Another DIY question – safety gloves for grinding / woodwork

Lots and lots of choice on amazon, lots of mixed reviews.

I’ve been using some old DH 661 gloves for general DIY which have been doing okay good for movement but next to useless if there was any type of accident.

Any recommendations? Ideally £20 ish.

I just use the cheap rubber coated ones. Quality does vary a bit so if I find good ones I’ll buy a few pairs. The finger tips wear out after a while on all of them so no point in spending too much. More important to get ones that fit so they aren’t baggy at the fingers. They usually come in XL to suit manly builders rather than my dainty fingers but other sizes are available if you look around. I’ve done loads of woodworking, building, grinding and these seem to offer the best combination of price, protection and dexterity.

This type

Yep – the nitrile dipped knitted ones as above. Go to a screwfix / tool station / arco where you can actually try them on and buy the pair that fit best. There can be two types of knit – one a bit thicker and cotton-y like the ones above and a thinner/stretchy synthetic knit with a thinner rubberised palm/fingers.

If you’re not wearing them for warmth then the advantage of the thinner ones is you’re less likely to take them off to do something fiddly and therefore they’re more likely to be actually on your hands when you need them.

For angle grinding it can be worth having something like a pair of leather drivers gloves

I buy mine from Costco (because you can try them on) – sizing is more important for these as they’ve not stretch or give and they’re clumsy if they’re too big. The advantage of these is they snag less on burs and sharp edges and knitted gloves have the problem that swarf gets caught in the fabric which you’re reminded of when you wipe your nose of forehead with the back of your hand.

next to useless if there was any type of accident.

theres not really an accident with an angle grinder that a pair of gloves are going to protect you from. Clamp whatever you’re working on properly and keep both hands on the tool.

I use the PU coated ones – once they’ve had a few hours use, they’ll even work on touchscreens. 🙂 I use then chiefly to mitigate against dust drying out my skin leading to cracks, itching etc and also to stop any direct contact between skin and adhesives etc. I also need to be able to “feel” textures when I work so the meatier ones for manual handling are useless for me whereas the PU coated ones allow me to feel without getting my fingers and nails filthy.

Generally, any glove which is useful in case of accident is going to be useless for dexterity. So my philosophy is not to put my hands anywhere where there’s a high risk of injuring them. And never take my eye off anything if I’m hitting it with a hammer. (Learned that one the hard way a few times.)

I use my welding gauntlets for grinder work…..simply because of sparks.

Always remember PPE is the last resort not the first.

Remove or reduce all the risks first then apply PPE to lower risks you can’t reduce by other means.

For general use I like the nitrile coated lycra like ones. Not cheap but they last longer for me.

Metal work -old impact gloves from offshore.

Always keep a box of nitrile gloves in the shed for general bike shit.wasteful perhaps bit with knuckles that have contact dermatitis due to chemical exposure I don’t **** around these days.

Gloves for mechanical protection should conform to EN388

Next to the number there should be 4 numbers which are the ratings for the following: Resistance to Abrasion, Blade cut resistance, Tear Resistnce, Puncture resistance. The higher the number, the greater the level of protection. EG for Abrasion resistance, level 4 is 80 times better than level 1. The cheap gloves often only just meet the minimum standards to get the EN388 approval.

More information here:
http://www.guide.eu/en/info/EN/en388.html

Meant to say – if you want a well regarded glove, I’d go for something like Traffiglove. Red are cut level 1, Amber are cut level 3 and Green are cut level 5. Loads to choose from on this website. Glove quality is good and the fit is consistent as well.

http://www.thesafetysupplycompany.co.uk/p/9224936/traffiglove-classic-3—polyurethane-handling-glove—conforms-to-en388-4343-cut-level-3—pair—ts-tg3010.html

Screwfix £2.99 red welding gloves are great for work not requiring any level of dexterity. Use them for ripping out brambles when fencing and holding bit of metal during grinding.

What do you mean by woodwork?

In a woodwork shop it would be considered very poor practise and against the RAs for the macinery to wear gloves when using the kit. Normal school of thought is that when doinging woodwork the risk of harm due to the reduction in dexterity outweighs any percived protection you might get from a glove.

Thats in a woodwork shop mind – might be different in the field so to speak in a less ‘pure’ and controlled environment.

current project is installing a loft hatch and ladder so been cutting through ceiling / joists boxing the edges so messy, potential for splinters, accidently touching something pointy when moving insulation etc. will be putting in a raised floor / stud wall later in the year and utility room sink / cupboards.

I use Skytec Aria or Beta 1 gloves when working with chainsaws, chippers, and general outdoor tasks where dexterity is important. They fit well, protect the palms from minor cuts and scratches, work with smartphones and feel ok when wet.

I would keep them on for all but the most precise and fiddly jobs. Showa probably do similar products too.

If you are using tools or machinery, in my opinion, as a time served furniture maker, you are much safer NOT wearing gloves.

Gloves will protect you from grazes, minor cuts and scuffs but greatly reduce your dexterity. Should your hand make contact with a blade your skin will break, a glove will snag and pull you further in…..

I have seen a guy split his hand in half on a band saw after the thread on the glove got caught in the teeth…. Completely wrecked the blade 😀

Decent, well fitting gloves are like a tougher second skin. The cheap general builders gloves will reduce dexterity, and run the risk of getting snagged causing greater injury.

I spent years as a Health and Safety manager in a factory environment. Gloves of any type whilst using rotating machinery such as a pillar drill was a complete no go due to the snag risk. Different gloves were provided for different risk factors.

However I am now working as a bike mechanic and I wear well fitting gloves all day. There is no loss of dexterity – I can disassemble and reassemble shifters, manipulate M2 grub screws, build wheels, anything really. I don’t take the gloves off all day and they protect my hands, which I need to do my job.