A near miss smoker build disaster. Build Safe.

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tom37

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
SMF Premier Member
Sep 24, 2009
1,649
21
Independence Mo
Got home from work tonight and thought I would work an hour or two. I needed to make a pipe cutting template to mark my stack for the 4 pie shaped cut outs so that I could bent and re-weld. After looking on-line with no success, I decided that I could use a 4" pipe coupling cut to the shape I wanted and then slide right onto the stack pipe. I pulled out the miter saw, clamped the coupling in place and made my first cut. Everything went fine. Everything except the fact that I cut the first one the wrong angle. Made the adjustment and re-clamped the part in the saw. I started to make the second cut and holy @#$% all he!! broke loose. The part flew as if it were propelled by rocket fuel. After the loud noise and all the parts landed, I had to have a self check moment. More so to make sure I didnt need to wipe!!!!

Here is what happened to the saw, and a shot of the part I was trying to cut. The worst part is I KNEW BETTER then to even try this. I should have glued it to a stick of pipe and then made the cut.

Just thought I would pass this on, Please Stay Safe everyone, to enjoy another day of smoking.

PS. I really wanted to sell this saw to sponsor the purchase of the new one I wanted, I guess this ones mine for a while now. Unless I can find the parts for cheep.

There is a gray line in the last pic that shows where the cut should have been.

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Looks like you cut a piece smaller than your fence could hold.

"Let no lesson be forgotton where a scar is born." - Me

I came up with this quote working on my Cummins with the improper tools. I'm an aircraft mechanic by trade and I hurt myself using the wrong tool for the job at home simply due to the fact I was too lazy to get the right one.
 The worst part is I KNEW BETTER then to even try this.  
Hold my sign!

No kidding, this is where it starts..
Just thought I would pass this on, Please Stay Safe everyone, to enjoy another day of smoking.
 Good post..

Practice good ORM...Operational Risk Management...
 
its weird how that anytime there is an injury or almost one you always have that thought that you know not to do it that way but you do it anyway. Glad you didnt get hurt, thanks for sharing.
 
 
Those are scary moments that most of us have had.  This brings back memories that I had hoped I forgot because it still brings a chill.  That initial second when you have to do a self examination is the scary part.  I have had to do too many times.  Luckily the lesson was learned without any physical harm.

I have done that a couple times on the miter saw and every time it involved cutting a piece that was too small to be supported by the fence.  The last one was cutting come hickory chunks for the smoker.  The worst one I can remember was on my lathe.  I was drilling out a chunk of wood with using the tail stock as the drill.  There's nothing wrong with the process, but when I went to slide the tail stock back out, the drill chuck came out of the tail stock.  The head was still spinning at a high rpm and now the block of wood had a drill bit with the drill chuck still attached stick out of it.  I quickly realized "oh #$@%" and reached to switch the lathe off.  Before I could reach the switch BOOM.  Everything exploded into many pieces of flying steel shrapnel.  The 4 jaw chuck the wood was in exploded as my arm was right under it.  I heard steel flying all over the shop and glass flying.  Nothing hit me, I was amazed.  Pieces went flying thru a window in my shop and I found pieces of that chuck 30 yards away out in my yard.  I still think of that when I am doing that.  Lesson learned, slower rpms and hold the drill chuck while pulling it out.  The wife still doesn't know why there is a piece of plywood where there used to be a window.  Some things they just don't need to know.
 
Yup afterwards my sign was flyin high!!!!

It was to small for the fence. Even tho I tried to compensate by using 2 pairs of 11's, it still wasnt enough.

OMG I had almost forgot, awhile back a neighbor ask for a giant screwdriver>>>screwdriver loaned out>>>>>>neighbor tried to rewind his own garage door spring!!!!!!!!!Neighbor slipped>>>>>and screwdriver flys toward kitchen wall>full penetration>and stuck in the wall on the opposite side of the kitchen about 3 inchs.

BTW his wife was in the kitchen at the time.

Um, I have loaned nothing to him since, Usually I go look at what he wants to work on.
 
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