hit me in the chest, ripping a hole in my T-shirt (I’d lost the two denim work aprons my mom had made for me when I was a kid–and the Micro-Mark knee-length one hadn’t et been ordered). I had an intersting wound from the spinning chuck, but it barely scratched me.

I was lucky I didn’t need EMTs and it somehow managed not to even scratch the lens, but safety goggles and an acrylic shield are now the Order of the Day when using power tools! (Even though I wear optically clear plastic lenses in my glasses, I doubt I’d enjoy having things hit them. Besides, goggles are a lot cheaper than trifocals with corrective prisms.)

Deano

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15

I sliced my left index finger wide open a few years ago. I nearly cut my fingerprint off. Of course I was asking for it to happen because I was ignoring all the advice I had been given in my youth about what not to do with sharp instruments. I was pulling the blade towards my left hand and using excessive force.[D)][D)][D)]

The blood was literally splashing out! I can still remember the sound of it dripping into the garbage can. Being the brave type I wrapped the wound in paper towels and decided to drive myself to the Emergency Ward. The paper towels didn’t do their job very well because I ended up with blood in several places on the car interior.

The Emerg doctor was very polite. He didn’t give me a big lecture, thank goodness. I got about a dozen stitches.

I lost some feeling in my fingertip, which is annoying, but what is worse is that every so often the darned thing starts to hurt all on its own without me having to do anything to it.[|(]

My theory is that we do these stupid things to ourselves as a form of rapid learning. You have to do it once to prove to yourself that the advice you were given long ago was actually correct.

Dave

16

I USED to use just goggles when using Dremel cutoff disks until one grenaded on me and a piece hit me in the upper chest. I, too, now use a face shield, and a long sleeve, button up shirt. Make sure the shirt fits correctly; not baggy, buttoned cuffs, etc. and tucked in. Power tools look for loose fitting clothing.

17

I learned DO NOT wear shorts at the workbench many years ago…I had the soldering iron slip off the bench onto my thigh…not a pleasant experience…live and learn…

18

And I learned not to use a soldering iron in the kitchen…

The good news is I saved the linoleum floor… Bad news is I caught the hot soldering iron by the hot iron, not the safe, cool, handle…

That left one interesting burn mark that I had to explain to everyone in the family, and at work…

Now, the “duh” moment… The cord would have prevented the hot iron from being able to melt the flooring… It would never have reached. [X-)]

19

have given myself a couple of minor owies with soldering irons, but have yet to cut myself with box cutters or hobby knife. I don’t use them all that much, so my exposure is minimal. However, there are plenty of other hazards:

a. throw rugs;

b. power cords;

c. rolling glue/alcohol/spray paint containers that you really did set upright a minute ago (maybe they tripped over that infernal power cord, too…)

d. the sharp tips of deck and drywall screws when you reach into the jar/bag;

e. any type of contact cement/ca on the finger tips…or your nose tip when you scratched;

f. heavy power implements that tumble of their perches and onto your toes;

g. the sharp, sprung, ends of nickel silver rails snagged out of their spike details; and

h. lids on dangerous liquid containers that you had meant to tighten…later.

20

Hello All,

I was raised at the tail-end of the Baby Boomer generation: “Don’t come running to me with two broken legs kid!!!”

My father; now a retired architect, came from a family of masons, cement workers- -not the ones with the funny handshakes.

Because of his model making background I was “allowed” to handle things like hobby knives, mat knives and other “dangerous” cutting implements as long as I can remember. Slips, cuts and all!

I was using a radial arm saw, with supervision, “Don’t do it that way, it’ll kick back on you…see the hole in the garage wall!!!” kind before my 10th birthday.

Along with the famed nine-fingered shop teacher…“Ya see how this happened!!!”

By the time I was in Senior High School I’d seen enough of other people injuries that I managed to look at a potentially dangerous situation and know better or walk away.

After a 15-year career in electronics ranging from 9v DC control circuits to 3,000 VAC distribution panel installs I still have all 21-digits [;)] and never killed a person (components are a different story).

Yes I have my share of “war wounds” but to this generation of tattooed kids I always say, "Yeah that tattoo looks cool, but…see this scar! Here’s how I got it (usually a much better story with the scar).

Learn from those who have fuc…messed up before you!

Hope this helps.