In article ,
"Leo Lichtman" wrote:

Tom Gardner wrote: (clip) -just remember to take the belt off! (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
If this is a dumb question, I apologize, but if it is a safety issue, it
might be good for all us dumb guys to hear the answer. Why take the belt
off?

IMO, because sometimes motors start unintentionally. Frequently when
some idiot (like the nut at the computer keyboard) flips the switch,
occasionally and quite rarely without that happening due to a failure of
the switch. Given the time and trouble value of trips to the emergency
room, reattaching fingers (if possible) and trying to do all your future
work with fingers missing or reattached, it is wise to take the few
seconds needed to remove the hazard before sticking your hands where
things could get ugly if the motor started up. With a crank like Tom
mentioned on there, you could do a good job breaking arm/wrist/hand
bones, though I guess it might keep your fingers out of the belt/pulley
interface.

Unplugging the press would have a similar value, if you're _quite_ sure
it won't get plugged back in by you forgetting or some helpful person
helping.

The motor starting could also have detrimental effects on the the
tapping process, but that's much easier to fix than the fingers.

--
Cats, Coffee, Chocolate...vices to live by