Plate Making Safety Checklist

I am planning to move toward making plates. However, as I know very little about working with metals, and have only seen it live once (on a tormach), I would like to know which cautionary measures I should take.

I certainly plan to use safety glasses. However, will chips or shavings be separating as projectiles which could puncture the skin (Do I need to wear dense clothing with sleeves & neck gator)?

These may seem like inane questions, but I undergo MRI Scanning more commonly than most, at the V.A. studying my medical concerns.

I do not expect anything to be “Absolute”… life doesn’t work that way…

…I would simply like some general things to watch out for, so that I am not ill prepared.

Thanks to all who participate.

Additionally, this is an extraordinarily interesting question. One can buy pewter platens(blanks). Could I place a blank on top of a wood profile and have X-Carve, with some sort of roller/pressure bit, form it into a plate?

The chips will not harm the skin coming from the bit. The issues to watch for are eyes and breathing in dust. The chips coming off and hitting you hit about as hard as a hand full of corn flakes thrown at you from miles away. But chips on the skin if brushed off can be pushed into the skin from the brushing action. I clean off with a bruch attachment on the shopvac. Cutting soft metals the chips are not too bad but if cutting hard metals like steel the chips are like millions of tiny needles and work into clothing and can be very irritating. As far as the MRI goes if you have a small metal chip in the skin you will be ok. But if you are like me and live with a copper jacket hallow point in your body then no.

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This story seems to involve a sit down and popcorn!!!

I’ll bring the bevvies…

Well I can make it real short. Dec. 1995 went to a friends house to get some help pulling a trans. Random kid snuck in the back door came down hallway put gun barrel against my body pulled the trigger and walked away. Police report states he was telling kids at school that he wondered what it was like to shoot a person. This was the town marshals son he got nothing and I got nerve damage and some health issues due to lead from a bullet that can not be removed not to mention I got stuck with over $50,000 in medical I had to pay outta pocket and quit going to college because of med bills I was going for electrical engineering. Sorry for hijacking this thread.

I am interested in these plates you speak of tell me more. Size and type of metal, purpose.

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UGH… sorry to hear that man… not a story anyone wants to have to live.

The upside though… 20-ish years later you are X-Carving!!!

take care…

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Apologies…I am a NOOB. I do mean “End Plates”.

Damn, Shane…

…I’m sorry that you had to endure such an impactful, traumatic experience.

BUT, I am glad that you are still with us.

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Gantry and Y-axis end plates, with focus on both increased Z-Axis elevation & Stabilization.

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Yeow! And I thought spot weld flash stung.

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