Modding 101: The Basics - Safety Continued

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Gloves
Having a sturdy pair of work gloves available for handling materials is a wise idea. Hand injuries are very common from minor slivers to wholesale cuts in your hands. Gloves will help prevent these unnecessary injuries and prevent the end of your modding career. Additionally, cutting and grinding materials creates heat and friction and protecting your hands from being burnt unnecessarily is always an advantage.

When handling paints or chemicals, be sure to use chemical-resistant gloves to protect your skin from potential damage. Disposable latex gloves can be purchased at any hardware or auto parts store. Many people are allergic to latex and can have adverse skin reactions to these materials. A suitable alternative form of hand protection should be found and used before continuing if you are allergic.

Ear protection
Cutting metal produces a very loud side-effect: potentially ear damaging noise. Disposable ear plugs are widely available and be sure to use them. When cutting through metals the surface of the material absorbs significant vibrations and conducts them in a similar fashion to a piece of stereo equipment. Protect your hearing with quality ear protection.

Clothing
Loose or baggy clothing is an accident waiting to happen. Baggy sleeves can easily be caught in power tools and can result in the loss of control over the tool and serious injury. Close-fitting clothing, particularly long-sleeved shirts, are a good investment to protect yourself from injury and burns from flying materials during cutting. Many common workplace precautions should be used such as ensuring that long hair is tied back and wearing protective footwear. Steel-toed footwear is preferable and comfort should be considered but you’ll be thankful for those heavy boots the first time you drop that steel case on your toes.

Proper lighting
A properly lit work area not only makes it easier to see what you’re doing but also prevents you not seeing what you’re doing. An inability to properly see what you are doing can result in injuries that can be easily avoided. A halogen tube light is preferable to standard lamps and provides a greater area of illumination than a light bulb does. An improperly lit work area can, once again, lead to serious injury.

With all of these considerations noted and a solid assortment of tools on your workbench and a tidy plan drawn up, you’re now ready to mod.

DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware.

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