Tools/Equipment that you're afraid to use?

[Mstrfxit12]

I wouldn't say scared of but there are a couple that Ive earned alot more respect for over the years. One of which is an air nailer. I've attached a "picture" of my hand to show why. We were working in the pouring rain on a volunteer job and the gun double hit, one went into the wood on a railing end cap and the second bounced off the head of the first and through my fingers it went. Good times.

 

[kv501]

hydraulic press; the H frame and jack wants to spit out whatever youre trying to press together or apart at your crotch

Sign me up on that list, man.

Stored energy is a *****.

 

[kv501]

I wouldn't say scared of but there are a couple that Ive earned alot more respect for over the years. One of which is an air nailer. I've attached a "picture" of my hand to show why. We were working in the pouring rain on a volunteer job and the gun double hit, one went into the wood on a railing end cap and the second bounced off the head of the first and through my fingers it went. Good times.

I never believed a nail could do a cartoonishly perfect U-turn until about the 4th or 5th roof I worked on.

 

[DaleK]

One more.... a neighbour tried to help me straighten a bent front-end loader with a frame straightener in his body shop.. think he said he had 50 tons of pressure on it when the chain broke and put one end of the chain through an 8" block wall about 7' away from us.

 

[TAftw]

I respect every tool I use. Period.

The one that scares me the most is definitely a chainsaw. Our tree guy had a chain snap on him and tear open his knee. A friend had one kick back and tear up his face. After seeing the scars from both guys I've seen enough to know what an improperly sharpened and cared for saw can do.

 

[BevoZ06]

I am very wary of zero tolerance machines. Big press brakes- the old kind-once you hit the button, it doesn't stop. Any kind of powered shear is trouble with the wrong guy using it.

I like bandsaws, but I am very careful with them. They are one of the most dangerous machines in a shop In my opinion.

When I was in 9th grade shop class, our teacher was using a bandsaw when the blade snapped and laid his scalp open. He was completely bald to begin with, and the cut was perfectly centered from front to back like a mohawk haircut except bright red blood on his bald head.

 

[Al Bundy]

I'm scared to use the vacuum cleaner, washing machine, dishwasher...

A chain saw gets the most respect. No matter how cautious you are the unexpected can always happen.

 

[Kev442]

I want a big bandsaw, but knowing the size of the blades, coupled with the meatcutting bandsaw horror stories I've heard (even wearing the chain mail gloves), leaves me with a healthy respect for a blade tensioned to a gazillion foot pounds.
And this coming from a guy who had a saw accident through his own stupidity.

 

[btbsandman]

Car jacks.

 

[wreckerman5357]

One more.... a neighbour tried to help me straighten a bent front-end loader with a frame straightener in his body shop.. think he said he had 50 tons of pressure on it when the chain broke and put one end of the chain through an 8" block wall about 7' away from us.

Frame staightening equipment does not bother me unless used OUTSIDE IT'S LIMITS. As a tow truck operator and a bodyman I have seen chains used outside of their limits before and that makes me nervous.

 

[Farmer Joe]

Those portable two piece spring compressors. I haven't used one, but was helping one of the other mechanics in my shop install a new spring on the rear of the vehicle. Scares the **** out of me lol. Even the large shop strut-tamers get me a bit shaky, but I trust them a lot more than those small $40 or less spring compressors.

 

[aussiek2000]

Torsion bar loading tool. My dad had one explode on his hand. Just about lost 2 fingers over the whole deal.

 

[plinker]

Spring compressors bother me some mainly the large automotive kind, have not used one and dont care to.

Anything hydraulic that can be used to press something or wedge it over that has the high probability of crapping out and sending something flying. A Hi-lift jack would also fall in to this catagory depending on use and footing of the pad.

Metal abrasive cut off wheels bother me a bit. Doesnt matter if it's a 14" or 4" , I'm concerned about them flying apart. Handy things to have though.

Saws in general dont bother me (including radial arm saws), I love running a chain saw. The table saw(s) only bothers me if I'm ripping plywood (4x8 sheets) or if it has a blade guard on it, I want to see what the blade is doing and where it is. I need to make up an out feed table.

