Gloves?

[KJ2]

I have noticed that some YT posters wear gloves whilst working, which makes sense to me if they are gripped and to prevent slippage. Are there any particular brands that you would recommend?

Thank you.

 

[Sideways]

Beware of what you see on youtube.

Gloves can really help with handwork but it's scary how many people wear gloves while using powertools. There are sensible exceptions like leather gloves when using angle grinders and wire wheels but avoid using gloves where they can be caught and pull your hand into a blade, cutter or a chuck.
Better to lose a finger than a whole hand !

My personal favorites:
1. 3M branded cut resistant gloves. A very tight fitting grey marl coloured style that give a lot of protection from cuts. My wife even uses them as gardening gloves and they are incredibly durable. I've tried slicing through them with a new stanley knife. Good for manual handling tasks but don't ever be tempted to keep them on while you are feeding the circ saw or planer.

I once stopped a workman on a jobsite overseas who was wearing gloves while using a site table saw. I didn't speak the local language so had to explain by mime. I took his gloved hands in mine and pinched the end of each finger - like counting - to make my point. It was disconcerting to squeeze an empty finger in the glove ! He obviously understood and smiled broadly, but I guess he needed to lose some more fingers for the lesson to sink in.


Heavy duty nitrile disposable gloves. These are like the medics disposable glove but much thicker and nitrile rather than latex. Use for wood or metalwork when I'm fed up of getting splinters, or for work on oily machines. My local engineers merchant sells "marcator" brand, about 25 bright orange pairs per box, and they last a full day in the workshop, sometimes two.
Latex and nitrile disposable gloves are thin enough that a blade will cut through or tear them, rather than catching and pulling your hand in, so they are safe to wear at the lathe or mill.

 

[KJ2]

Beware of what you see on youtube.

Gloves can really help with handwork but it's scary how many people wear gloves while using powertools. There are sensible exceptions like leather gloves when using angle grinders and wire wheels but avoid using gloves where they can be caught and pull your hand into a blade, cutter or a chuck.
Better to lose a finger than a whole hand !

My personal favorites:
1. 3M branded cut resistant gloves. A very tight fitting grey marl coloured style that give a lot of protection from cuts. My wife even uses them as gardening gloves and they are incredibly durable. I've tried slicing through them with a new stanley knife. Good for manual handling tasks but don't ever be tempted to keep them on while you are feeding the circ saw or planer.

I once stopped a workman on a jobsite overseas who was wearing gloves while using a site table saw. I didn't speak the local language so had to explain by mime. I took his gloved hands in mine and pinched the end of each finger - like counting - to make my point. It was disconcerting to squeeze an empty finger in the glove ! He obviously understood and smiled broadly, but I guess he needed to lose some more fingers for the lesson to sink in.


Heavy duty nitrile disposable gloves. These are like the medics disposable glove but much thicker and nitrile rather than latex. Use for wood or metalwork when I'm fed up of getting splinters, or for work on oily machines. My local engineers merchant sells "marcator" brand, about 25 bright orange pairs per box, and they last a full day in the workshop, sometimes two.
Latex and nitrile disposable gloves are thin enough that a blade will cut through or tear them, rather than catching and pulling your hand in, so they are safe to wear at the lathe or mill.

Thank you for your advice. I'll look into both the 3Ms and Marcator; the latter of which could be useful when handling the bees, where I tend to use Marigolds.

 

[Sideways]

"Mercator" as it happens. Pardon my spelling.
These are the ones, from the first website that came up in a google search.
"Ideal Grip" they have patterned gripping surfaces.

I used to buy black mamba from toolstation which are decent but their price skyrocketed during covid. My engineers merchant sourced these as a replacement and they are thicker, better for the workshop and cheaper than black mamba ever were. What's not to like

You'll notice that all these heavy duty gloves are 50 individual gloves (25 pairs per box) where the thinner disposables are 50 pairs per box. The boxes are equally full, you just can't fit as many of the thicker gloves in a standard size box .....

https://www.gloveman.co.uk/Catalogu...gODhoRFjZX9HA1478x8VuXSZntvbSkscaAj40EALw_wcB

 

[KJ2]

Thank you again for taking the time to advise.

 

[eribaMotters]

I have found the cheap gloves available from Toolstation are excellent when cutting and machining timber. The thin rubber type palms offer excellent grip and feel. When they get dirty or start loosing there grip I wash my hands with them on using washing up liquid and they get a new lease of life. Palm Gloves Medium | Toolstation

Colin

 

[deema]

The best gloves I’ve ever come come in a yellow pot. PR88. Protects your hands from almost anything not water based. I’m now allergic to many timbers and the dust causes eczema on my hands, however. PR88 stops this happening. Oil, paint if you do get it on your hands just washes off.

