[CalvinDrews]

I am alway cutting the crap out of my fingers. Is this common with the rest of you guys? Any safety ideas? how do you prevent such injuries?

[alain]

Kevler glove , PLZ cut away from your hand , click me ,----click me

[CalvinDrews]

Isn't it difficult to carve teeny things with a glove? I have never used one. I do like the idea of an object to rest the carving against. I will make one! except the table I use is not mine and I cannot screw anything into the fer mica or I will damage it. I may make some thing to fit onto the table without screws...

[Debbie]

I have a steel mael glove if I know the situation is going to get me cut. Over time (40+ years) I have had my share of stitches in my hands, and I laugh when they take a x-ray of my left hand and start counting the nicks in my bones. All I can do is laugh!!!

[Janel]

On the forum there is a topic that shows photos of our carving spaces. We each have different solutions to how we carve. Here is a sample (old photo) of one of my alternatives for carving away from my hands while holding on to a small, hard and often slippery piece of material:



The key parts here is the 4x4 inch cedar peg, cut in at an angle, and a wad of poster-tacky-sticky-stuff (for want of a better name/description). I use the white variety, though it also can be found in yellow and blue. Office stores, art/craft sections in discount stores, may have it. The wad sticks to the peg, and the material being carved sticks to the wad. The holding hand can be less stressed by using this method. One also can then change holding positions to keep the holding hand out of range from the tool action.

Having read that the table is not yours... I suggest making a table top area from perhaps 3/4 inch or thicker plywood, with a smooth enough surface for tidying up after carving and sanding (or for some hard black paint to smooth it). Then from the underside, remove a bit of wood where your screws will go that will hold the carving peg to it. Making a recess, or countersinking the screw heads enough to protect that other table surface, plus a sheet of non skid material from a discount store, should make your work surface your own, while protecting that surface that belongs to someone else.

You may also glean some ideas for others who do not have a space to dedicate to only their own work... Try this topic.

Janel

[CalvinDrews]

Genius ideas! Janel I like your idea. I will try it as soon as I get back from all this holiday running around with family stuff .
Thanks,
Calvin

[Debbie]

To whoever reads this - I advise to pay attention to Janel on how to avoid getting hurt, I have bad habits and I am a bad example and sometimes I don't pay attention to what I'm doing which I thus get sliced - this is not good!!! So if you have any questions on safty please contact Janel and she will work with you to make your workspace a pleasent place to be rather than just memories of getting sliced. My bench has always got a bottle of H2O2 and a full box of bandaids and I really enjoy cleaning blood up from my work, bench, floor, tool boxes, tools,............ It is so much fun - NOT!!
BE CAREFUL!!! you are working with sharp tools!
Regards,
Debbie

[Mike Ruslander]

Accidents can happen anytime and nobody predicts that they are going to have one when it finally happens. ALWAYS look what you are doing and pay attention to what is going on all around you at all times, especially when machinery is involved.

[CalvinDrews]

My goodness yes... machinery.. I once drilled a hole straight through my finger! Owowow! only 1/16 though.

[E George]

Hi to all,

I'm glad to see the topic of safety appear in The Carving Path.

I agree with Mike Ruslander. Concentration on the task at hand (excuse the pun) will save your hands. If you are worried about something or maybe day dreaming stop carving.

My experience with minor cuts on the holding hand is that blood gets on the carving. Sometimes that is more of a pain than the actual cut and it often brings carving to a halt. At least until a clot is formed.

I have a cut proof glove that I bought from Woodcraft. It will stop a cut; however, it will not stop a stab. It is good working on larger pieces. I have a "mobile carving kit" in the car which includes a couple of knives and a cut proof glove. When my wife is in the clothing stores shopping, I'm sitting in the car carving. I think the real issue is the holding hand tires and that is when the cuts occur.

Holding devices such as a bench hooks, vises, gravers blocks, or ball clamps definitely keep fingers clear of sharp tools. Must carving supply companies carry all or some of these items. The best rule to follow is to buy the best that you can afford. Go back to Janel's entry in this topic and click on the hypertext which will take you to the Topic of work spaces. There are plently of ideas there. I'm very happy with my GRS Magna Block.

