First and foremost for me is safety glasses as I have only one eye( if you ever lose an eye you will understand) dahm good thing I had them on last night broke a belt and it came around and tore them of my face went to put them back on and couldn't see out of the side of my good eye came right across the lens and scratched it up so bad I could'nt see out of the got my face pretty good too, good thing I wasn't running it full out, it is alot better than the alternative though( it only take a second to put them on and it could keep you from having a life of misery or still doing something you enjoy)

I also wear a respirator if I am grinding for long periods of time, a dust collector helps alot to. I like to wear a leather apron to when doing alot of heavy forging and grinding. A good pair of gloves when doing alot of rough grinding with heavy grits.I really like dididyuim glasses while looking into the forge when forging there bout 50 bucks but its a small price to pay to save you eye sight for as long as you can.

Willey

I always wear a respirator when grinding. It is one of the 3M models with replaceable cartridges. The respirator itself usually lasts about a year and the cartridges 2 months or so. We encounter so much dust in the shop, from steel to nasty woods and micartas, that I consider it a necessity. And all of that dust is bad for you. Especially carbon fiber and G10.

I also wear safety glasses and usually a hat when grinding. To many things coming off that belt that could land right in your eye, and the hat stops the belt from slapping you in the face when they break.

My shop has a ventilator that pulls air from the shop to the outside.

Some little things:

push sticks are our friend when it comes to saws

buffers are not our friend and can be very dangerous

clamp things securely in the drill press

Fire Extinguishers are a must

I am sure I will think of more. But it is a start.

Brion

Much the same for me:

Respirator, leather apron, gloves, and I recently got a pair of safety goggles to replace my glasses ( http://www.amazon.com/Uvex-S3970D-Dura-streme-Hardcoat-Anti-Fog/dp/B003U9VE4Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346613700&sr=8-1&keywords=uvex+stealth). I'd still get the occasional chunk of metal or wood that found its way between my brow and the glasses to land in my eyes. A few friends had gone the route of the goggles-cheap alternative in my opinion to a trip to the eye doc, so I figured I'd give them a try. I also wear hearing protection when running noisy stuff for long periods of time. Good topic and I look forward to learning some new things to make myself and visitors to the shop safe.

Jeremy

Coming from an oilfield background I feel like I have something to offer on this subject. Many times safety in the home is overlooked. That is what we are talking about here. I know of very few makers whose home is not a stones throw from their house. Working a primary job and being a knifemaker I strive not to take any risks with my back or eyes or hands that might hinder my abilities to perform my regular job. After hearing what Ed Cafrey is going through I have also begun to protect my lungs. We owe it to ourselves and our families to protect ourselves for the long haul. That includes using compressed air to blow off our clothes before we go back into our houses. Or better yet changing before we go inside. There are four states for accidents anywhere according to the company I work for. And those are "rushing" "frustration" "fatigue" and "complacentcy". In other words if you are having a bad day or have just had an argument with your wife etc. Perhaps you should stay out of the knife shop for that day. If you cant be totally focused on your work and your mind is on other things. Then it is just not worth the risk.

When it comes to respirators, there can be only one, the Resp-O-Rator:

[media] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR9BAB8k9dI [/media]

I am really a proponent of using safety glasses. However, I also encourage you to consider looking at glasses that are designed for kiln/forge operators who do glasswork. I have used Auralens glasses now for about 15 years. A friend, D. Dawkins, turned me on to these glasses. One is that they come in a large assortment of highly durable frames. My first pair lasted about 10 years. However, these glasses are designed to enhance vision when looking at objects at high temperatures. In the range we forge and, particularly, weld in you can see gradations of temperature with the glasses on that you cannot see with tinted or clear glasses. My ability to judge the heat of a billet is greatly enhanced and that is how they are designed. These are not the cheap 15 to 20 dollar pair of glasses. They will run over $60. However, they are built to last. See their description: http://www.auralens.net/c/6/specialized-filter-eyewear

Looking at steel does not have the same the health risk to your eyes as looking at glass. Still it is important to protect your eyes and I have yet to rule out flare from flux.

My old pair of glasses lasted almost ten years. When I retired them it was mostly because of the pits in the lens. There were too many to count. Those lens pits could have been in my eyes.

Dan

Many of you know this is a huge thing that I harp on a lot......respirators. 3 years ago I lost part of my right lung due to a tumor (non-cancerous but was attributed to the shop), and more recently endured another lung biopsy for "spots" on my lungs. I've always used a respirator, but where I goofed up was not thinking about the QUALITY of the respirator I chose. DO NOT let price have any bearing on the respirator that you use..... after working in your shop, if you ever look in the mirror and see those little black lines down the sides of your nose, ending at a nostril, then your respirator isn't doing it's job!

