Page 2 of 63 FirstFirst 12345671252 ... LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 941
  1. #16
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Adelaide
    Age
    68
    Posts
    1,373

    Default

    Quite recently I learned that machining magnesium wheels then leaving the swarf near the grinder is not a really good idea - I wondered why the sparks were turning bright white......hard to put out too!

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    The Fabulous Gold-plated Coast.
    Age
    69
    Posts
    2,251

    Default

    The other thing that I learned today is that Scotch only seems to fix a sore throat. And a gashed shin.
    It's all part of the service here at The House of Pain™

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    The Fabulous Gold-plated Coast.
    Age
    69
    Posts
    2,251

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gavin Newman View Post
    Quite recently I learned that machining magnesium wheels then leaving the swarf near the grinder is not a really good idea - I wondered why the sparks were turning bright white......hard to put out too!
    Don't ask me why I thought it would be funny, but back in the seventies I fired a mag flare off inside an igloo ( unoccupied). For a brief time it was like an igloo x-ray...a bit of Broadway's bright lights in Shitsville, NWT
    It's all part of the service here at The House of Pain™

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Ballina, NSW
    Posts
    900

    Default

    Completely irrelevant to this forum (I hope), but when I was a kid I thought it would be great idea to whack a pile of shotgun cartridge primer caps with a hammer. I learnt something that day !

    - Mick

  5. #20
    Ueee's Avatar
    Ueee is offline Blacksmith, Cabinetmaker, Machinist, Messmaker
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Canberra
    Age
    39
    Posts
    4,515

    Default

    In the first week of my apprenticeship i learnt not to weld any where near flammable vapors. I watched in horror as someone tried to use an old 60l thinners drum as a bench for welding. Lets just say that there wasn't much left of the job, drum or welding mask after the first spark flew. Luckily the guy was only mildly burn't, the mask coped most of the shrapnel. A nice welcome to OHS in the workplace!

    The other thing i learnt the hard way (took 2 goes too) was to watch where your hands/arms will end up whilst trying to crack tight nuts. The first time i was under my hilux (as a 17 or 18 year old) trying to remove the diff filler plug. I was on my back pulling down with all my might. Of course the plug let go and i coped the socket and ratchet clean in the face....blood nose, stars, black eye...ouch!
    Of course i didn't learn, and years later, with the front of my wifes care on stands, i sat under the side of the car trying to remove the 32mm flare nut that hold the filler tube to the front of the gearbox sump. Just as i thought to myself "if this lets go the inside of my wrist is going to collect the end of the pin on the car stand" of course it let go immediately, blood, blood, blood.....lots of it, feeling feint..... It turns out there are lots of veins and arteries on the inside of your wrist..who have thought?

    Just remember to learn from others mistakes, you can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

    Ewan

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Alexandra Vic
    Age
    69
    Posts
    654

    Default

    Some years ago a new to us TIG welder with a fair few years of experience told us at morning tea how he had accidently let a hot torch rest on his thigh while he moved his work to access his next weld. In the process, hot sharp point of electrode came in contact with sensitive tip of nearby extendable anatomical feature and burnt it's way in quite well. He would never again let a torch rest on his thigh.

    That afternoon he did something similar, involving one of the anatomical features two best friends. Didn't see him for a couple of weeks.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4,779

    Default

    I like this thread!

    About a year ago I was replacing all the bearings in my lathe. Some of the bearings I pressed out with my electric hydraulic press. I love my home made electric hydraulic press but with up to 20 tonne at the push of a button, it's easy to loose any feel for the job. If you are going to press out a bearing, make sure you have a proper (not a man look) look for any circlips that might be retaining the bearing!

    By the time my peanut brain wondered why the bearing wasn't pressing out of the cast iron bearing seat it was too late. Balls and cast iron everywhere, it was like a claymore had gone off. Two bearings back to back with a circlip in between. Who would have thought? What a retard!

    Bearing & bearing seat: 0
    Hydraulic Press: 1

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Toorloo Arm, VIC
    Age
    39
    Posts
    1,270

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Ueee View Post
    Just as i thought to myself "if this lets go the inside of my wrist is going to collect the end of the pin on the car stand" of course it let go immediately, blood, blood, blood.....lots of it, feeling feint.....
    It is one of natures many wonders, that this thought only ever occurs at the exact moment the bolt cracks. Instead of a full stop at the end of that thought, you get searing pain...

