You raise an interesting topic ,
I have a 13" lathe and sometimes I think I'm quite glad I started with a smaller lathe , as the possibilities for bad outcomes to accidents do increase with machine size. Bigger the kit more careful / aware of bad practices you should be.
Hobbies are no fun if you rip your hand off
Stu
I've been thinking about this myself.
Whilst attempting to marry my paltry "skills" in mini-lathe setting-up/fettling/improving with said mini-lathe (not seemingly chock full of egregious manufacturing flaws but still requiring some 'adjustment'), I've been on FB marketplace idly eyeing up Colchester lathes (which aren't necessarily behemoths themselves) and then reflecting on the personal injury I could do to myself with a machine meant for a skilled professional operator (or at least an operator who had professional supervision).
But then...
Well, (and the US members of this forum will be chortling up their sleeves at this pea-shootery) when I used to shoot a bit of occasional pest control with a .22 rimmie (CZ, tidy little thing, but the trigger out of the box was woollier than a fair-isle jumper!), what I was told by my much wiser and more experienced friend and mentor was: rimfire or centrefire, shotty or rifle, if the business end of the bang-stick is pointed at someone, and it discharges, that person is going to have an unpleasant time of it; he also taught me that the best safety is the one between my ears.
Do you chaps not feel it's the same with machine tools? I mean, I reckon with enough inattention and stupidity, it wouldn't be hard to seriously, and probably permanently, injure myself with my 7x14.
Okay, is it possible that with only a 1HP motor, I
might be able to prevent my neck and head being dragged into the chuck with a foolishly worn cravat or medallion? I dunno but even if it were possible, would I have the time to steady myself? (and no, obviously I don't wear a cravat when the lathe is spinning or been using my drill press; it's short-sleeves, no neckwear or jewellery and my hair is short; actually, I don't want you guys thinking I wear a cravat or a medallion at
any time, let's get
that clear!
).
We don't have to be all silly and super 'precautionary-principle' about it but I reckon that mildly assuming
all machine tools are casually keeping an eye out for an opportunity to maim or kill us, isn't a foolish perspective to have.
Or am I just being over cautious?
On a slightly related note: at my secondary school ('high school' for most of the rest of the English speaking world), nobody was allowed to use the 2 lathes and a mill we had before they were in the third year (so before the age of about 14)...because of course, table saws, wood lathes and bench planers, well, they're smiling beneficent, gentle helpers that mean us no harm at all!
