Are gloves safe

[allen thunem]

playing devils advocate here
you wont wear gloves but you will apply finishes with a loose rag or cloth on a spinning object hmmmmmm
also how much protection does one have with bare hands against the spinning jaws of a stronghold chuck
just my opinion
i have neer been accused of being the sharpest knife in the drawer but i wear gloves when turning (but never with other machinery) and it has saved my hands from a lot of flying debris and spinning chuck jaws

[Scott Lux]

I'm going to throw a middle ground in here. I use nitrile gloves when gluing, dying, and some turning.

They are much warmer than bare hands, and they offer protection from glue and dyes. I have had one catch on the chuck (how did that hand get past the toolrest? I told you not to do that) The glove tore away quickly and I got only a scrape, which I deserved for being careless.

[Joe Pfeifer]

3] No jewlery [none of any kind - incl wedding rings]

Not to change the topic, but this is great advice. Wedding rings might not get caught in a turning chuck or on a piece of wood, but if the soft metal gets crushed by a bad catch or a flying piece of wood, how are going to get that ring off? Just saying...

[Fred Perreault]

I agree with Allen... use no gloves, but have other loose, hand held objects held before a spinning object? I have worn gloves starting a few months after getting serious about turning , similar to the padded cycling gloves but with full fingers. When I did a lot of flat work, the tips of my fingers always got dry, cracked and very sore to have any feel with . And early in my turning career, chips and sandpaper imposed a beating on my hands and fingers. Now, with gloves I have many fewer cuts or nicks, retain feel, have had no drying or cracking of the skin, and have never felt in danger because of gloves. In fact, many times the gloves will make "close contact", which tells me that I just had a close call. I wear out a pair of these gloves every 5 months or so. If the gloves wear out like that, what do you suppose is happening to one's skin? But of course, it is personal comfort.
I don't use gloves on any of the saws, except my chainsaw.....

[Tim Thiebaut]

Well might as well join in the conversation here, I always wear nitrile gloves while applying finish/sealer to the project. And as unpopular as this might be I also sometimes wear a glove while turning a very dry piece that is throwing hot wood at my hand. Now bear in mind I have a mini lathe here and I most likely wouldnt do this if I had a larger more powerful lathe, but for me I also sometimes wear a glove while sanding, as someone mentioned above, to me this is no different then holding a rag while applying finish to the piece. I have used power tools my entire life, in my 50's now, and wouldnt do this with any other piece of equipment, but I feel very comfortable wearing them while useing my mini lathe.

[Roger Wilson]

Here are two ideas which address your issues, cold and cuts:

Have you thought of looking into a radiant heater, something you could position so that it heats your hands.

Additionally they sell Cavilon (just search Amazon) spray and wipes, a chemical which will seal your skin. It might effectively seal your cuts. Of course on the Cavilon I'd ask my doctor if there are any potential issues.

[Josh Bowman]

I wear thin leather gloves. I get a size smaller and with leather it will form to my hands. They have been a real saver with sharp tools and hot shavings.

[Wes Henson]

I wear the tight fitting cloth gloves with the platic plams. The offer some protection, adon't have lose flaps like leather gloves
I'd liketo think if they did ge caught by the chuckthe coth wou tear, but I'm prbably fooling myself
In the end I don't grab anythng that's spining and apprecaite that they have a lot of "feel" and offer some proection from debris

[Steve Schlumpf]

Douglas - I have worn a buckskin glove on my left hand ever since I've started turning. Protects my hand as well as keeps it warm. The buckskin gloves are fairly tight fitting so there is not a lot of material for the lathe to grab but I try and pay attention to where the wood/chuck is at all times. As already mentioned - always keep you hand on the operator's side of the tool rest and like anything else we talk about here - if it doesn't feel safe to you - DON'T DO IT!

[Chris Colman]

I never have used gloves around power tools that turn the cutting edge, having seen what can happen to flesh and gloves in a fraction of a second if the glove (loose clothing, rings, etc.) gets grabbed by the cutter.

I do occasionally use thin jersey gloves on the lathe, usually kept behind the tool rest. During final sanding I do handle the spinning work (except spindles or natural edges). I am especially careful around the chuck and with spindles, not wanting to get "wrapped around the axle."

I would never wear leather gloves on the lathe. I use cotton jersey because if snagged by the work, it will rip or tear free faster than the leather would.

$.02

[charlie knighton]

i wear leather gloves when roughing out, espically with bark involved

i wear nitrile gloves(blue gloves) when turning oak and black walnut, and appling finish

i might wear lampshade when turning catus

[Jim Silva]

One more for the NO GLOVES camp here. I've seen it happen. I don't ever want to be the one it happens to.

For those who play devil's advocate and talk about using a rag to apply a finish, DON'T. Paper towels will do the same job and will tear unlike a rag which will wrap and regardless of what you're using, don't wrap it around your finger or hand under any circumstance. You can sand, polish and apply finish just fine without wrapping something around your fingers.

Regarding the chips hitting your hands. I have this issue daily and yup, you don't have to be a wimp to not want it to happen. I've found that a small piece of shirt-backing cardboard (think about 3" square-ish) with the gouge (or other tool) poked through it works just fine as a chip deflector. (I believe that easy rougher-thing even sells a plexiglass deal for this very purpose but I could mistaking it with some other like tool.)
By using this thin cardboard it keeps the chips from hitting my hands (no more burns) and if I ever did manage to do something stupid and get it caught on the spinning piece, it would just spin around the tool or tear off without incident. I don't use it all the time but there are certain times during the turning of some pieces that it makes things a great deal more comfortable.

Just my two cents

Jim

[neil mackay]

I turn alot of australian hardwoods and if dry the steady stream of chips/dust etc coming off the tool will be hot, very hot in fact.
So I use a half finger glove on my left hand pretty much all the time.Although I do turn with both hands I am predominately right handed, so the glove stays on the left.

[Jon Prouty]

I wear mechanic's glooves for comfort while turning dry wood and it improves my handeling of the tool.... they are tight and have been my preferance since my wrench turning days. safe??? probably not the safest but neither is turning. Some of the natural edge or "propeller" bowls look a lot more dangerous to me. It is a personal decision...

Jon

[Rick Markham]

I have contemplated this question, a lot of the burls I deal with are very dry, and yes when roughing the chips can be very hot, and uncomfortable. I also worked in manufacturing (meat packing plant) with tons of dangerous equipment. Those rules that were given earlier are there for a reason, I don't wear gloves, the risk is too great for me. I was a chef for many years so maybe the hot chips are just bearable to my already beaten hands but... the idea of (in a brief lapse of judgement) a portion of the glove getting pinched between the workpiece, tool rest and in turn having your hand drawn between the two is an ugly, and realistic one, especially since I am not an "experienced turner".

Jewelry around machinery is ALWAYS a bad idea, having your wedding ring crushed around your finger is by far the least of your worries. Your finger WILL come off of your hand before that happens with rotating machinery. Being drawn into a machine or having an amputation by brute force has and does happen. I'd make sure if you wear gloves they are skin tight, to minimize the risk, I personally have decided it isn't for me.

Wrapping anything (loose rag or sandpaper) around a body part or the workpiece is a dangerous practice, and eventually it might bite you. When I apply a finish on the lathe, it is with a small rag (maybe 2" square) held only between two fingers, Using a large rag is asking for trouble definitely! Be careful Y'all, I don't want any creekers getting hurt, you all inspire me!