Horrors of Buffer Safety

[SteveHGraham]

I'm trying to decide whether I need to bolt my new buffer to the floor. I have been reading all sorts of safety materials. I haven't seen much of anything warning against machines falling over, but there is a ton of material on flying workpieces.

I found a document written by a couple of engineers. They looked at all sorts of safety devices which you would expect to work. Their conclusion, if I understand it, is that the safety devices were no good because they all introduced new hazards.

They mention workpieces that caught on a wheel and made several revolutions, in spite of the presence of rear and top scrapers around the wheel.

Interesting fact: because a workpiece caught in a soft wheel acts like a double pendulum, its linear speed can be faster than that of the wheel by an order of magnitude. That means it can fly over ten times as fast as the speed of the wheel at its periphery. I think that comes out to over 420 mph on an 1800-RPM buffer with 8" wheels.

It looks like you need to stand to the side of the wheel, wear a full face mask, and consider a leather apron, not to mention gloves.

And a dust mask.

http://www.triodyne.com/SAFETY~1/SB_V11N1.PDF

[tornitore45]

The buffer falling over is one problem but the just a movement or a rebound can catch you off guard and grab the part.

[Frank Ford]

Bolt the buffer near the rear of a piece of heavy (say two layers of 3/4" plywood, with a substantial portion sticking out in front. When you approach the buffer to do some work, plant your hoof on the plywood to keep it from tipping over backwards. Easy to waltz the rig around the floor to save some space as needed.

[SteveHGraham]

It's starting to look like falling isn't much of an issue with these machines. There is a ton of hysterical safety material on flying workpieces, but nearly nothing about falling machines.

[jcfx]

Second what Frank Ford says.
Mine is a home brew just a 1/2 horse 1725 motor bolted to a plywood board that I can clamp to any
available flat surface.
FWIW, if you're leaning into the buffer wheel hard enough to tip the buffer and the stand then you need to reassess your buffing -fu.

[spro]

Frank knows about this and it is great suggestion.

[Magicniner]

It's starting to look like falling isn't much of an issue with these machines.

It will be assumed that machines are securely mounted/attached/bolted down since not doing so contravenes the most basic of workshop safety rules, and common sense.

[SteveHGraham]

Thanks for your guess.

[earlgo]

The big 8" double buffers at the Colorado School of Trades in 1970 were bolted securely to the cement floor. Neither fell over when I was there. They would occasionally grab a gun part from a limp fingered person and hurl it at the floor making for a lot more work, and a lesson in gripping tightly. For me the most aggravating thing was the static electricity build up. If you weren't paying attention and forgot to ground it somehow, it would light up your life for an instant.
--earlgo

[Mr Ron]

It just goes to show that a seemingly simple tool can turn out to be quite dangerous.

[Magicniner]

Thanks for your guess.

Your photo appears to show holes in the base for fastening it down, what I'm actually guessing is that you ignored them

[SteveHGraham]

Thanks for another guess.