 

[trbomax]

Over the years Ive probably owned and/or used just about every tool known to man and I'm not "afraid" of any of them except my big chipper/shredder. The little 10 hp one is ok but the one with the 318 chrysler v-8 on it I wont use anymore. Its an older one w/o a saftey clutch and would **** someone thru it and spit them out in about 3 seconds flat.I've had my share of "oh shits",had a eaton chainfall fail and drop a dressed 555 cummins on the floor 2 feet in front of me,a hose split on the big wiggins fork at the marina and I dead dropped a 32' bayliner 8 feet onto the runway,but nothing ever "scared " me so bad that I tremble at the thought of it,except that big chipper!

 

[wmartin]

Band saw in the meat dept when I worked in the meat dept. if that thing can go through a leg of lamb or t bone like it's butter I do not want to find out how easily it will saw my arm off.

lol. That's because you're made out of the same stuff as the products they sell.

My entry for this thread is the Lancelot woodcarving disc.

 

[metaldad]

Jah, good one, Turbomax. I forgot about chainfalls. Was removing a 600hp motor with a 2t. CM fall, when the brake releashed. She free fell about 18''. Wound up setting the load with (2) 1T falls
And another good one, mr. Martin. Those chainsaw type attachments for a 4 1/2 grinder are scary. Cuts real quick with a sharp blade.

 

[kxxr]

I would have to vote for any high tension cables and chains, since they are usually rigged up to solve a problem that you don't have the proper equipment for and thus, are very dangerous when they fail, which is often.
Also, any tensile metal under great strain, think curved railroad track, or spring steel fastened in a curve ... which looks solid and sturdy once nailed down, but under the right (wrong) conditions, that stuff will flop around like a thin strip of sheet metal. If something comes loose and it wants to go straight, you'd best not be in its path.
I also have a healthy respect for super high pressure hydraulics. I just have this picture in my mind of what will happen when that ****** old fitting finally breaks loose with 10 bazillion pounds of pressure on it. That could take someone's eye out.

 

[RodneyPierce]

compound miter saws with a metal cutting blade. These are all we use at work, and every damn time I have to use one my cheeks are clenched like no other. I have seen many a pieces shot across the shop from the blade catching. Scares the **** out of me!

 

[Greatbear]

Other than working in very high energy, high voltage equipment, I can't say that I am "afraid" of any particular machine, tool or scenario. I know what the machine is capable of, so I prepare myself before using it and keep totally aware of what I am doing. Respect the tool and be careful.

 

[bigdummy30]

ever since i shot a 3 1/2" framing nail through the webbing between my thumb and index finger ,im a bit jumpy using my paslode gun

 

[Provincial]

I look at a chainsaw as being like a lightsaber from Star Wars - anything the blade (chain) touches is gone! I respect them, even though I use them regularly.

Believe it or not, the bigger the chainsaw, and the longer the bar, the less likely it is to kick back. It has to do with inertia.

 

[Danglerb]

So far none of the stupid things I've done have killed me, but I think my shield is being lazy and approaching a lot of things slowly.

 

[Jeff]

I have a brand new mig welder, still in the box. I even took a night welding class at the local vo-tech. I did ok in school and got my cert, but on my own I'm scared to death of it.

 

[07Forester]

We do a lot of custom fab work out of wood at the shop, so using the table saw is an every day event. We've always used delta saws, until I finally had one too many close calls. Either it be kick backs or what not. Since then, We changed to Saw stop and I have zero worries with ANYONE using the saw.

 

[PCO6]

I'm pretty much fine with all tools.

 

[housey]

I dont really like any angle grinders, especially the ones bigger than 5". Nothing has ever happened to me, I just have never felt comfortable using them

And this week at work I had to use the 9" angle grinder- cutting directly above me whilst standing on a ladder and I was nearly crapping my pants. I really hate doing stuff you genuinely dont feel safe doing. Give me the choice of any other task instead, no matter how dirty, uncomfortable, hard or boring and I would swap for it in a heartbeat

 

[jeffmoss26]

I was afraid to use a hot glue gun for about 6 years after I burned myself with one.
When showed how to use it PROPERLY I was fine

 

[ndoran]

7 inch angle grinders. Had one kickback and hit me in the arm got half way through the bone. Took two hours in surgery to repair. Fortunately no permament damage other than some numbness in my forearm and a huge scar

 

[Griff93]

I own all kinds of saws - table saw, miter saw, recip saw, circular saw etc and none bother me at all. A radial arm saw would scare me only because it is so, so easy to make a mistake costing you some digits.