 

[PDW125]

Like @Sideways I use the orange nitrile gloves as they are tough enough to last 3-4 hours and sometimes longer per pair. They can get a bit sweaty but I also find them useful under a pair of Howdens £1 trade gloves which provide a bit more protection when handling timber etc

Unigloves PRO.TECT Orange HD GA0054 Nitrile Single Use - Ultra Heavyweight, Multipurpose Powder Free, Silicone Free Disposable Gloves, Box of 100 Gloves, Orange, Large https://amzn.eu/d/254SwN1

 

[kinverkid]

Another fan of PR88 here. About four years ago, I was given a 1ltr unopened tub and a 50% used 1ltr tub. I only just started on the new tub but then only use it when working in oily, painting or dirty situations. I'm also a fan of the rubber-faced Kevlar-type gloves when shifting logs, bricks and gardening but they are a definite no-no when operating most machinery where your hand may come into contact with something 'spinning'. I have been using close-fit rubber-faced disposable gloves for many years but as pointed out by others, you need to choose in what situations carefully. Having cold hands can also be dangerous because the cold 'numbs' the senses in your fingers so you would need to weigh up what to really need to wear if you absolutely need to keep working.

 

[Spectric]

An issue with wearing gloves is that you are happily working away and then you go and use the pillar drill or a lathe and don't bother taking the gloves off, now you have given the machine something to get hold of ! I can see wearing latex type gloves when working with some oily piece of machinery or heavier orange gloves when moving rough timber is good for the hands but when just working with wood do you really need gloves, I find having the direct touch is much better especially when marking up.

 

[Dave Moore]

Beware of what you see on youtube.

Gloves can really help with handwork but it's scary how many people wear gloves while using powertools. There are sensible exceptions like leather gloves when using angle grinders and wire wheels but avoid using gloves where they can be caught and pull your hand into a blade, cutter or a chuck.
Better to lose a finger than a whole hand !

My personal favorites:
1. 3M branded cut resistant gloves. A very tight fitting grey marl coloured style that give a lot of protection from cuts. My wife even uses them as gardening gloves and they are incredibly durable. I've tried slicing through them with a new stanley knife. Good for manual handling tasks but don't ever be tempted to keep them on while you are feeding the circ saw or planer.

I once stopped a workman on a jobsite overseas who was wearing gloves while using a site table saw. I didn't speak the local language so had to explain by mime. I took his gloved hands in mine and pinched the end of each finger - like counting - to make my point. It was disconcerting to squeeze an empty finger in the glove ! He obviously understood and smiled broadly, but I guess he needed to lose some more fingers for the lesson to sink in.


Heavy duty nitrile disposable gloves. These are like the medics disposable glove but much thicker and nitrile rather than latex. Use for wood or metalwork when I'm fed up of getting splinters, or for work on oily machines. My local engineers merchant sells "marcator" brand, about 25 bright orange pairs per box, and they last a full day in the workshop, sometimes two.
Latex and nitrile disposable gloves are thin enough that a blade will cut through or tear them, rather than catching and pulling your hand in, so they are safe to wear at the lathe or mill.

Hi,
I was wearing a pair of the cheap Aldi gloves when I was putting together a steel framed building using Tec screws and my battery drill as the edges of the screw kept cutting my fingers or leaving small bits of metal. I didn’t realise I had trapped the end of a glove between the bit and the screw. By the time I had taken my finger off the trigger and it had stopped, the rubber finger end had twisted and had been torn off the glove. 12 months later I am still waiting for the tendon in my right forefinger to heal. Probably got to wait another year as tendons are slow healing.
Regards,
Dave

 

[clogs]

I wear gloves is when I'm electric welding--sometimes.....
I always avoid getting mud/dirt on my hands so if I get brow beaten into helping in the garden and dirt is invold the gloves come out.....
or
when dying the wife's hair......hahaha.....ps, getting good at it now......
it's over €100 to cut and dye her hair in a salon....x 6'ish per year.....ouch....

never had gloves when apprenticed nearly 60 years ago.....I think they are lethal in a workshop.....

perhaps when painting for sloppy workers....!!!!

 

[Hornbeam]

I would never recomend wearing gloves for general woodworking . particularly with machinery.
My only exceptions are Green nitrile gloves when applying finishes and general work gloves when handling (but not machining) rough sawn timber and sheets of ply

 

[heimlaga]

In cold weather one must wear gloves when using machinery because otherwise all fingers would end up amputated due to frostbite. Using gloves is a risk but not using them means certain disaster especially when the temperature is below -15 celsius and the machine is making a bit of a wind.
As soon as the weather is warm enough to not numb one's fingers one should not use gloves around woodworking machinery except when running a sawmill.

Using gloves around woodworking machinery when they aren't needed is a sure sign of recklessness and this recklessness tends to show on the number of fingers inside the glove.

I use gloves for metalwork though. Welding without gloves tends to cause burns and blisters and in the long term also skin cancer.

 

[KJ2]

All good advice, and thank you all. I'll drop the idea of wearing gloves around machines and only use for handling.

@heimlaga as for working in freezing conditions, my neighbour is a woodworker and now 72. He explains the loss of two fingers down to the numbness caused by working in cold conditions.

