Shop injuries

Jewelry Discussion
61 
     Wonder what else in the manner of home remedies will surface
from this group?

For those who have been following the Alum alum not
only works well as pickle, but is an excellent coagulant, which
means if you have a gaping wound and want to get the bleeding under
control so you can get to the hospital, a little alum in the wound
would do the trick.

— david thorp

62

Many times it has been mentioned that one should never wear gloves
when using the buffing wheel. I don’t understand this, since I
use gloves all the time and have never had a problem. Now, my
gloves are very heavy leather (they will stand on end by
themselves), and I am usually polishing larger items (e.g., a pin
with a 3-inch diameter domed face). If I didn’t wear gloves, I
couldn’t handle the heat of the piece, and I also would spend half
my life cleaning White Diamond residue off my fingers. I can’t
envision how these gloves could get caught anywhere (I use a cheap
bench grinder and a six-inch buff for polishing). I don’t really
want to ask for more “horror stories,” but has anyone actually seen
gloves like this get caught in the polishing system?

Of course, gloves like mine don’t leave me much in the way of
tactile sensation, but for larger items which don’t have a lot of
intricate detail,they’re fine. Thanks in advance.

Judy Bjorkman

63

Although I don’t lick hot stuff, my students hand me things that I
think have been dumped into cold water … . many burned fingers
because of that. And, all by myself, I have attempted to move
things using fingers after heating with a torch. Not fun!

When using a jeweler’s saw, I try to keep my fingers away from the
blade, but that doesn’t always work either. Although, I have NOT
yet cut any fingers off!

64 
 I have attempted to move things using fingers after heating with
a torch. Not fun!

My solution to this, for myself and students, is to always hold a
solder pick in the other hand. I hold the torch with my left (off)
hand, and the pick with my right (dominant) hand. This way, if
something needs maniplulating in the hot area, you’re already
holding the correct tool, and you have your more coordinated hand to
do it. The side benefit it that the pick in your hand also reminds
you not to reach in with your fingers. HTH!

–No�l

65

Noel, I’m curious about your plea to not use gloves at the buffer.
Did you have an accident? I can certainly see not using
latex/synthetic type gloves, as they would stretch if pulled, and
could possibly “vulcanize” to your skin from the heat of the buffer
wheel.

Loose clothing, hair, jewelry (being worn), and yes, loose gloves
don’t belong near rotating equipment. That is basic shop safety.
However, I nearly always use tight fitting grain leather gloves when
i polish anything large enough for me to hold. I should also say
that i’m using a buffing wheel, and not a “mop”.

What do some of you more experienced people think about this?

Steve In Oklahoma, where i’m putting on my helmet, glasses, gloves,
and shoes for one last summer weather bicycle ride!

66

Gloves in the polishing machine: it does depend on the strngth of
the motor, the strength of the hands, and thickness/stiffness of the
gloves-but I recommend never to wear them at the polishing machine.
While it may work for you it will not work for those watching you and
trying it later.

here is a quote from my safety book:

  " I know someone whose employer told her to use rubber gloves
  while polishing; she promptly snapped her little finger to a
  nightmarish angle, as the gloves wound onto the spindle. I
  heard another story of a shop where someone was wearing leather
  gloves while polishing over a lunch hour, got caught and
  couldn't reach the off switch. By the time the other
  goldsmiths returned from lunch the wheel had polished right
  through his hand. So, don't use gloves if they can get caught
  in powered machinery. 

  If you cut the fingers off a leather glove and just use them
  for holding things while polishing then this is much safer;
  they are unlikely to get caught and if they do they just come
  off. "

There are many piece holding aids that help with safety.

descriptions of several are at the ganoksin project site:

best
Charles

Charles Lewton-Brain/Brain Press
Box 1624, Ste M, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 2L7, Canada
Tel: 403-263-3955 Fax: 403-283-9053 Email: @Charles_Lewton-Brai1

67

Why not just wear leather finger tip gloves? They are comfortable,
keep the heat from your hand, keep your hands clean (if you care
about that), allow you to work longer, and are safe. In short, they
have all the benefits of gloves, with none of the dangers. And
they’re only $5.00 a set and come in three sizes. Most people wear
one on their thumb and two or three on the fingers.

Rio Grande sells them. I’m sure others do too.

Elaine Luther
Chicago area, Illinois, USA
Metalsmith, Certified PMC Instructor
Studio 925; established 1992
@E_Luther

68

Judy:

I can’t imagine that any glove would be safe for polishing. I have
used leather finger protectors with rubber finger cots inserted into
them with great success. These are sold by most jewelry tool
companies and provide protection from the heat of polishing jewelry.
They are much, much safer than gloves.

Why take a chance?

