Those of you who do your own porting/grinding at home. take a moment to read...no reason to respond...just FYI.

In my garage/shop..I have a plethora of 3/16th rod bent up to hold my shop vac hose to whatever I'm grinding on, porting...etc..hell. I even have one rigged to my drill press.

Why am I bringing this up?

I've noticed some of you guys kidding about "the amount of metal in the shower" aftre you've been working on your heads etc.

What I do is orient the hose from my shop vac to suction as much material as possible...yes, I still wear goggles and a dust mask when I grind, etc.

Now the reason I thought I'd write thios post...I just left a friend of mine who owns his own welding/fabrication shop...a little "one-horse" business, if you will.

When I went over to see him a few days ago, he thought he had a severe chest cold, couldn't breath worth a darn, etc.

Turns out he went to the doctors and has about 3/4 of a pound of grinding dust stuck in his lungs.

Most likely he'll be traveling way up north in the next week or so.

I'm a little disshelved right now, so maybe my post isn't written clearly enough, but try to take some precautions when you turn on the die-grinder, dremmel, grinder, etc...

Wear a mask, wear eye protection, do as I do and rig your shop vac (if you don't have one, spend the 30-40 bucks for one) to suck up the debris.

Again, no need to reply, just read and gather some insight, take precautions and live longer.

 

Mike,

Thanks for the sobering reminder. I've seen many people disregard basic safety practices. Safety glasses with side shields, goggles or face shield where appropriate, gloves, nuisance dust masks, respirators, dust collection and forced ventillation, mixing products and chemicals, keeping a fire extinguisher nearby, general housekeeping - they're all violated routinely, and probably more than we care to know.

Sometimes the price of ignoring basic safety rules is realized immediately, and sometimes it is slowly, over a long period. Welding and cutting are probably the worst, not only because of the particles from metal preaparation and grinding, but from the metal fumes generated by the welding/cutting process. Our vascular systems are not compatible with many of these metals. Our lungs are not compatible with large amounts of metal particles and dust.

Grinding has it's own hazards. Painting almost always requires a respirator or forced ventilation (as in a booth). Many cleaners and solvents have their own risks, not only from corrosive and flammability perspectives, but general health risks as well.

None of us want to "travel way up north" before our time. I hope everyone at least reads the warnings and safety information on the products and materials they use. The primary reason they are included with the products is for your protection. It's the only warning you'll get,so you'd better read and understand what you are working with and how to do it correctly and safely.

 

Good advice. I try to do all my porting work, outside
in the summer. Use lots of wd-40 to keep the dust down too.

Eye protection is a must.