Sticky Gloves – Anyone use them?

[Justin Koenen]

I'm 83 with Type II diabetes and my skin is loosing its grip. I visit the local Dollar Tree and buy a half dozen of their dollar "grip" gloves. They last quite a while & then grab a new pair. Am in the shop daily and wear gloves a lot. They fit tight so loose material is not a problem. Just follow normal safety practices. Justin

[Wayne Cannon]

Boy, any glove that doesn't rip/tear off [trivially] easily would make me very nervous around any power equipment. If even a small tip of a glove gets caught, it can pull the rest of your hand into the blade, or yank a finger (or more) off, just like jewelry. No one is careless on purpose, that's why they are called "accidents".

On the other hand, I've used the "liquid gloves" for auto work (available at most any hardware or auto parts store). It goes on like lotion and dries to a slightly tacky coating on your hands (and washes of easily). This kind of product might give you the tack that you are looking for without the danger or sweatiness.

[Rick Potter]

Perhaps a good push block with sticky rubber would be a good answer?

[dan petroski]

Use them all the time. Medical issues. By them by the dozen winter and sommer ones. Couple bucks a pair. Dan

[Yonak Hawkins]

James, I consider the gloves a safety enhancement, not a risk.

I agree with you, Bruce. I use gloves for almost every operation in the shop. I have several different styles of gloves for different uses. Gloves have saved my hands from injury many times and I have never had a close call because of wearing gloves. When my hands are going to be near a moving blade I like to use skin-tight gloves with good grip.

[Jim Becker]

While I only use gloves when face jointing some rough material that's hard to get a grip on without getting splinters, I can appreciate your situation Bruce and agree that (careful) use of gloves to be able to grip the slippery materail with your particular physical issue is a reasonable solution. I use that stuff for the photo panels I make for a local photographer and it is indeed slick.

[Patrick Kane]

Ive always been warned of loose clothes, hair, gloves etc., but i somewhat disagree with everyone saying tight fitting gloves are a danger. Wearing gloves while feeding rough lumber into a planer is risky? Even at the TS i find it difficult to imagine a situation where a tight fitting glove causing an otherwise avoidable injury. 99% of the time i wear gloves while handling and processing rough lumber. Once it is milled, i actually find i get a better grip and control with bare hands, but a few hours of handling rough lumber does a number to bare hands. The splinters and micro cuts/tears develop quickly on my unprotected hands. I dont go out of my way to read about workplace injuries, but all the stories i know of involving people pulled into machines center around one tool--the lathe. I remember when i was in college the shop manager berated us all over hair and clothing after a girl at yale had her hair pulled into a lathe late at night. Killed her unfortunately. I never wear gloves while turning for that reason.

[Martin Wasner]

Other than handling lumber, I would not allow anyone to wear gloves. As someone already said, a glove that tears away trivially would be okay. Something like a nitril glove might give you some added grip with no chance of anything getting pulled in. They would tear about as easily as your flesh. Anything else that's more robust would make me squeamish.

As far as feeding into a planer, skin on skin let the love begin. I've ripped my skin away when it's gotten skewered on the work piece when dealing with power fed equipment before. Generally your grip isn't tight at all, but that could go poorly in a hurry wrapping them in cloth or leather that's way more durable than you are.

[Kevin Jenness]

Bruce, the P-grips are very breathable. I get about a week out of them. There are plenty of gloves with more grip, but these fit my stubby fingers snugly. I would recommend trying different types to find the best fit.

Loose fitting gloves are definitely a hazard. One of my workmates lost a fingertip to the jointer when it sucked in his glove- he only lost 3/8" off his digit, but the glove's finger was completely gone. I wouldn't wear gloves if I didn't feel it necessary.

[Bob Grier]

I have nephropathy and other nerve issues. I have worn nitrile gloves for many years due to loss of strength in my hands. Today I am 2 weeks post cervical surgery to remove pressure on the nerve. My hands and fingers are stronger and more agile post surgery but I continue to wear nitrile gloves because they do increase my ability to grip and to control the feed of lumber through various tools.

I wear heavier gloves when moving lumber such as on a buying trip. Nitrile gloves don't last long and I may go through several in short order but I can live with the expense. More sturdy gloves might provide better hand protection and still be a safety improvement due to better control but they are also a disaster if they get into machinery. I would feel queasy wearing gloves sturdier than something like nitrile gloves while using machinery. I don't think it is a good habit to form.

The cervical surgery also seems to have reduced the numbness, cold, and pain from a large part of my feet and also to have removed pain in abdomen area, butt, and leg. My leg muscles are actually complaining loudly now that I am using them more than my arms to get up and down. It is a good feeling to be building muscle in legs. I do have to wear a neck brace for 30 days but not when eating, showering, etc. That is a small price to pay for what I am feeling. Maybe I will be able to play golf again.

[Mike Ontko]

I would use one of the many plastic types and keep a bag of base ball rosin handy for added grip.

baseball rosin - what a great idea! I use a tight-fitting pair of nitrile palmed stretch knit gloves when I'm working with rough cut wood. It's been especially helpful with my latest project, which involves a lot of red oak--splintery stuff. But once I get it over the jointer and through the planer, I take the gloves off before I take it to the tablesaw for final sizing.

[Bruce Page]

Just an FYI update: I took Nick’s advice and bought a 3 pack of the 34-844/L MaxiFlex Endurance Knit Gloves. They’re a huge improvement in feel pushing the tempered hardboard against the fence and through the blade. I can’t complain about the price at $15 for a 3 pack, they’re comfortable too.