Safety Heads-up

Want to share something off-topic? This is where to put it.
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oehrick
Site Governance Team
Site Governance Team
Posts: 1239
Joined: Wed Jan 29, 2014 2:41 am
Location: Norfolk Broads UK

Safety Heads-up

Post by oehrick »

Had a near miss today which I though I'd share

SWMBO brought the dread message 'there's something wrong with the washing machine, the drum won't turn', Oh deary me was my first thought as this has previously meant wrestling a new drum spider and shaft into it, our water not only eats stainless steel valve balls, it eats other metals and in the 25 years we've had it (Hotpoint 1000 frontloader, just pre electronic controls and bombproof to date) I've done 3 spiders & bearing sets, half a dozen brush sets and patched a hole in the drum, neatly punched by an M5 x 30 stainless bolt which escaped overall pocket control.....

Anyhow the problem was the motor bearings, just managed to pick up a couple before the suppliers closed for the weekend and was trying to remove the polyvee pulley from the motor shaft, it had resisted my little 3 jaw pullers, could see no indication it was screwed on so assuming a Loctite joint I cooked the pulley up with a small torch, applied a rag to the windings fitted the puller to the trapped bearing, clamped one leg of the puller in my outside leg vice and applied torque to the screw with a 14mm ring.

Now, I have removed thousands of rolling element bearings over the years from tiny things 4mm dia to over a foot across, hot, cold, rusted solid, mechanical, hydraulic pullers, presses hammers large and small, never had one break, was about 18" from this one, did not think to swap my ordinary specs for safeties or put overspecs on yup you're ahead of me.

The 4.75mm ball which erupted in direct line with my eyeball did the attached, blink reaction being what it is not much of the glass debris made it into my eye, most had washed out by tear action by the time I had got into the bathroom and the rest came out in the folded up end of some tissue.
Image

I grabbed my eyewash bottle from the workshop, it lives in a plastic bag and this is the first time I have ever needed it, the distilled water had evaported entirely, what price a chemical splash.

Guys, I have had a salutory lesson today, and been incredibly lucky. I cannot recall seeing anyone don safety eyewear to remove a bearing (although this was bearing being used to shift a pulley, which is still firmly on the shaft) I share the experience and embarrasment for obvious reasons, we only get the one pair !

Rick (sorry for any typo's my second best specs aren't as good as they used to be 15 years ago :stress:
Best regards
Rick - Bogside on Bure


1958 Diesel E1A Mk2 s/n 1470165 - still in working clothes

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