A lesson learned

[Brendan Plavis]

Now who was the idiot who says that he doesnt wear safety glasses........ oh wait... I think that was I...

Well I learned that was definately the wrong philosophy...

I was cutting some open ended moise(turning some small scraps into a little rudamentry shelf.) I had knocked them out with a screwdriver(the small fingers from cutting it on the BS) and was smoothing it out with the bandsaw(trying to get rid of most of the bumps) when a piece flew off and hit me in the eye. I imediately ran upstairs and pulled it out(small maybe 1/2 mm piece) and rinsed with contact solution(thankfully I didnt have them in, but it works well since its sterile water.)

Well, one bloodshot eye and a,what could have been much, much worse, close call, later, and I think I am changing my philosopy to wearing safety glasses.... I think the discomfort of them is a little better than the permenant discomfort of a glass eye....

Well, hopefully that is it on the close calls...

Now to the question... Are safety glasses that you use for shooting, an acceptable grade for woodworking?

-Thanks
Brendan

[Neil Brooks]

Lessons learned the hard way ... sadly ... tend to stick the best.

Keep a close ... well ... eye ... on that eye. If you have burning, stinging, ongoing redness, or ANYTHING ... see an eye doctor.

Without knowing what glasses you're talking about ... I'd say spend ten bucks and get a pair of polycarbonate safety glasses at the hardware store.

Let's hope this was your one freebie ... and that there's no long-term consequences.

[Brendan Plavis]

Nothin in life is free.... probably hense the burning in my eye...(Ill give it a day or so, since the its fresh...)

The glasses are probably $50 pair(not sure, my shooting team gave them to us...)

[Neil Brooks]

If they're "proper" shooting glasses, then it's verrrrry likely they have adequate impact resistance, for woodworking use.

But ... if it were me ... I'd either ....

- look hard for any text on the frames, then Google the brand and model, to see what it says about them (polycarb is good), or

- bring them WITH me to the EYE DOCTOR (), while I was having my EYE looked at, and ask HIM/HER whether "these'll do."

Who was it .... Kent, the moderator ... who equated the risks with his unilateral hearing loss ??

Between his ears and MY eyes ... either do your homework ON the shooting specs you've got or ... spend a few bucks and get a pair you KNOW will be okay.

Like....

Here's what fourteen bucks gets you.

That's LESS than the insurance co-pay for ONE eye doc visit

[Bruce Page]

Brendan, I’m glad your life lesson wasn’t any more serious. Shooting glasses would work fine. Personally, I wear Z-87 rated safety glasses. Whatever you decide on make sure that they are expensive enough that you will take care of them. Nothing worse than scratched up glasses.

[Brendan Plavis]

Brendan, I’m glad your life lesson wasn’t any more serious. Shooting glasses would work fine. Personally, I wear Z-87 rated safety glasses. Whatever you decide on make sure that they are expensive enough that you will take care of them. Nothing worse than scratched up glasses.

I know.... the glasses I have, have a small chunk scratched up, because the first day I went shooting, the muzzel kicked up(it was .22, but it was prone; I am more of a standing shooter(awkward positions...) and took the chunk.... I was fuming... Off topic, but I laugh, I can shoot Ar-15 fine.. I go to shoot a .22 and all hell breaks loose...

Ill definately research them though.....

Thanks
-Brendan

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Hope all is well with your eye. I had close enough calls a couple times, so I'm almost anal with safety equipment....... I almost never do anything without at least safety glasses. Or a face shield. Hearing protection. (good thing I'm typing) Dust mask. The list goes on....... Everytime I feel something bounce off the safety glasses and hit me, I'm happy.

Oh, personally, I use them cheapos from the BORG. Toss them when they get scratched. They're ANSI rated. They now have those cool ones that have reading lenses . I'd also avoid tinted. They look cool, but seeing is more important. Different story if you're outdoors...

[ben grossman]

You can get Z87 rated safety glasses for less than $3 that are comfortable and have a very good field of vision. Starlite is one model (can't remember mfr--starts with G), AOSafety makes some, etc. We use them at work, and I've bought some for home. You don't see a frame, because there isn't one, they have very good coverage, etc.

I use some 3M safety lens goggles when doing particularly rough work, like demoing stuff, to keep the drifting junk out of my eyes.

