What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

When building, do you wear eye protection always or during particular activities?

T

tdhanson

Well Known Member
During the normal building phases, do you wear eye protection such as safety glasses or face shield during all activities, or during particular ones such as drilling, grinding, etc?

Always?

or

with all or particular power/air tool?
with all or particular hand tool?

with a particular process (drilling, deburing, cutting, grinding, measuring, wiring, riveting (hand/pneumatic), etc.?


How about gloves for hand protection with sheet metal?
 
Safety Glasses 100%+

Having worked in the industrial safety business for 35 years I HAVE to wear safety glasses. Besides I've taken my fair share of workers to the emergency room to have "trash" removed from their eyes and occasionally have a rust ring drilled off their eye with a Dremel-like medical tool. When using a die grinder or cut off tool, its safety glasses AND a face shield.
 
Last edited:
Eye protection

Same here. Having had a rust ring removed, I choose not to go through it again. Since I wear prescription glasses, I don't don the safeties unless the tool is throwing debris. Grinder, dremel, etc. Also, I always wear hearing protection around loud noises and a respirator around noxious fumes.
 
I use glasses to see so it's not a big problem to turn then into safety glasses. So my answer is yes, all the time.
 
wirejock said:
Since I wear prescription glasses, I don't don the safeties unless the tool is throwing debris. Grinder, dremel, etc. Also, I always wear hearing protection around loud noises and a respirator around noxious fumes.
Click to expand...

Me too, on all the above.
 
At a recent EAA workshop, a fellow attendee introduced me to safety readers! I wear them most of the time when working. Now I don't have to choose between being able to see and protecting my eyes.
 
Guilty party here, not always but often during particular activities and with particular tools. :eek:
 
Safety Readers!

+1 for these. Even if you don't require readers (I do) they ease eye strain and protect your eyes. Don't squint, get em. Win-Win
 
Bench grinder - yipes

I too wear prescription glasses and while working with a bench grinder equipped with a wire brush, have found that it is absolutely necessary to wear both goggles and a face shield. Without the goggles, I have had both 'debris' and wires from the rotary brush stick into my face.

How they got under the face shield and my glasses is a mystery but they did - so now, have added the goggles.
 
Always. I walk into the shop and put on my safety glasses. One other note, regular glasses with side shields don't make safety glasses. If you have percription glasses go and get some, specifically, made safety glasses. Not cheep ones but the best you can afford. A blind eye can make flying a past enjoyment
 
Prescription glasses wearer. I always wore goggles when using a grinder, cutoff wheel, something that throws stuff. If you don't, it WILL get in your eyes. Not typically during riveting or other activities. There's probably good reason to wear them all the time, I just didn't.

I'm only 40 years old but having destroyed enough of my hearing with obnoxiously loud music I automatically put in ear plugs when I walked into the garage. It seems any air tool is too loud to use without them. Got so used to wearing them, now I wear them running the lawn mower.
 
I wear "readers" to see, but have prescription bifocals for the hard parts. I got a splinter in my eye in 1974 that I have in a jar and it is not forgotten.

-Grinding and wire brushing of steel, yes,
- Smacking hard tools with hammers, yes,
-looking up - definitely - yes
-using an air nibbler - many sharp pieces that stick in hair eyebrows, and more - tight fitting glasses - YES
-using carbide burrs for steel - cover everything!! vacuum after, too many shards and razor sharp.

aluminum, drilling, filing, riveting, bandsaw, and deburring - readers to protect the lens, but not side shields.

Happy Building, move safely, stand slowly don't turn rapidly, and never get in a hurry. They all end with bruises and blood eventually.
 
Importance of eye protection

Also keep in mind that we're working with aluminum most of the time. A physician friend pointed out to me years ago that ferrous metals are readily removed from the eye with a magnetic stylus ... Often makes the ED process comparatively quick and easy. Non ferrous materials like aluminum, wood, fiberglass are more difficult to remove from the eye.
Yes, I alwayswear safety glasses when doing any cutting, grinding, drilling, deburring, etc.
 
I always wore safety glasses! I've had clecos, metal shavings' and other things bounce off them.

I didn't want to finish and have to learn to fly with one eye.
 
tdhanson said:
How about gloves for hand protection with sheet metal?
Click to expand...

I don't think I ever did with aluminum, maybe once or twice with stainless steel.

I worry about power tools "grabbing" the gloves and causing an even worse injury.

In addition to safety goggles for various operations, I *always* remove my ring and watch, and empty my pockets (more to protect the plane than me). A few photos of "degloving" accidents will convince you to take off any jewelry while working with power tools.
 
Last edited:
Prescription glasses always. Safety goggles occasionally. Ear plugs often. I have some mechanic's gloves I wear when needed.
 
Since my LASIK I do, I've got several decent comfortable non-scratched pairs laying around the garage and hangar. My doctor opened my eyes so to speak.

My other mainstay is hearing protection, my genetic hearing loss is amplified over most people.
 
If I'm using power tools, yes (except riveting or using the drill to drive screws). I'll also wear safety glasses if I'm working underneath something where chips/dust could fall in my eyes.

Air tools or other loud things also get the ear muffs; chemicals get the respirator and gloves if necessary.

Hand operations (deburring, sanding, etc) usually nothing.
 
children

The way we care for our own eyes is a personal choice. But please take special care of kids. It makes me cringe to see photos of adorable children taking part in the build without eye protection. They have no idea of the risks, we do.

BTW, CR-39 and high-index lenses are easy to break. Polycarbonate is a very thin plastic, but much less likely to break. If you won't wear Z-87 safety glasses, at least get something made (prescription or not) with polycarbonate lenses.

Z-87 safety glasses provide safety two ways. First, they are (almost always) polycarbonate, but thicker to withstand greater impact; and second, the frames are usually designed that the lens can only pop out forward, away from the eyes rather than toward them.
 
Another caution is the potential of igniting a vapor source with a shop light or heat gun. I had this happen while working on my car back in the 70's. I was wearing eye protection at the time. I was leaning over the engine compartment while reaching back for my shop light. I inadvertently passed the hot light too close to the battery. The battery exploded directly under my chin, blowing my goggles off and throwing me back against the garage wall. I was temporarily blinded and lost my hearing for about an hour. Other than a few acid burns, I dodged a career ending bullet. Just another reason to consider wearing eye protection around the shop.
 
Given that I'd lose my job and my career if either my eyes or my ears are damaged, I've always worn eye and ear protection for many things, but particularly any sort of cutting/drilling with power tools.

Plus my wife is a surgeon and has plenty of nasty ER stories about people who don't.

Losing your vision is not worth the 5 or 10 bucks you outlay for safety glasses and the 3 seconds it takes to put them on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top