But the one saw I do not ever like to use is a chainsaw.

I'm the opposite. Miter saws, table saws, and even circular saws scare me. I can run a chainsaw all day long. Don't get me wrong, I very much respect a chainsaw as well.

 

[Toymeister]

I am scared of anything gasoline powered.

My John Deere Model B two cylinder 2 ton tractor stalled behind the barn (again) it always had a problem with flooding and no spark. I knew it wasn't flooded because my neighbor had just soldered a hole in the float for me just the day before. I pulled the plug to Check for a spark, there was a spark which ignighted the gasoline from the flooded cylinder caused by the over weight float (two much solder).

Several weeks in the burn unit: 25% burned face to waste. Now I fix my own equipment but I am still terrified of anything that can burn me. I had flashbacks of the incident for months afterwards.

 

[woody 73]

I had to think about this post for a long time; after spending many the time in the ER I give all power tools great respect.

But the one tool that I watch more closely is my industrial shaper, one false move and you will see the ER doctors before you can say Jack and Jill went up the Hill.

 

[G_P]

Another vote here for spring compressors. Was working with a buddy and had a compressed spring laying on the floor he just took out. BANG and it let go with the spring and compressor flying around. Spring knocked a chunk out of the cinderblock wall!

When I have to use one I get it done as quickly as I safely can and if the spring has to stay compressed for a bit i run a legnth of heavy chain through it in case the compressor lets go!

 

[gmwelder86]

Not really "afraid" of much but I have alot of respect for the tool I am working with. mainly grinders, cutting torches, welders, lots of rigging equipment. But one thing I am afraid of is a guy on a gradeall with a heavy load who has no efn clue how to run one safely.

 

[JMorrison4371]

Im not the world's biggest fan of claw hammers because everytime I try to drive a nail into a board, my thumb wants to help.....need I say more?

 

[JMorrison4371]

I'm not the world's biggest fan of claw hammers because everytime I try to drive a nail into a board my thumb wants to help....need I say more?

 

[bindernut]

Not much scares me. i have a lot of respect for stuff though. Chainsaws don't scare me at all. I've run everything from a little 1 hand topping saw w/ 12" bar to a stihl 066 w/ a 36". They're one of my favorite tools to run actually. I do have a set of safety chaps though, and i DO wear them.

I will never rip another board with a radial arm saw even if my life depends on it. Radial arm saw is in the garage. We didn't want to go downstairs & uncover the table saw 1 rip 1 board when we had the radial arm saw out & running, so we decided to use it. After it kicked a chunk of 2x4 back right past my head hard enough to dent the garage door, I swore never again!

I was using a 4" angle grinder once w/ one of those rubber backing pads & a sanding disk sharpening mower blades as i did everyday at my job(& every day after the accident too). The disk & pad dug in & kicked the whole mess back into my lap. Ended up going to the ER(no urgent care around back then) & getting a cut super glued shut after it tore through my clothes.

I don't like hammers, because I can't drive a nail straight to save my life.


But table saws, drill press, wood lathe, jointer(I can't run one worth a damn though), router, don't scare me. i do get a little leery of the router when i get to the end of the board & the router base is no longer well supported.

 

[Keep]

I owned a set of O/A torches for almost a year before I got the nerve to use them. I just kept picturing the house burning down.

Other then that, I just have a healthy respect for all the other tools/machines I own.

 

[larry_g]

I'm not scared of tools/equipment but have a lot of respect for powered stuff. The last tool I get out is the ladder. I really hate having to go up a ladder it is a white knuckle experience. Taking a crawler over the edge and ending up standing on the dash panel will also pucker the fundamental orifice.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Milton Shaw]

Fatigue, trying to do something when too tired, or too stressed out. Also having a helper that's not aware of what's going on. Also combine any alcohol/drugs with any tool and they be 10 times as dangerous. Safety, personal protection, lighting and the correct tools for the job can make any job a lot safer. Thinking things through, where will the saw cut end? Whats going to hold the piece cut off ? Where are the sparks going? What's going on behind you, out of sight. Some one coming in and pulling a practical joke/stunt is a sure component of an accident waiting to happen

 

[RWPBR]

I grew up around radial arm saws, table saws and bandsaws so I respect but dont fear them...big nail guns on the other hand I won't use...brad nailers yes, big nailguns no