8 of the most lethal tools in your home shop
Working on cars is inherently dangerous. Just like driving, spinning wrenches on a vehicle requires respect and undivided attention. We all accept a certain amount of risk when taking on DIY projects, and I’m willing to bet that the percentage of people who have left every single one of their projects without a scrape or bruise to be less than one. I won’t go so far as to say everything is dangerous, but here are a few repeat offenders that I think are the most dangerous tools in the average shade tree mechanic’s shop.
Drill press/drill
Even small drill presses are high-torque affairs thanks to speed reduction pulleys. Snag something on a drill bit and the machine will continue to wrap that material until you hit the stop switch. When drilling, remember that the most dangerous time is right before the bit breaks through the backside of the material. Should the tooling bite, rather than cut, it will take whatever you’re working on and whip it into oblivion. A vise will hold your workpiece in place, but used with a hand drill, you run the risk of twisting your wrist. Still, holding a piece in your hand and drilling on the drill press is asking for trouble. Get a drill vise or appropriate clamps and use them.
Remember, speeds and feeds are incredibly important when drilling. Make sure to adjust the speed at which the drill is spinning and monitor the feed, or the rate as which the drilling takes place.
Grinder
Handheld grinders can easily spin a 4.5″ disc to 8000 rpm and are used to remove material from your project. That material is coming off the wheel at Mach Jesus and bouncing about your shop. Without due care that material will bounce right back at you or damage delicate parts of your project, or worse, your eyes. Questionable quality discs can also break apart and become projectiles in every direction. Grinders are powerful tools to be used with respect and care as to where the material is going. It’s best practice to to use quality attachments, combined with good personal protective equipment: safety glasses, hearing protection, and gloves, at a minimum.
Spring compressor
Hell hath no fury like a compressed spring unintentionally released. Literally tons of force can be sprung loose in an instant. The suspension in our beloved car is sometimes one slip of a wrench from shooting out big parts at ballistic speeds. When working with spring compressors a big dose of extra caution is warranted.
Consider taking a “belt and suspenders” approach by not only carefully using the proper tool, but also using chain to retain the spring to a solid part of the vehicle like the frame, so that if energy is released it will still be contained to an area that you are choosing and can then stay out of. Spring compressors tend to be extra dangerous because often times they are rented tools rather than purchased, and come with few instruction on how to safely use. Do your research on the safe use of spring compressors, and know your limits on when it is time to call in the professionals.
Trash can
Seriously. Have you ever seen that video where a Christmas tree catches fire and it’s only seconds before the whole room is ablaze? That can happen with your shop trashcan too. More than a few projects involve any number of chemicals and it only takes two of the wrong ones to mix in you trash can before they spontaneously combust. We haven’t even talked about the danger of drying oils which can oxidize and create enough heat to self-ignite. Throwing rags in your trash can is asking for trouble. the better move is to get a fire-rated canister with a lid that serves to not only contain any fire, but also limit the access to oxygen that is required to stoke the fire in the first place.
Your ego
One of the most powerful and dangerous tools is your own brain. Confidence comes in one of two ways: experience or ignorance. Walk into a job with the latter and it’s only a matter of time before you are hurt and wondering what happened. Using tools improperly or taking shortcuts are surefire ways to end up damaging your project and/or your body. Check you ego at the garage door, and a safer—and more fun—time will be had by all.
Jack
Floor jacks are fascinating tools once you understand how leverage and hydraulic physics. The ability to easily lift thousands of pounds is a superpower possessed by anyone with a $100 bill. That is terrifying, if you consider the dangers involved. Lifting a car requires attention to proper jacking points and also proper support once up in the air. Again, the physics are amazing, but even more amazing is that all that hydraulic pressure often rests on just a few five-cent o-rings. Do you trust your life to an o-ring? I didn’t think so. Use jack stands. Every time.
Any knife
This is a strange one to explain to folks who haven’t experienced it before, but sharp knives are the safe ones. Dull cutting edges require additional force to push through material and thus have a tendency to slip or turn in a direction the user didn’t intend. Combine this with bad habits like cutting towards ourselves (I’m guilty of this more than I would care to admit) and you have a recipe for disaster. Grab a whetstone and put a fresh edge on your sharp things. I promise that is actually safer.
Punches
When using a punch or chisel you are likely scared of the hammer blows and the chance of hitting your holding hand. That’s a real fear, but the chisel itself may conspire to hurt you as well. The end of a punch that receives those carefully placed hammer strikes has a tendency to mushroom slightly and can reach a point where the edge becomes brittle. When struck, it becomes a sharp projectile. This is easily prevented by filing down any mushrooming edges on your punches.
In the wrong hands anything can be dangerous, just ask my friend who has a glass eye about how dangerous a screwdriver can be when used incorrectly. That doesn’t mean you should never go out and enjoy working on your car though. Everything in life comes with risk, but mitigating some of that by acting responsibly is never a bad idea. Think there is another tool in a common home shop that presents more risk? Leave us the details in the Hagerty Community below.
Watch out for the arbor press, too. Tremendous pressures can be created that will release suddenly, sometimes like a hand grenade
When pressing axle bearings, I was taught to surround them with something to contain the shrapnel if they explode.
The two most dangerous tools in my shop are the lathe and milling machine. They can quickly ruin your day or life if not respected. Remember, never wear gloves when using them, or a drill press, for that matter.
In most machine shops, the machine that causes the most injuries is….wait for it…the lowly drill press!
While almost every other machine is much more powerful, the drill press is the least respected and people don’t put on their glasses, use a vise, or do whatever they should be doing to be safe.
The mistake that has caused me the most pain and harm over the years is “Being in a Hurry”. Impatience, time constraints (the car show starts in an hour), and frustration have led me to make way more harmful errors than any other tool or cause.
amazing how there is always time to do it correctly on the next attempt
Unfortunately, that was a running joke at former (government contractor) employer; “There’s never time to do it right, but there’s always time to do it over.” That was proved at least once while I was there.
Along with…..Do you want it done right? Or do you want it done right now?
That’s a new one for me. Must remember it!
Perfectly said. At 84, I’m still in a hurry sometimes. Dumb !!! …..Jim.
Right behind you with that, Jim. Older is not always wiser in the garage
My father used to say “The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get.” I suppose he picked it up from a Vaudeville routine.
The most dangerous tool I think is the wife/girlfriend you ask for a little bit of help from . . . no end of trouble for years can arise from such a simple thing!
Yea!! Just bled the brakes with her for the 49th time and she reminded me that we’ve done this consistently since we got married (51 years ago). Press down, let up. Press down, let up. Yes I have a mityvac but old habits are hard to “brake”.
Yup, I just say to my wife of 46 years “time for some down/up” and she knows we’re heading to the garage to bleed brakes.
that’s just… so… sad Chris…
In the phone company they were always taught to “get comfortable first”.
“Shake hands with danger!”
Anyone remember that Caterpillar safety video?
I’d also add drift punches and chisels to the list. If the mushroomed heads aren’t properly maintained, they can chip apart with a hammer strike like a bullet.
Impatience is a really good one too. I like to work on my army truck the most when I know I have enough time for it. Time constraints can lead to distractions and thus hazardous shortcuts.
“Mach Jesus” – I like that phrase! LOL!
Where the guy sticks his arm where the hydraulic ram pin goes? I can still hear the song!
“Mach Jesus” I am offened by that phrase. Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. Those who take His name in vain will not be held guiltless .
Oh Lord! For God’s sake, get a sense of humor! 🙂
BTW – I’m Catholic. Went to Catholic schools for 12 years. But I can take a joke, and I can also realize that not everyone feels “Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. Those who take His name in vain will not be held guiltless .” So lighten up, and stop being “offended” by everything, Bless Your Heart.
Thank You – a most important and very welcome article. Perhaps could be developed into a one page poster for sale or free distribution. It could also include respiratory protection; compressed gas cylinders; and confined spaces like trenches or pits where lethal exhaust or combustion gases can accumulate. Well done.
I saw “spring press” and I shivered just a little. The thought of a spring uncompressing at the wrong time and heading towards soft body tissue or sheet metal body parts. Brrrr.
Another category includes torches and welders: oxy-acetylene, propane, plasma, stick, MIG, TIG, etc. I have had sparks or slag end up in delicate places. Leather gloves, sleeves, or a vest could have prevented a burn or two.
Lost an eardrum to slag long ago – two surgeries then and hearing aid evermore. Not recommended.
All of my welding and anything with an open flame is done outdoors over gravel. Ditto trash can s outdoors too.
I wondered if the fire wrench would make the list!
Yep, the welder I recently had a bad instance, where a spark hit a rag and burst into flames. Fortunately, I am half sensible. I had a fire extinguisher close at hand, but then one hell of a mess to clean up.
Always clamp your work securely to the drill/mill table. It’s more than worth the extra few seconds to avoid serious injury to your hands.
Grinder sparks igniting a garbage box gave me a scare once. I couldn’t find my fire extinguisher either. I managed to drag it outside without burning myself. Now my extinguisher is in plain sight and garbage in a metal container with a lid. I learned my lesson.
Spring compressors scare the hell out of me. IMO it’s worth the additional cost to take struts to a shop for damper installation. Most have a professional, wall-mounted tool that can properly compress and contain the spring with minimal danger. As for mushroomed punches and chisels, forget the file and use you grinder to create a slight inward taper around the circumference of the head. Much faster, and don’t forget to wear your safety glasses.
I have been building/restoring sports cars, old trucks and even converted a a 1978 Jaguar XJ6L to a Chev 383 screamer. Restored several old houses while a Lockheed Engineer.
I am retired and still have ALL 10 fingers and never set a accidental fire:::
Secret is USE YOUR BRAINS, PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!
How about the bench grinder with either a grind wheel or wire wheels both sending projectiles in the air. Good practice to always wear safety glasses/googles.
I have half of a broken cutoff wheel stuck in my shop ceiling as a reminder to use extreme caution.