Lathe explosion

dr sportster

Well-known Member
My friend [a fellow dumpster diver] gave me two cans of Met-Kool a chemically formulated machining oil. I'm making a part on the lathe and the aerosol can gets sucked under the leadscrew ,rips off the cap and when the slot of the leadscrew comes around rips the can open and starts to shower me with oil. I saved most of it in a can but my laundry is going to be very oily. Now I have to find the cap because I have one more can of the stuff. It was real foamy and went everywhere. I thought my tooling broke when the cap went flying. I think the leadscrew is more dangerous than the chuck.
 
Tell ya what is worse , Back in 73 while hauling road salt I71 was pretty rough and the old R700 Mack was a real Teddy Roosevelt special even with 25 ton on . Had the hammer down as that is how you drove the old 318 Detroits and a mind blowing whoppen 60 MPH I hit one of the huge speed bumps i came clean off the seat and as i was still in the air a full can , Not the little can now mind you but a big tall can of either fell under the suspension arms of the Bostrom air ride seat and when i came down the arm punctured the can . It was 0 out that day and needless to say the winders were up Mack cabs are not that big and bringing a 80000lb semi to a woow and off the road does not happen fast. Just glad i had just throwen my cigarette out just a few seconds before the bump.
 
Don't think there's any part of a lathe that isn't dangerous. Why WE keep sitting stuff on the bed and headstock when we know better is beyond me. Glad you didn't get hurt.
 
tractor vet - I'm starting to be real surprised you're still with us, and I thought I'd gotten into some iffy situations.
 
(quoted from post at 13:09:58 01/17/16) Don't think there's any part of a lathe that isn't dangerous. Why WE keep sitting stuff on the bed and headstock when we know better is beyond me. Glad you didn't get hurt.

I think that falls under the "Law of Flat Surfaces"
 
I was taught to NEVER put anything on the ways......due to metal-on-metal damage, but if you put down some plywood, a lot of stuff can be within a handy reach!
 
I'm just a guilty as anyone for stacking junk on top of the lathe.

What gets me is walking by and seeing the chuck key left in the chuck! Just a matter of time, it's going to get someone!
 
Just keep your oily clothes handy and wring them over future work as necessary!

(I have a nice set of scars from a lathe incident)
 
Down at work one of the AAA......oles thinks it is really funny to leave the chuck key in the standup drill press. I do hope he gets his head ripped off but tooooo many of them are idiots! Union shops can be full of dangerous twits. Why is it the most dangerous ones never get fired?
 
I have been know to put plywood down behind the tailstock to put trays of parts, etc.

Machining Magnesium can be fun. If you cut too slow or too lightly the shavings can catch fire. I clean the lathe and the chip pan before, and using a hook and hoe, pull them out while turning to keep the pile small enough to do no damage or ignite the work piece.
 
(quoted from post at 12:58:03 01/18/16) Down at work one of the AAA......oles thinks it is really funny to leave the chuck key in the standup drill press. I do hope he gets his head ripped off but tooooo many of them are idiots! Union shops can be full of dangerous twits. Why is it the most dangerous ones never get fired?

Thats why some shops only buy spring loaded keys.
 
(quoted from post at 15:42:27 01/18/16) I have been know to put plywood down behind the tailstock to put trays of parts, etc.

Machining Magnesium can be fun. If you cut too slow or too lightly the shavings can catch fire. I clean the lathe and the chip pan before, and using a hook and hoe, pull them out while turning to keep the pile small enough to do no damage or ignite the work piece.

I've had it catch fire. It was when my tool got dull.
 
(quoted from post at 15:44:12 01/18/16)
(quoted from post at 12:58:03 01/18/16) Down at work one of the AAA......oles thinks it is really funny to leave the chuck key in the standup drill press. I do hope he gets his head ripped off but tooooo many of them are idiots! Union shops can be full of dangerous twits. Why is it the most dangerous ones never get fired?

Thats why some shops only buy spring loaded keys.

I believe it is a OSHA requirement.
 

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