Safety

[woodchucker]

Maybe there’s a better thread for this, but…yesterday I was pressing a small bearing (6200Z) off a motor shaft using the HF 20 ton press. I have changed over to an air powered jack, but normally I can just use hand force directly at the handle socket for bearings. This time, it seemed stuck, so I put the handle in and gave it a couple shots. Of course I’m on a shop stool, looking closely at the work at about eye level and I gave it one more pull and POW the bearing exploded apart, a portion of which shot out and just nicked my ear, hit the wall 8’ behind me. Scared the tar out of me thinking how close that was to a terrible injury.

From now on it’s a full face shield for lathe, mill and press. I hope not to forget this lesson.

you are probably better off with a lexan shield in front of the presses visual area. it will at least take the hit and slow anything down before it gets to you, the face shield may be too close to you, and not have enough time to slow things down. Also it would protect other areas of your body, but wear a face shield also.

 

[Winegrower]

you are probably better off with a lexan shield in front of the presses visual area.

This is undoubtedly true, but it would be just so much in the way all the time. Possibly if somebody had some great design for a shield to recommend??

 

[woodchucker]

think simple, just a curved shield with magnets to hold it where you want.. maybe with some angles.

Or more complicated:
think curved shield with
2 rods attached to the pumps crossbar standing vertically maybe 1" away from the crossbar.. your choice of mounting.
Then 2 tubes attached to the lexan shield using soldered on straps or welded, then screwed onto the sheild.

Now when you lower the crossbar press, it will sit on the object, and as you go down, it will stay where it is while the rods travel down, the tubes keep it attached and lined up.

 

[Winegrower]

think simple, just a curved shield with magnets to hold it where you want.. maybe with some angles.

I appreciate the idea, and as they say, "as ideas go, this is certainly one of them". That's the trouble with safety solutions...they seem so annoying and cumbersome. For now, it's the face shield, and I picture me forgetting that, as time passes. Dumb.

 

[C-Bag]

Maybe there’s a better thread for this, but…yesterday I was pressing a small bearing (6200Z) off a motor shaft using the HF 20 ton press. I have changed over to an air powered jack, but normally I can just use hand force directly at the handle socket for bearings. This time, it seemed stuck, so I put the handle in and gave it a couple shots. Of course I’m on a shop stool, looking closely at the work at about eye level and I gave it one more pull and POW the bearing exploded apart, a portion of which shot out and just nicked my ear, hit the wall 8’ behind me. Scared the tar out of me thinking how close that was to a terrible injury.

From now on it’s a full face shield for lathe, mill and press. I hope not to forget this lesson.

First I’m glad you were not seriously hurt. A couple of inches over and would have lost an eye or worse!

Just out of curiosity were you using a clamshell to hold the bearing?

 

[Winegrower]

Thank you, not really hurt, just stunned by what could have been.

I don’t know what you mean by clamshell. Please explain.

 

[C-Bag]

Thank you, not really hurt, just stunned by what could have been.


I don’t know what you mean by clamshell. Please explain.

We always just called them a clamshell. Great for separating bearings and pulling bearings off shafts. Kinda shields you a little, but mostly makes sure you have even pressure to keeps things from getting cocked.

 

[Winegrower]

Ah, thanks. A set of those would be handy and a lot safer. No, I had the shaft vertical, a backing plate under the bearing, not necessarily only on the inner race. I was replacing the bearing, not thinking about saving it, so this must have put differential pressure between inner and outer races, and blew up the outer race destructively.

Well, probably won’t make that same mistake again. I‘ll make all new ones.

 

[C-Bag]

I’ve had mine since the 80’s. Most shops I worked in either didn’t have one, or it was missing. As you can see you can bolt a regular puller to it too. It was the only way to get inner wheel bearings off front wheel drive cars. Mine stays on my press. Once you use one, you’ll never be without it.

 

[Winegrower]

As you can see you can bolt a regular puller to it too.

Excellent point, since I just got an OTC 1027. OK, I will get one,,,it’s for safety!

Edit: Got a set, HFS small and large bearings, about $45. Thanks, C-Bag.