Before I got my GRS Magna Block I made and used a mini bench hook made from an old cutting board that my wife discarded. The bench hook won't damage the work surface which is important if the counter or table is not yours and they are cheap to make and can be designed to your needs. Janel's cedar block and sticky stuff technic is excellent.

Some carving tools are safer than others. I like small plam chisels that provide better control and are good for small and moderate size carvings. Pfeil and Ramelson make nice plam chisel sets. I also have a couple of "stubby" chisels that allow better control. I use rasps and rifflers for general shaping of a carving. Hand held and flexible shaft rotory tool also reduce injuries. The worst tool is a carving knife and most of my injuries were from using knives.

Have fun carving and stay safe.

[Toothy]

Hi All
To anyone reading this thread: FOLLOW THE ADVICE GIVEN or make the medical fraternity rich

Janel
Any special reason for using a black background to the false top?

Calvin
Ow Ow
The only time I have seriously injured myself was when my consentration wandered while cleaning a metal spatula and I partially degloved my L index finger.

I echo E George "Have fun carving and stay safe."

Toothy

[Janel]

Hi Toothy,

Fun avatar! I used to have a black surface to my carving bench, but then had to switch when the "drawers" came into the room and shoved everything over. I began to use a different desk/bench, with a wood colored top. I have found that it is much easier to see the work against black than a wood color, since I work with wood mostly. Black provides a way to see the silhouette, as well as an easier time of gauging the color, light and shadow. Much less eye and brain strain. Hmmm, sounds like it is time to find some black paint for that part of the work surface for my bench, and quit toughing it out.

Thanks for asking!

Janel

[Toothy]

Janel
Instead of black try a neutral gray, darkish if your carvings are light coloured. The lessened contrast compared to black will cause less eyestrain and a neutral gray will allow more accurate colour perception. This was standard practice before I retired. I used a fibre cement work top (light gray) for working on when doing prosthetics/prosthodontics. My present bench will likely get a similar upgrade when it needs it.
Toothy

[Janel]

Hmm, I have some old seamless backdrop that would give me an idea of how it would work, before buying the paint. Thank you for the idea. I do like the contrast though for quick interpretation of what I am looking at. I'll give some different shades to see what works for me.

Janel

[DreamingDragonDesigns]

Janel, on Dec 5 2008, 06:54 PM, said:

Hmm, I have some old seamless backdrop that would give me an idea of how it would work, before buying the paint. Thank you for the idea. I do like the contrast though for quick interpretation of what I am looking at. I'll give some different shades to see what works for me.

Janel

Hey, when you figure out what color you like best, let me know via email, please.
I'll have time to make that sandbag that I mentioned wanting to gift you with after Yule, and if I know what color you like, I can try to find leather in the right shade.
LJ

[Janel]

Hi! I forgot about the sand bag! One question about colored leather, I would want the leather to not impart any influence of color onto the material being carved, such as wood or mammoth tusk. Rubbing and in contact with the leather causes me concern that black or browns, or what ever color, would leave a bit of its dye on the carving. Is this a concern? If not, contrary to the above advice about neutral gray, I would like to work against black, I think. I like the contrast of the illuminated material under the work light against the dark background. Lets talk about it by email. Thanks for the reminder and the re-offer!

Janel

[DreamingDragonDesigns]

Janel, on Dec 18 2008, 10:36 AM, said:

Hi! I forgot about the sand bag! One question about colored leather, I would want the leather to not impart any influence of color onto the material being carved, such as wood or mammoth tusk. Rubbing and in contact with the leather causes me concern that black or browns, or what ever color, would leave a bit of its dye on the carving. Is this a concern? If not, contrary to the above advice about neutral gray, I would like to work against black, I think. I like the contrast of the illuminated material under the work light against the dark background. Lets talk about it by email. Thanks for the reminder and the re-offer!

Janel

For the benefit of others thinking about making something with leather-
Dyed leathers are generally safe to carve against, if commercially dyed garment quality.
Black should be no problem. I may even have some around here from another project that will work really well.

You want me to e-mail you, or should I eye my inbox eagerly for word from you?
LJ

[Janel]

Email. Thanks for the answer.

Janel