    I didn't learn this one today, but I've learned to observe the direction of wheel rotation as opposed to edges when using wire/scotchbrite wheels on an angle grinder. Had a Scotchbrite wheel on a 5 inch grinder, cleaning up a trailer for painting, and ran it over an edge from the wrong direction. Kicked straight out of my hands and bounced off the ground into the bottom of my pants leg. It then proceeded to wind the bottom of my pants leg around the wheel until it got bored, at which point it just sat there humming, and I ripped the plug out of the extension cord.

    Absolutely no damage to me, once I untwisted pants from grinder the blood flow returned to my foot, and one of my mates probably still has a photo of me standing there with an angle grinder hanging off my pants near my ankle....

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Rural Victoria
    Posts
    358

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by simonl View Post
    I like this thread!

    About a year ago I was replacing all the bearings in my lathe. Some of the bearings I pressed out with my electric hydraulic press. I love my home made electric hydraulic press but with up to 20 tonne at the push of a button, it's easy to loose any feel for the job. If you are going to press out a bearing, make sure you have a proper (not a man look) look for any circlips that might be retaining the bearing!

    By the time my peanut brain wondered why the bearing wasn't pressing out of the cast iron bearing seat it was too late. Balls and cast iron everywhere, it was like a claymore had gone off. Two bearings back to back with a circlip in between. Who would have thought? What a retard!

    Bearing & bearing seat: 0
    Hydraulic Press: 1
    Having been there, I know that there are 'distractions' which prevent a person from fully concentrating on the job at hand. Never de-value yourself.

    Thanks for your PM, I did reply, I hoped it reached you. If not, please PM your real email, and I will resend.

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Rural Victoria
    Posts
    358

    Default

    Today (yesterday now) a $1 million machine can be stopped by a 10 cent part (and lack of maintenance).

    Mazak Spacegear 2500, scrap conveyor motor is held by a single pin, cross drilled and held by a split pin on both ends.

    Of course, scrap conveyor is of poor design and wobbles around, and is poorly maintained for 'operational' reasons (ie profit), and the split pin shears off, locating pin wiggles out, and motor moves under its on unsupported torque and jams itself under moving table of machine.

    Old English proverb 'For want of a nail...'

    Y'know, sometimes I wonder, are we in this fight together? As soon as I heard that crunch when I jogged the table, I stopped. Is that the benefit to the Australian manufacturing industry by having machines at home? I suggested a remedy that will fix the problem FOREVER for $3.00. Will this stop greedy businesses outsourcing to China? Sometimes I wonder if business owners, politicians, and bureaucrats are just in it for themselves.....

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4,779

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gerbilsquasher View Post
    Having been there, I know that there are 'distractions' which prevent a person from fully concentrating on the job at hand. Never de-value yourself.

    Thanks for your PM, I did reply, I hoped it reached you. If not, please PM your real email, and I will resend.
    Thanks Gerb,

    Yes distractions. Even when you are in your shed with "no distractions" being so used to distractions means you are distracted because in the back of your mind you are waiting for the next distraction! AHHHH.

    Got your PM. Thanks, I also replied.

    Cheers,

    Simon

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Ballarat
    Age
    65
    Posts
    3,103

    Default

    ok, seeing as how we are all 'fessing up, I learnt the value in tack welding instead of fully welding. I made a new workbench last weekend and first step was to cut all the pieces of box section and label them. You know, front, back, side leg. Then i picked up the front piece and a side piece and tacked them together. I then picked up the back piece and a 'leg' and tacked them together.
    It's times like these you are glad noone is around hear what you have to say.

    Phil

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    melbourne australia
    Posts
    3,228

    Default

    I learnt few years ago, while building my house, that there is no safe way to use a 2300W 9" angle grinder- only that some jobs are less dangerous than others.

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Wimmera
    Age
    51
    Posts
    369

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jack620 View Post
    I learnt few years ago, while building my house, that there is no safe way to use a 2300W 9" angle grinder- only that some jobs are less dangerous than others.
    A friend of mine is a re-constructive plastic surgeon and he always jokes that if they ever ban 9" angle grinders he will be out of a job
    he says they have payed for his house and cars all of which are very flash

    cheers
    Harty

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    nowra
    Posts
    1,598

    Default

    Don't turn the mill on with a mag base dial indicator on the spinlle it ends up with a broken indicator
    BETTER TO HAVE TOOLS YOU DON'T NEED THAN TO NEED TOOLS YOU DON'T HAVE

    Andre

Page 2 of 63 FirstFirst 12345671252 ... LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •