A Simple Switch Safety
© Frank Ford 2005; Photos by FF
I don't know about you, but I have a number of machines that are wired differently enough that I sometimes hit "reverse" by mistake. My old lathe has an additional inconvenience - the Dayton reversing switch sticks out just far enough that I sometimes brush against it, inadvertently starting the motor. As the years go by, I keep adding stuff in my small shop, and clearances are getting tighter all the time. Now I bump that switch way too often. So, after years of procrastination, yesterday I finally made a little safety interlock:
It's just a simple pair of loose fitting flippers that keep the handle from moving.
A quick flip gives me all the options I need:
