Hi Ian,
See my responses interspersed.
--- In 7x12minilathe@..., "steam4ian" <fosterscons@...>
wrote:
G'day John.
Firstly, I am not retired and out of it, I have my own engineering
consulting business of which I am both director and an enployee, it
supports my other activities.
We do have a lot in common. That's my situation too. I haven't had much
call for OH&S awareness thrust at me in this role. Pre 2003 I was middle
managing in the public sector so awareness and compliance was really
pushed. If you go through the current competency based national
qualification scheme for any trade you'll get to do the OH&S ticket and
learn all about it. I did a data cabling cert a while back and had to do
it. My prior quals assumed it but when I wanted to add another ticket I
got caught up in it. Similarly, a friend with a solar heating / plumbing
company and a dozen employees gets tangled in it. Largely once you get
involved with the construction industry at a hands on / employer level.
My own company has only one employee (manager, secretary, director, tea
maker - me) mostly doing design work so I haven't needed to worry much.
Do you have other employees?
My thoughts still stand with respect to the home machinist. If the
machine is used by your employees then application of a guard or some
similar "engineering" measure is esential. But, the ACTUAL hazard
must be identifed. It is pointless guarding the chuck and leaving a
rotating workpiece exposed. The hazad of the key being flung out is
real but the guard is not necessarilly the solution. As an
alternative the key could be set in a holder that de-energises the
lathe when the key is not in the holder.
Agreed. But shhh... Don't mention the rotating work as well!
Interestingly, my machine was delivered with a light spring slipped over
the chuck key. It was just strong enough to eject the key from the chuck
if you weren't constantly holding it in. You could not let go when you
regripped the key while adjusting the chuck without having to fetch the
key back out of the chip tray!
The chuck guard is grandma engineering, reaction not application.
Eventually we could have to fully enclose the lathe like a CNC
machine.
Only reason we don't is historical precedence. The modern automobile
could not be launched today unless fully computerised driving and crash
avoidance were developed first. What's this human in control?! And then
there's the hammer, chainsaw, ...
Did Sieg stuff up or those who ordered the machines from them?
Since others in various countries have reported the same 6" figure on
the 7x12 machines I doubt it was just my distributor. It's looking
pretty universal.
If the chuck guard is to be retained you either put up with the
reduced swing or change the mounting of the guard as you suggested.
Few users of the lathe will be swinging the full 7 inches but
interference with the standard faceplate is a different matter.
Not having a full 7" didn't really worry me either. But I was mighty
cheesed when I bought their faceplate and had to remove the supplied
guard to fit it. After trueing the faceplate up I haven't used it again.
I've made do with the 4-jaw a few times where the faceplate would have
been the more logical choice. <G>
I don't know what it is about these lathes but they bring out a rash
of complaints in some people. For me, I am just happy to have a
lathe; even more so one that is not such a sacred cow that I am
unwilling to tamper with it. It is amazing, if you stuff a part up it
is just an email to someone like LMS and you are underway again at
comparatively little cost, few other lathes offer that opportunity.
Got that off my chest!
I hearty hear, hear! I'm in no doubt on that one. My budget was $1k and
that's sorta where I ended up with some accessories. Ok, I cribbed a few
more accessories than that. But no, I'm not complaining overall. I can
live with having to lap my gibs, align the tailstock, clean up the odd
burred thread, fitting an apron swarf guard, etc. But some things are
harder to rectify properly. That guard is one of them. Yeah, I had to
get that off my chest too!
And yes, I love the spares situation too. I have and old ex Water Board
aluminium runabout. Before I owned it I doubt it ever saw a boat ramp.
Just a rocky hillside into a dam. It was a workboat and had a hard life.
Very little paint left after 30 years. Gee I love that Ugly Duckling. I
never worry about fenders to keep it from being scratched on barnacles.
Or people scratching the paint with shoes. It's really laid back and
comfortable. I'm feeling that way about my 7x12 after 4 months due
largely to LMS being on standby!
One good turn deserves another.
Regards to all,
Ian
Keep on turnin',
John