[Dennis McGarry]

I know the feeling, I used to wear my safety glasses only when doing major work, until I had to cut one small 3" strip. Grabbed the little cordless dewalt and made the cut, well in that 1 small cut, got a small piece of sawdust in the right eye, rinsed and blah blah, well 6 hours later had to keep the eye closed to avoid the itch and pain.

Went to doc, had to remove with a cotton swab and all that, two nice scratches on cornea. Almost really bad day.

Since then they go on every time I cut anything now.

Some lessons we learn the hard way but we do learn...

[Van Huskey]

There are a lot of people that have learned the same lesson the same way. I know one of them well, that would be me.

[Rick Markham]

Glad ya learned the lesson! Do your research on your specs, watch your eye closesly, if the chunk you took was embedded in anyway in your eye, you better get your butt to the eye doctor immediately! If it was embedded the chance of your eye hemoraging is very real, permanent blindness can happen Hopefully ya just got a scare! WEAR YOUR GLASSES!!!

Keep an eye (i know... pun intended) on your eye! The eye heals 4 times faster than any other part of your body, which means if it isn't significantly better REAL soon, you need to go to the doc!

Good luck! Keep yer fingers outa that durn thang too!!!!

[Joe Chritz]

I know.... the glasses I have, have a small chunk scratched up, because the first day I went shooting, the muzzel kicked up(it was .22, but it was prone; I am more of a standing shooter(awkward positions...) and took the chunk.... I was fuming... Off topic, but I laugh, I can shoot Ar-15 fine.. I go to shoot a .22 and all hell breaks loose...

Ill definately research them though.....

Thanks
-Brendan

My shooting glasses are also my day to day glasses. Oakley's with interchangeable lenses. I use them in my shop with the clear lenses. They will stop anything out there. I specifically got the clear lenses for doing building raids so I imagine they are plenty fine for a woodshop.

On an unrelated note the second day I had them I gouged them up right by the nose. Something about the way I hold an AR while moving makes the charging handle hit almost at the center. It gets them every time. All my shooting glasses have matching marks.

Joe

[Brendan Plavis]

I know the feeling, I used to wear my safety glasses only when doing major work, until I had to cut one small 3" strip. Grabbed the little cordless dewalt and made the cut, well in that 1 small cut, got a small piece of sawdust in the right eye, rinsed and blah blah, well 6 hours later had to keep the eye closed to avoid the itch and pain.

Went to doc, had to remove with a cotton swab and all that, two nice scratches on cornea. Almost really bad day.

Since then they go on every time I cut anything now.

Some lessons we learn the hard way but we do learn...

Thats what I am having right now... I am walking around with one eye closed inorder not to have an itch, a burning sinsation(sp...) If I close the other eye for a sec, and open the one that is bothering me, everything appears blurred... In about an hour, I am off to Urgent Care to have it looked at(its not just for urgencies, its just that its quicker than going to my MD.)

Well the good news is now my father is going to pitch in to get me a pair of glasses(his mother chewed him out after hearing that I got something in my eye..)

My shooting glasses are also my day to day glasses. Oakley's with interchangeable lenses. I use them in my shop with the clear lenses. They will stop anything out there. I specifically got the clear lenses for doing building raids so I imagine they are plenty fine for a woodshop.

On an unrelated note the second day I had them I gouged them up right by the nose. Something about the way I hold an AR while moving makes the charging handle hit almost at the center. It gets them every time. All my shooting glasses have matching marks.

Joe

I hear you regarding the AR; my rifle team once in a while lets us use the big guns, and that pesky charging handel gets in the way of ADS accurately. But hey, I cant argue... due to them I have gotten to shoot guns I could never afford(.30 MG, .30-30 Carbine, M1 Garand, AR, AK-47, .44Mag, .45, .38, etc...)

Thanks for the recommendations guys..
-Brendan

[Matt Day]

Last time I ordered from McMaster Carr I picked up some of their sub $3 safety glasses, and I've been very happy with them. They fit well, don't obstruct your view, and are clear. And for $3 I'll toss them if they get scratched up.

[Nathan Palenski]

Something about the way I hold an AR while moving makes the charging handle hit almost at the center. It gets them every time. All my shooting glasses have matching marks.

Nose to the charging handle?