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jack620
19th Jul 2019, 07:03 PM
I watched this short YouTube video and was surprised by the number of commenters who've had it happen to them. I always hold one end of the emery tape in each hand. I thought everyone did. Apparently not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5iKM-vC6LM

shedhappens
19th Jul 2019, 07:39 PM
I always hold one end of the emery tape in each hand. I thought everyone did. Apparently not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5iKM-vC6LM

Ditto.... and I would use a much longer length of emery than what Joe was demonstrating with and pull it back
and forth so it doesn't rub in the one spot.

cheers, shed

Dave J
19th Jul 2019, 10:01 PM
Ditto.... and I would use a much longer length of emery than what Joe was demonstrating with and pull it back
and forth so it doesn't rub in the one spot.

cheers, shedYeah I used Emery 5-6 times today and use it fairly often depending on the job/finish.
I usually rip a strips of different grades around 500-600mm long and they live in the drawer under the lathe.
I hold it close to the the ends and use the whole strip, unless I'm sanding something intricate up to a corner etc for cosmetic looks, then I fold it in half and sand from one side (I'll post this project soon)

I've read lots of people won't use Emery on there lathe, same as filing etc. I've got way covers which helps keeps grit out, but even on a lathe without them I'd use it, just keep up good house keeping on the lathe and it won't do any harm.

BaronJ
20th Jul 2019, 06:24 AM
Hi Guys,

That is only one way to use abrasive paper on a lathe ! I use a length of hard wood with an abrasive paper glued to it, very much like using a file. The other method is still a stick but a longer length folded over the end !
I'm not keen on this because its easy to push the abrasive paper off the stick and get it wrapped around the work piece.

One other trick I've used is to apply abrasive paste to a softwood stick and use it to polish surfaces for bearings and the like.

snapatap
20th Jul 2019, 12:26 PM
yeah always emery with 2 hands. We use emery on the lathes at work every day, we just wipe the bed down with rags when we are finished, after 10 years all our lathes are fine.

steran50
20th Jul 2019, 07:51 PM
Yeah same as Snapatap, I've always used emery in two hands. This also comes down to why you have to be careful if your using gloves around machinery. I don't use gloves around rotating machinery, but there is certain times when they are necessary.

Dave J
20th Jul 2019, 08:28 PM
Yeah same as Snapatap, I've always used emery in two hands. This also comes down to why you have to be careful if your using gloves around machinery. I don't use gloves around rotating machinery, but there is certain times when they are necessary.I cut my finger the other month moving swarf away so it didn't get caught up on the chuck. Ten minutes latter I did another finger, then went and got a pair of pliers lol.
After all these years you would think I'd be aware, but this swarf was long and razor sharp.

My neighbour seen my paper towel and eleco tape bandaids while it stoped bleeding on the lathe/job and asked what happened.
After I told him he suggested gloves, him being a farm sort of guy and not being a machinist thought you wore gloves using machinery. Would rather a cut than to loose a finger or worse.
Gloves are fine for cleaning up, but I still don't use them, I do see some people on forums wearing those thin medical type of gloves.

rcaffin
21st Jul 2019, 08:30 PM
The guy in the video does crap on at some length, doesn't he?
OK, he demonstrated a few things you should not do, but he could have done that in less than half the time.

Cheers
Roger

BobL
21st Jul 2019, 08:44 PM
The guy in the video does crap on at some length, doesn't he?
OK, he demonstrated a few things you should not do, but he could have done that in less than half the time.

99% of web vids are like that - lucky there's a fast FWD slider.

rcaffin
21st Jul 2019, 08:56 PM
I just turn the audio off - or remove the headphones.
Then I run along the slider at the bottom and look at the pics there.

Cheers
Roger

Michael G
21st Jul 2019, 09:07 PM
I cut my finger the other month moving swarf away so it didn't get caught up on the chuck. Ten minutes latter I did another finger, then went and got a pair of pliers...

One of the first things I did with this lathe was extend the chuck key handles for the cam lock fitting on the lathe (the key originally could not be turned before banging into the chuck) and smaller chucks I have.
380945
As by-product, I've discovered that they double as an excellent 'rake' for pulling swarf away.
I won't touch swarf unless the lathe is stopped or it is dead on the floor. My 3 jaw in particular has a nasty habit of catching a long piece and then pulling up the stuff in the tray. I don't want to be pulling a piece of swarf away at the moment the lathe decides on a tug of war.

Michael

Dave J
21st Jul 2019, 10:59 PM
One of the first things I did with this lathe was extend the chuck key handles for the cam lock fitting on the lathe (the key originally could not be turned before banging into the chuck) and smaller chucks I have.
380945
As by-product, I've discovered that they double as an excellent 'rake' for pulling swarf away.
I won't touch swarf unless the lathe is stopped or it is dead on the floor. My 3 jaw in particular has a nasty habit of catching a long piece and then pulling up the stuff in the tray. I don't want to be pulling a piece of swarf away at the moment the lathe decides on a tug of war.

MichaelI also made up a extended D1-4 handle, I'll have to grab a picture, though I think I posted it years ago.
I won't go near swarf that I think is going to get caught up, just the loose stuff that's been spat out.
Really need to make a swarf rake, should put it higher on my list, lol

steamingbill
22nd Jul 2019, 11:27 AM
https://www.sponmech.co.uk/sanding-belt-holder-for-lathes-p31

Further down in the comments beneath the video somebody recommends this thing. You could efficiently use the entire length of emery.

