Glove Saved My Hide

[Yonak Hawkins]

At the band saw today I did something stupid. I looked away for a moment to grab another piece while my right hand was too near the blade. I felt a vibration on the glove I was wearing and I instinctively jerked my hand away. The glove got a hole in it but my thumb is ok.

[Wade Lippman]

You've got better reflexes than me!!!!

People on the woodturning forum would give you hell for wearing gloves.

[Keith Weber]

Good news, but just be aware that using gloves with things that spin (lathes, drill presses, shapers, jointers, etc.) is generally poor practice, as the glove can get caught up in the machine and pull your whole hand in. You end up losing a hand instead of cutting your finger.

[Mike Chalmers]

Good news, but just be aware that using gloves with things that spin (lathes, drill presses, shapers, jointers, etc.) is generally poor practice, as the glove can get caught up in the machine and pull your whole hand in. You end up losing a hand instead of cutting your finger.


Big +1 to that. It has happened twice to me on the drill press.

[Justin Ludwig]

Hate working with gloves unless I'm outside. I prefer cold hands and 10 fingers with splinters in them.

[Tom Ewell]

I occasionally use tight fitting gloves with the rubberized palms/fingers just to be able to have positive 'grip' on stock, particularly on dry days when bare hands tend to slip.
I'm well aware of the no no's of wearing gloves around working machinery and have had close calls but those close calls were more attributed to poor technique with the gloves on.

This is not to discount the very real possibility of the glove getting caught up in the machine but if you wear them take the extra caution of not allowing that to happen
If you have the extra layer on the hands be sure to add the extra layer of safety.

[glenn bradley]

Hate working with gloves unless I'm outside. I prefer cold hands and 10 fingers with splinters in them.

As predicted the chastising has begun. We have the rules about machines and loose clothing, jewelry, long sleeves, etc. pounded into us early on. Why people think gloves aren't one of these always escapes me. I'm glad the blade didn't use the glove to pull your hand into it and send you to the ER.

[Mike Heidrick]

Glad you are safe!

[Chris Hachet]

It is easy to have something go wrong with power machinery. Was going to start my table saw the other day and something did not feel right. Looked back and my daughters grey kitten has climbed up onto the motor and belt and fallen asleep. I gently lifted him up and took him back into the house where he belongs....

[Bruce Page]

Good to hear that you came out unscathed. One of the first things you learn in machine shop 101 is to not wear gloves using a bandsaw. I learned that lesson the hard way in my 3rd week as a mold maker apprentice. I was cutting some 1" steel plate, following a scribed line. The line was getting covered up with chips so I unthinkingly wiped them away. I was wearing the common leather palmed/canvas backed gloves when the blade caught my middle finger and pulled it in. It cut about 1/8" into the end of my finger tip before I could pull away. I was afraid I'd get canned so I washed it out, bandaged it up, and went back to work without telling anyone. I never again wore gloves using a bandsaw.

[Frank Pratt]

In the past I've always followed the no gloves rule, but lately I struggle with it. I like to use the thin mesh gloves with nitrile palms & fingers. They fit tightly, like a second skin, & provide vastly improved grip. On one hand, I'm aware of the risk of getting dragged into a moving blade, but on the other, (see what I did there?) the better grip allows me to more safely move stock through the machine.

Because they fit so snugly, there's less risk than with the loose fitting leather/canvas gloves. There is a balance to be found there. Other thoughts?

[Justin Ludwig]

As predicted the chastising has begun. We have the rules about machines and loose clothing, jewelry, long sleeves, etc. pounded into us early on. Why people think gloves aren't one of these always escapes me. I'm glad the blade didn't use the glove to pull your hand into it and send you to the ER.

I wasn't chastising. I was offering my method. Maybe it came off harsh? I reread my post after being away a few hours and still don't see it. I've had an untucked shirt ripped off of me by a pump motor. I have half a pinky toe because a steel toe ripped it off when it got caught in a machine. I suppose my comment didn't reflect my experience.

[Rod Sheridan]

At the band saw today I did something stupid. I looked away for a moment to grab another piece while my right hand was too near the blade. I felt a vibration on the glove I was wearing and I instinctively jerked my hand away. The glove got a hole in it but my thumb is ok.

You're extremely lucky Yonak, glad to hear that you're OK.

I had the unfortunate experience of helping EMS try to retrieve a couple of fingers that had been pulled off of a hand when the glove became entangled in a piece of swarf from a drill.

Regards, Rod.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Absolutely. Snugness is the key around machinery.

However, if one is not confident in one's conscientiousness, awareness and one's caution it's best to go bare-handed. I count on gloves for safety, better grip and to protect my hands from cuts and scrapes.

[Martin Wasner]

I wasn't chastising. I was offering my method. Maybe it came off harsh? I reread my post after being away a few hours and still don't see it. I've had an untucked shirt ripped off of me by a pump motor. I have half a pinky toe because a steel toe ripped it off when it got caught in a machine. I suppose my comment didn't reflect my experience.

People are extremely sensitive here.

Put me in the no gloves camp. Material handling, and some hand held power tools, (I wear the rubber palm/finger cloth gloves framing), but stationary equipment freaks me out. Thin leather gloves probably wouldn't add any risk though, but I'd be cranky being proven wrong on that.

[Pat Barry]

Absolutely. Snugness is the key around machinery.

However, if one is not confident in one's conscientiousness, awareness and one's caution it's best to go bare-handed. I count on gloves for safety, better grip and to protect my hands from cuts and scrapes.
I AGREE. Under the same circumstances, without a glove, you WOULD have cut your thumb. The way I see it, the glove saved your hide.

[Keith Weber]

However, if one is not confident in one's conscientiousness, awareness and one's caution it's best to go bare-handed. I count on gloves for safety, better grip and to protect my hands from cuts and scrapes.

Well, as long as you're confident, I guess an accident will never happen then. Wow!

One could argue, though, that if you have such conscientiousness and awareness, then why do you need gloves to protect your hands in the first place?