Ken Gastineau
Gastineau Studio
Berea, Kentucky

69

Hi all, I haven’t had a chance to read the Orchid for awhile so I
just started reading about all the shop injuries. Sorry Noel but I
haven’t read enough to get totally grossed out yet. But Hans I must
say you should definately praise God everyday because He is
certainly watching over you. However I too have much to be thankful
for. I’m really rather embarrassed to share this but hopefully it
might help someone from experiencing the same thing. I practically
killed myself in 1975. I have very long hair. I can feel you all
cringing already. :slight_smile: Now it’s past my knees, but back then it was
about waist length. I had always been very careful to keep my hair
tied back whenever I buffed or did anything with jewelry. But one
day I was over at a friends house and he was buffing a ring and I
leaned over to see what he was doing and the next thing I knew I was
in the buffer! I freaked out. I jerked back and thank God the
motor was not bolted down or I’m sure I would be dead. I pulled the
whole baldor motor up with my hair and it hit me in the head and
pulled me to the floor. Meanwhile I’m screaming “Turn it off”!
Fortunately he got it turned off before the spindle drilled a whole
through my head. At the hospital in the emergency room, I could
feel this bald spot on the side of my head. I was totally mortified
because I was getting married in less than a month. I couldn’t see
what it looked like but I was sure it was hideous. The emergency
room staff found this all mildly hysterical. Which absolutely
amazed me. I can’t believe how calloused these people were.
Fortunately for me I was not seriously injured and incredibly my
hair completely covered the bald spot. I could always find that
hair because it grew back much darker and somewhat curly as opposed
to my very straight hair. So the moral to this story is. Even if
you aren’t working on jewelry if you are anywhere near anyone who
is. Or you’re in a room with equiptment running. Always tie long
hair back. In fact stick it in the back of your shirt. Don’t have
loose long sleeves and don’t wear necklaces or bracelets that are
long or loose.

God Bless you
~Poppy~
www.jewelrybypoppy.com

70

I use small squares of leather to hold my pieces being polished. It
helps keep the heat at bay and the leather gets worn away instead of
the skin. Keep a piece on each side of the polishing unit to help
avoid cross contamination.

The idea of gloves or any loose clothing near a spinning shaft
absolutely terrifies me. That fear may be from my machinist and
steam powered machinery background. Those who have only lost a
finger can consider themselves very lucky indeed. I would rather
have dirty fingers than none at all.

Bill

71 
         Wonder what else in the manner of home remedies will
surface from this group?

Here is a wonderfull home remedy for burns which is essencial in our
medecin cabinet: An egg yolk, A drop of olive oil Put a drop of oil in a
teflon pan. Separate the egg yolk and white. Use only the yolk and
burn it in this oil. It smells awfull but lets a little oil out. Put
this oil in a bottle and use it when you have a burn. Kind regards
from Turkey Oya Borahan

72

Hello David and others

alum not only works well as pickle, but is an excellent coagulant,
which means if you have a gaping wound and want to get the
bleeding under control so you can get to the hospital, a little
alum in the wound would do the trick.

Believe it or not Cayenne pepper will do the same thing as well as
disinfect the wound. And it really only stings a little, kinda like
iodine. Have tried it. Also sprinkle some of it in you boots in
winter to help keep your feet warm. Useful in our present
-22’Celcius, umm that’s about 8 below for our American brothers.

Karen Bahr “the Rocklady” (@Rocklady)
K.I.S. Creations
May your gems always sparkle.

73

Something that instructors might bear in mind: Ascertain whether
your students are right or left handed since safety procedures will
sometimes be affected by which hand they use to hold tools. For
example, a hand-held power tool like a flex shaft spins away from
the person if held in the right hand and towards the person if held
in the left.

Colleen

74 
alum not only works well as pickle, but is an excellent coagulant

Hence the styptic pencils former generations of gentlemen used on
shaving cuts.

Tas

75

I’m so sad the “gore” thread has petered out. It was such
interesting reading.

My only major injury was a scalpel stab to the top of my thigh
(slipped while cutting the easy cut around the outside of a mold).
It wasn’t too bad, though. Butterfly “closures” held it shut and the
pain subsided after a week. It woke me up. I learned to pay
attention. You cut better molds when you concentrate, anyway, and
you slice yourself less often. It’s a win-win. In the end, I’m glad
I whacked myself in the leg.

No one’s mentioned bandage preferences. Me, I like 3-M. I think
they made a pact with the devil for their sticky stuff. Their
bandages stay stuck and don’t get goopy around the edges. The
waterproof ones are life savers (especially for wet-grinder
slip-ups). They are very thin and stick beautifully to bendy parts
and fingertips and they really are waterproof. It’s like putting
extra skin on. I also like their cushy, “active brights” that come
in colors. Why injure yourself if you can’t enjoy it?

Dana Carlson

76 
     I learned to pay attention. You cut better molds when you
concentrate, anyway, and you slice yourself less often.  It's a
win-win.  In the end, I'm glad I whacked myself in the leg. <snip>
I also like their cushy, "active brights" that come in colors. 
Why injure yourself if you can't enjoy it?

Hear, Hear!!! We all live with injuries as a consequence of our
profession, and admonitions to avoid them through sensible advice
just don’t work much of the time. I’ve been on (and off) the bench
for two decades myself, trained under true masters of the craft, and
still didn’t learn shop safety until I saw the results of these
oversights (i.e. scars, bandages, blood soaked into the wood of the
bench). Even then, I managed to rain all sorts of indignities upon my
hands which culminated in grabbing the nozzle of the steamer in an
unguarded moment… my boss just looked at me and said: “you know, I
thought about warning you not to touch that nozzle, but I figured
you’d remember it better if you just went ahead and did it”. He was
right!

For the record, I like the glitter and glow-in-the-dark bandages- or
failing that I have a whole bunch of sharpies to draw on them with…

Clyde
Greenwood Studio

77

Dana, I couldn’t agree with you more. My sister buys me a fresh
stash of cloth flexible 3M bandages every Christmas. I use those and
Water-Gel for burns (http://www.waterjel.com/products_frameset.htm )
probably way too often. If you’re going to do something, do it with
enthusiasm.

Connie

78 
     You cut better molds when you concentrate, anyway, and you
slice yourself less often.  It's a win-win.  In the end, I'm glad I
whacked myself in the leg.

I’ve done that! It only took one stab in the leg for me to learn to
hold the scalpel a little more securely, and to keep the lap tray
covering my lap… About the same healing time and pain… :slight_smile:

Jeffrey Everett