I personally have a respirator hanging from the ceiling in front of every machine/place in the shop where it should be worn....In my shop you have to get past a respirator before you can get to the machine/station you want to use. Get and use the best quality respirator you can find, along with frequent changes of filters.

Safety glasses are another MUST....you only have two eyes, and loosing even one isn't an option!

When it comes to forging, NO synthetic materials! Years ago during colder months I would wear a carhartt vest with a quilted lining...until the day when I was standing in front of the forge, and my chest started feeling hot....it only took me a few seconds to realize that the quilted liner had melted to my shirt! Same goes for footwear.....don't even think you can do something "quick" at the forge with jogging/running/tennis shoes. Having a chunk of slag pop off and land on a jogging shoes is not fun! Especially when it burns through and ends up between a couple of your toes (yep, been there, done that!) <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

I think one of the most important safety mechanisms is your concentration/awareness. Don't let yourself be distracted by anything. People, telephones, cell phones, kids, pets, and on and on. If your mind isn't focused on the task at hand, "Murphy" will always pop up and make you sorry. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

The above posts are all great and informative as to personal safety. But one must always remember the shop it's self. Fire extinguishers are often over looked as being an important piece of safety equipment. If you are like me I live in the country 4 miles either direction from the nearest fire department (some of you much greater distances) which are both volunteer which means buy the time they rally and get to my shop things will be out of hand. I have 6 in my shop and several in my house as well.

I was in the suppression business for 15 years as an extinguisher inspector and found most people know very little about extinguishers and extinguisher selection and their upkeep. Allow me to shed some light. First, not all extinguishers as all fires are not the same. We will come in contact with 3 types of fire: class A class B and class C. Class A fires are wood, paper, trash etc. Class B involve oils, paint, chemicals etc. Class C are electrically charged which will also involve class A & B material. There are extinguishers designed for each fire. A class "A" or water extinguisher is rated for class A fires but obviously will not work on a class B or C fire. A "BC" rated extinguisher will not work on a class "A" fire. What to do what to do? Choose one that is rated "ABC". Look on the front of the extinguisher and there will be a label that will give you it's "rating". There will be pictograph of a burning trash can for "A" a flaming gas can for "B" and an electrical plug for "C".

Size does matter! One of the small ones that I've seen on a few videos in several shops have about 8 seconds worth of fire fighting time. Buy the time you have sprayed half on the floor or wall you are going to be S.O.L. Buy at least a ten pounder. Also spend the extra cash and get an all metal one with a gauge. The ones with the plastic heads are prone to leak down. At least once a year take it and turn it upside down and put it to your ear and listen. If you do not hear the powder inside flow one end to the other, take a rubber mallet and give a couple of whacks on the bottom till it does. If you use it GET IT RECHARGED IMMEDIATELY!!! Even if it was just a short burst it will leak down and the next time you need it you will again be S.O.L. Check the gauge a couple of times to make sure it's in the "green" area.

There is one more class of fire that you guys that work with titanium might be involved in. This is a class "D" fire. Titanium, magnesium, aluminum, sodium and several other metals will burn! This stuff creates it's own oxygen and will burn under water. The only extinguisher that will put it out is one that is rated for a class "D" fire. These are only available through a reputable dealer.

That's about it from my perspective. Keep forging and be safe!

What about heavy aprons when forge welding or just forging in general?

Tim-

Thanks for the good info on fire extinguishers, I certainly didn't know the differences in the types of fires and how they were categorized.

Cheyenne-

I use a fairly heavy apron I made when forging as well as grinding. I know a smith who ended up with a knife he was grinding getting sucked in and spit back at him, ending in some stitches. There are just too many things that can go wrong in the shop for me not to wear good work footwear, apron, glasses/goggles, etc.

Jeremy

|quoted:

When it comes to respirators, there can be only one, the Resp-O-Rator:

[media] http://www.youtube.c...h?v=fR9BAB8k9dI [/media]

I use the Resp-O-Rator as well. It works well for those with beards and is the most comfortable thing out there that I am aware of. I found that my previous respirator was gathering dust on the shelf too much as it was hot, wet, and uncomfortable. This one I actually use.

I think buffers are one of the most dangereous tools in the shop. I built the wooden boxes to catch what might get loose, and they also serve as a shelf for buffing wheels and compounds. I also have my duct system tied into it. I have had only one knife get away from me, and that is all it takes to get injured.

I don't use buffers as much, since I don't mirror finish as many knives. If you have a buffer I would consider something similer. It does work!

It is made out of 5/8" plywood.

Russell

Russell, Nice set up!!!Really nice!

I've used the TREND AIR/PRO Airshield and Faceshield Dust Protector for over a year now and really like it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV-nNT9rl0A

Despite the claims of it being very quite it is noticeable. I used to be a welder in the navy so wearing a face shield or welding hood most of the time made transitioning to this a breeze.