Thread: Lets hear some stories: Things gone bad in the shop...

I was drilling the pivot pin on a set of micarta scales last night. I had hand sanded and buffed the scales to awfully darn shiny (~3hrs of sanding/buffing). I got the wedge pin exactly where I wanted,but missed the pivot by about 1/32ths. I tried to use the drill bit to ream the hole out a little. I was working the drill bit up and down in the existing hole while pushing the scales into the drill. I lifted the bit a little too high and before I could stop myself I had drilled a second hole for the pivot.

The two holes were close enough to attempt to use a big washer to cover them, but after 3 attempts, I determined that the scales will need to be replaced. Argh.

Damn buffer!!! I had a nice worked back boker that I was wanting to put that "perfect" touch on it. Scales were finished and ready to be pinned. Loss of concentration & it snatched it from my grasp & broke about 3/8" off the edge toe. I shortened it later after "the sickness" had resided... It's still a sad memory of ruining a really nice razor.

This wasn't exactly in the shop but while taking photos of a very nice Dovo with red bone scales I dropped the camera on the razor and dent/cracked the edge! Mostly honed out but it's screwed - I was taking photos so I could sell it - that was a fast woosh of $200 out the door.

Another one - Dremels can kill if not very careful - hurts when it is a really really nice Wade & Butcher!

These are my only two incidents but I stood up and walked out the door both times with words to self (not nice ones)!

With about 20 yrs history in machine shops there have been a bunch. Lots of scrap parts due to misreading a gauge, hitting the wrong switch, heat build up and the like. I have launched my fair share of parts and more from lathes, mills and grinders. Also, I have witnessed several people getting serious cuts and heard about people getting de-gloved, lost appendages and even killed.

Ya think you need to concentrate when straight shaving? Yup, but you really need to focus 10 times more when using power equipment and for longer periods of time. Putting your hand down in the wrong place can have dire consequences and I have seen the results.

Scrapping a part can be have some humor associated with it... in time, but it also carries a significant amount of danger. Don't take the dangers of restoring straight lightly. Stay alert and be sure to wear eye protection at all times and be sure the safety equipment is in place and functioning properly.

The other day I was buffing a razor up... I think I was on the 400 greaseless at the time. I was just removing scratches, so using very light pressure - the last step on the 400. I decided to run the razor at a 45 degree angle off horozontal to vary the direction a bit. Turns out there was some grit at the very edge of the wheel that hadn't "warmed" up, and I got a fresh round of deep scratches. Cost me maybe 30 mins of work or so, but it was very frustrating still. Haven't been in workshops too long, so I haven't had anything too terrible happen.

I have been restoring for awhile now and find this thread very amusing. The longer you do this thing, the more stuff happens. It seems that no matter how careful you are, you still manage to screw some up - hopefully nothing valuable or historic. I will put my "stuff not to do" in Biblical format:

1) Never leave thy blade on the edge of thy workbench while thine buffer is on. Carbon steel liketh not hitting the concrete firmament.

2) Turneth not up the edge into thy buffing wheel. Doing so will taketh a chunk out of thy blade and possibly thine hand or foot.

3) Be thou conservative with thy griding wheel. Steel once removed, cannot be replaced.

4) Do not pursue that final pit or thou shalt turn thy blade into holy foil.

I have done all of the above, and I'm sure I have more coming.

5. Thy shouldest not try to drillith thy razor tang. It will eateath thy drill and possibly removeth thy fingers.

Originally Posted by mackie

5. Thy shouldest not try to drillith thy razor tang. It will eateath thy drill and possibly removeth thy fingers.

Me thinks you need better bits.

I started the year well. Last month I had just finished restoring a customers blade & knocked it off the bench. I thought the rubber matting on the floor would save it but no, of course this time Murphy's law kicks in & it lands on a bare piece of concrete Very humbling

Thou shall remove thy scales from running router (just setting upside down on workbench) when distracted by wife instead of just turning head or router shall removith thy fintertip!!

This just happened a couple days ago...