Wouldnt be too hard to make a very much simpler version yourself. Simplest might be a handheld crescent of plywood (ie similar shape to an archery bow)

Could either be hand held or toolpost mounted.

Funny thing, when I first started I tried for aaaages to get nice smooth finishes straight off the tool, got there in the end (shear tool) but didnt realise that people commonly used emery.

Bill

jack620
22nd Jul 2019, 11:32 AM
Gotta love the alarmist language in the marketing blurb for the tool. Although there’s a link to a document on the use of emery.

https://www.sponmech.co.uk/files/downloads/576d45a7af579HSE%20Info%20Sheet%202%20rev%201.pdf

It shows a way of holding emery cloth in a standard QCTP holder. I think it would be very wasteful of emery though as only a small section of the emery contacts the work.

And in the photo of the bloke holding emery tape in his hands he has it wrapped around his fingers. Of course you’re going to lose a bloody finger if you do that and it catches. Common sense (yeah, I know) says you pinch it between index finger and thumb. I can’t see the danger if you do it that way.

BaronJ
22nd Jul 2019, 01:29 PM
Hi Chris, Guys,

I agree with you ! Whilst I have used abrasive paper in very much the same way, I much prefer the sanding stick method. For sanding and lapping bores, I also use a wooden dowel with a strip of abrasive held in a slit in the end. Not much to get caught that way.

I've also used those small Dremal flap discs for sanding small bores. Very handy using the drill press as a vertical grinder.

BobL
16th Aug 2019, 09:10 PM
I bought these 1m long x 25 mm wide tie straps with self clamping grippers on eBay for $1.50 each for another project that didn't go anywhere and decided to use them in this simple emery paper holder

The metal frame is a piece of 25mm SHS Al cut to shape with the WW BS.

381308

I got SWMBO to sew the two straps together like this so the combo is a bit shorter than the Al frame and then cut the excess straps off.
381309

The emery can be reversed so the paper is either firm up against the Al as shown below, or with the paper hanging out in the breeze as shown in the first image.
381310

Think I might get some more tie straps and make up a couple of these.

bollie7
17th Aug 2019, 11:47 PM
A story about lathes and emery.
Years ago, when I worked in the power station, there was an incident in the machine shop. I did not witness this incident myself although I was familiar with the lathe and the part involved.
One day one of the blokes (Stan) that worked in the machine shop, was using one of the bigger Colchesters ( I think it was a Mastiff 1800) and he had a S/S spacing sleeve from a pump in it. The sleeve was about 400mm maybe 500mm long ( this was around 1885 so my memory of exact sizes is a bit hazy now), about 200 maybe 250 ID with a internal keyway about 25mm wide X about 12 deep in it. Apparently the bore was slightly under size so he was trying to hone it out using some fine emery attached to a length of wood.
Anyway during the process the emery or the wood got snagged in the keyway, pulled his hand and arm into the bore and the sharp edge of the bore and keyway sliced his arm off. As you can imagine it all happened pretty quickly, and it didn't slow the machine down at all.
At the time I didn't realise it had actually taken his arm off (or almost off) It was only years later that there was a story on 60 minutes or one of those shows about the surgeon who reattached his arm and they interviewed Stan about what had happened and how he had been repaired.

Scary stuff. I've never liked using emery on a lathe even though I will when I have to. So, so easy to get complacent and get caught.

Peter

KBs PensNmore
18th Aug 2019, 12:34 AM
The sleeve was about 400mm maybe 500mm long ( this was around 1885 so my memory of exact sizes is a bit hazy now), about 200 maybe 250 ID with a internal Peter

Jeez Pete, when I last saw you you looked about 50, you hold your age well for someone who's about 150 years old!!!!!:D
My memory would be a bit hazy too, if I was that age.
Kryn

bollie7
18th Aug 2019, 07:27 PM
I could easily say that that was a deliberate typo to see if anyone was on their toes, but that would be handling the truth extremely carelessly.
In fact that was a seniors moment. A "way past my normal bed time" seniors moment in fact.

Peter

nigelpearson
22nd Aug 2019, 07:38 AM
Anyway during the process the emery or the wood got snagged in the keyway, pulled his hand and arm into the bore and the sharp edge of the bore and keyway sliced his arm off.

Wow. That is scary stuff. One would think having the emery at arm's length (on a wooden stick) would be safe enough!

Doing anything like this (inside finishing, or on a very large lathe) is always going to be a danger. Need a longer stick, so you can stand several feet back?

For outside polishing/reducing, I always tried to use a very fine file. e.g. a worn out old Sandvick.
That way, you can hold it LIGHTLY at either end, well away from the job.

steran50
22nd Aug 2019, 08:10 PM
No sticks with sandpaper on the lathe for me :no:, just the thought is scary. I realise that a fair bit of development went into the sanding attachment on the Sponmech website, but the price is ridiculous.

Grahame Collins
27th Aug 2019, 06:25 AM
This has been a good thread so I don't suppose there will be too many objections if I move it to the safety file.

Grahame