Thank you.

 

[paulrbarnard]

I wear the Toolstation black mamba gloves when applying finishes, painting or working with oily parts on the Landrover and a pair of leather gloves when man handling rough lumber or using a shovel etc. I don’t wear gloves for woodwork in general or when spinny things are involved.

 

[AJB Temple]

Tricky one this. Having had the lifelong eczema/asthma/hayfever triumvirate as well as being allergic to wood tar (which appears in lots of things - eg paper) I always find it amusing when people generalise totally and say it is unnecessary / wrong. People who get severe eczema will be familiar with skin cracking, blistering and so on, that eventually leads to involuntary bleeding if exposed to irritants. If I did not wear gloves then I would not be able to do woodwork at all.

When handling oak for timber framing, I always wear heavy duty, tight fitting gloves made in Germany. These: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00YC2JS5A?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details

£15.99 for ten. I have tried just about everything going, and these fit my hands the best and are very durable (ie the grip does not wear off easily, unlike many similar gloves). Also used for gardening. And for beekeeping. Unlike marigolds etc they do not het sweaty and have much better feel. I am perfectly happy using electric hand planers, big circular saws, my routers, and heavy duty drills (for morticing and peg holes) and the chain mortiser wearing these.

For finer handwork (not machines) I wear thin white cotton medical gloves. These give good feel and do not get sweaty when planing, chiseling etc. These come in individual boxes online or from Boots etc. Highly recommended for hand work if you have difficult skin. The huge advantage is that you can carry on working even if you have to have cortisone creams or ointments on your hands, as you don't transfer grease to the tools or work.

For any work involving machines, oil or paint I use anti allergenic nitrile gloves. I find these all much of a muchness across brands, but they do tend to make my hands sweaty. Sometimes I wash these and re-use. I can do this because I only wear them when I am operating static machines, which is usually a brief process. It is no bother at all to change gloves for different processes and anyone who is safety conscious will do this quite happily. My hands do not get near saw blades or planer blades (push sticks) but I still change to nitrile gloves anyway. I don't do much turning, but I do wear thin nitrile gloves for that and just replace them when the fingers break out.

Personally I find that barrier creams don't work. They tend to leave residue on wood, and either they irritate the skin in use, or more typically create irritation when the cream is washed off. However, that is with skin that is prone to eczema.

So in my view of 30 years or more of woodworking, gloves definitely have a place in the workshop, are perfectly safe if used intelligently, and can save your skin. I quite value my fingers as I am a pianist.....

​

 

[heimlaga]

Tricky one this. Having had the lifelong eczema/asthma/hayfever triumvirate as well as being allergic to wood tar (which appears in lots of things - eg paper) I always find it amusing when people generalise totally and say it is unnecessary / wrong. People who get severe eczema will be familiar with skin cracking, blistering and so on, that eventually leads to involuntary bleeding if exposed to irritants. If I did not wear gloves then I would not be able to do woodwork at all.

When handling oak for timber framing, I always wear heavy duty, tight fitting gloves made in Germany. These: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00YC2JS5A?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details

£15.99 for ten. I have tried just about everything going, and these fit my hands the best and are very durable (ie the grip does not wear off easily, unlike many similar gloves). Also used for gardening. And for beekeeping. Unlike marigolds etc they do not het sweaty and have much better feel. I am perfectly happy using electric hand planers, big circular saws, my routers, and heavy duty drills (for morticing and peg holes) and the chain mortiser wearing these.

For finer handwork (not machines) I wear thin white cotton medical gloves. These give good feel and do not get sweaty when planing, chiseling etc. These come in individual boxes online or from Boots etc. Highly recommended for hand work if you have difficult skin. The huge advantage is that you can carry on working even if you have to have cortisone creams or ointments on your hands, as you don't transfer grease to the tools or work.

For any work involving machines, oil or paint I use anti allergenic nitrile gloves. I find these all much of a muchness across brands, but they do tend to make my hands sweaty. Sometimes I wash these and re-use. I can do this because I only wear them when I am operating static machines, which is usually a brief process. It is no bother at all to change gloves for different processes and anyone who is safety conscious will do this quite happily. My hands do not get near saw blades or planer blades (push sticks) but I still change to nitrile gloves anyway. I don't do much turning, but I do wear thin nitrile gloves for that and just replace them when the fingers break out.

Personally I find that barrier creams don't work. They tend to leave residue on wood, and either they irritate the skin in use, or more typically create irritation when the cream is washed off. However, that is with skin that is prone to eczema.

So in my view of 30 years or more of woodworking, gloves definitely have a place in the workshop, are perfectly safe if used intelligently, and can save your skin. I quite value my fingers as I am a pianist.....

​

I see you are in the same situation as I am when running a site saw in Finnish winter weather. Using gloves in an inherent risk but working barehanded would be an ever greater risk under those specific conditions.

Ballancing risks is the key.