When building, do you wear eye protection always or during particular activities?

[chrishalfman]

Prescription glasses wearer. I always wore goggles when using a grinder, cutoff wheel, something that throws stuff. If you don't, it WILL get in your eyes. Not typically during riveting or other activities. There's probably good reason to wear them all the time, I just didn't.

I'm only 40 years old but having destroyed enough of my hearing with obnoxiously loud music I automatically put in ear plugs when I walked into the garage. It seems any air tool is too loud to use without them. Got so used to wearing them, now I wear them running the lawn mower.

[BillL]

I wear "readers" to see, but have prescription bifocals for the hard parts. I got a splinter in my eye in 1974 that I have in a jar and it is not forgotten.

-Grinding and wire brushing of steel, yes,
- Smacking hard tools with hammers, yes,
-looking up - definitely - yes
-using an air nibbler - many sharp pieces that stick in hair eyebrows, and more - tight fitting glasses - YES
-using carbide burrs for steel - cover everything!! vacuum after, too many shards and razor sharp.

aluminum, drilling, filing, riveting, bandsaw, and deburring - readers to protect the lens, but not side shields.

Happy Building, move safely, stand slowly don't turn rapidly, and never get in a hurry. They all end with bruises and blood eventually.

[Rupester]

Also keep in mind that we're working with aluminum most of the time. A physician friend pointed out to me years ago that ferrous metals are readily removed from the eye with a magnetic stylus ... Often makes the ED process comparatively quick and easy. Non ferrous materials like aluminum, wood, fiberglass are more difficult to remove from the eye.
Yes, I alwayswear safety glasses when doing any cutting, grinding, drilling, deburring, etc.

[N941WR]

I always wore safety glasses! I've had clecos, metal shavings' and other things bounce off them.

I didn't want to finish and have to learn to fly with one eye.

[RV7A Flyer]

Originally Posted by tdhanson

How about gloves for hand protection with sheet metal?

I don't think I ever did with aluminum, maybe once or twice with stainless steel.

I worry about power tools "grabbing" the gloves and causing an even worse injury.

In addition to safety goggles for various operations, I *always* remove my ring and watch, and empty my pockets (more to protect the plane than me). A few photos of "degloving" accidents will convince you to take off any jewelry while working with power tools.

[DaleB]

Prescription glasses always. Safety goggles occasionally. Ear plugs often. I have some mechanic's gloves I wear when needed.

[crabandy]

Since my LASIK I do, I've got several decent comfortable non-scratched pairs laying around the garage and hangar. My doctor opened my eyes so to speak.

My other mainstay is hearing protection, my genetic hearing loss is amplified over most people.

[rmartingt]

If I'm using power tools, yes (except riveting or using the drill to drive screws). I'll also wear safety glasses if I'm working underneath something where chips/dust could fall in my eyes.

Air tools or other loud things also get the ear muffs; chemicals get the respirator and gloves if necessary.

Hand operations (deburring, sanding, etc) usually nothing.

[John Courte]

When I first started my project I wore safety glasses all the time. By the time I was done, I wore readers.

[Moondog]

The way we care for our own eyes is a personal choice. But please take special care of kids. It makes me cringe to see photos of adorable children taking part in the build without eye protection. They have no idea of the risks, we do.

BTW, CR-39 and high-index lenses are easy to break. Polycarbonate is a very thin plastic, but much less likely to break. If you won't wear Z-87 safety glasses, at least get something made (prescription or not) with polycarbonate lenses.

Z-87 safety glasses provide safety two ways. First, they are (almost always) polycarbonate, but thicker to withstand greater impact; and second, the frames are usually designed that the lens can only pop out forward, away from the eyes rather than toward them.