Dead Man Switch

[66RICH]

Thought I would post this after seeing the thread on
the drill press mishap. My 13 yr old gran son loves to
work out in my shop, and safety is foremost. I have
installed Safety foot switches on most of my tools.
The large sealed safety switch is rated 20 amps spdt.
Cost $94.61 #7372K11, I add the cord w/outlets so
that I can plug more than I tool into the same switch.
(Lathe, Band saw) For lighter draw equip. I use
the smaller switch rated 15 amps w/same wiring as
the first one. #7376K2 $12.02, the cover is sold
seperate $24.05 #7024.
I have schooled him in operating the tools, and not
to use the foot switch for an off, and on switch! It
is a safety switch only. I only have 110 equip, but
they have others available for 220, or just set one of these
up to operate a relay.
Rich

 

[dxdexter]

Thought I would post this after seeing the thread on
the drill press mishap. My 13 yr old gran son loves to
work out in my shop, and safety is foremost. I have
installed Safety foot switches on most of my tools.
The large sealed safety switch is rated 20 amps spdt.
Cost $94.61 #7372K11, I add the cord w/outlets so
that I can plug more than I tool into the same switch.
(Lathe, Band saw) For lighter draw equip. I use
the smaller switch rated 15 amps w/same wiring as
the first one. #7376K2 $12.02, the cover is sold
seperate $24.05 #7024.
I have schooled him in operating the tools, and not
to use the foot switch for an off, and on switch! It
is a safety switch only. I only have 110 equip, but
they have others available for 220, or just set one of these
up to operate a relay.
Rich

Looks like a great idea. Operators should also ensure they have the shut off within easy reach of either hand or in this case either foot. This would give you four extremities to shut down the machine.

 

[Richard Givan]

I'll never forget a sight I witnessed about 30 years ago. I was taking a special interest woodworking class at the college I had just begun teaching at (had no tools of my own back then). One old fellow was sanding a chair back he was making on an upright spindle sander, normally about the safest tool you can imagine. He was smoothing the inside, through an opening not much larger than the drum on the sander, when it grabbed the workpiece out of his hands and began twirling it violently around.

The hapless machine operator was trapped in a corner of the room where the sander was while his chair back whirled around slapping the snot out of him. He couldn't reach the off switch because that would have brought his upper body more closely into range of the chairback of death. But he couldn't quite get out of range either because the sander was placed in a corner of the room and he was driven back into it as far as he could retreat.

So he suffered multiple grazing blows while yelling ****** murder and plastering himself into the corner as far as possible and kicking at the switch with his foot. He looked like Bruce Lee on an endless tape loop of roundhouse kicks.

Finally somebody did a low crawl up to the switch and freed him. I would have helped, honest, had I not been paralyzed with silent laughter at the Three-Stoogeuesqness of the scene.

He survived with minor bruises and abrasions. We all learned a lesson.

 

[66RICH]

Great story Rich! I should have mentioned that
the part numbers are from McMaster-Carr. (where else!)

Rich

 

[jniolon]

I have schooled him in operating the tools, and not
to use the foot switch for an off, and on switch! It
is a safety switch only.

Rich

Rich... we think alike.. I fabbed up a similar foot operated switch for my drill press also but I've got a question... why safety switch only ? I find my foot operated switch very useful when I want to do a momentary start to check alignment of my bit.. a rev or two and I raise the quill to make sure I'm centered... (old eyes and small center punched holes )

I think we're pretty much trying to do the same thing just different ways... I find the manual on/off switch awkward ... it's on the left side of the machine and I'm left handed so that is my 'holding' hand since the right hand is operating the quill.. I like to start my drilling with the drill tip on or very near the work surface... and when hand holding it's difficult to do three things at once. (some things you just can't clamp to drill) I'm sure there is the ever present chance of a problem... there always is something waiting to bite you but I think I'm pretty much doing just what you do but don't have the manual switch step...

is my thinking wrong ??? I'm always mindful to think about safety in what I'm doing (I was a safety man for a while and learned to look for hidden dangers and stored energy..etc..)...so if I'm missing something here please let me know..

thanks
John

 

[66RICH]

John:
I find the foot switch handy to start, and stop also. I just don't want my
granson stepping on a switch, and the machine start when he's not ready.
Also, that cheaper 15 amp switch is proably not rated for startup
amperage draw. The larger switch can proably handle it though.

I make it a practice if I'm using the foot switch to start, and stop
a machine to make sure the machine switch is off when I finish.

Rich