Woodturning and Gloves

[Glen Blanchard]

In the 12 or so years that I have been woodworking, there has been a steadfast rule. Absolutely no gloves. Then I bought a lathe 8 mos ago and began to turn. I have seen many a video where the featured turner is wearing gloves (the kind with the fingers cut out). I had purchased some biking gloves (which also are fingerless) a few years ago for use while sanding (prior to my Festool sander purchase, but that's a totally different subject). With reluctance, I began to wear them while I turn and I have to say that I rather like it. I am wondering what the consensus is here. Is the wearing of fingerless gloves considered safe around a lathe? How common a practice is it?

[Dennis Nagle]

I wear tight fitting mechanics gloves with full fingers. I prefer full gloves to no gloves....unless they were loose fitting of course.

[Rodney Walker]

I haven't worn gloves around my lathe or other tools. Just seems like a bad idea to me. Spinning things and something to catch on them isn't a good combination.
Rodney

[Steve Vaughan]

I don't wear gloves all the time, but I do occasionally. There are some woods - and it seems to happen when turning the inside of a bowl - that just seems to hurt more than others. I wear full finger mechanics gloves when I do...and I wear them more often than not when sanding.

[Fred Perreault]

This was mentioned in the past, and there are a lot of positions on the idea. Myself, I started wearing gloves because I have 2 fingers on my left hand that were cut 1/2 way back years ago in an accident. The whirring lathe made my now sensitive fingers very cold, and the flying chips were sometimes hot and always abrasive on both hands. After wearing the gloves for a short time, I became dependent on them for protection, warmth and safety. The safety part is that the tight fitting full fingered gloves provide a slight additional thickness to my hands, and when getting too close turning or sharpening, the gloves act kinda like "fender feelers", and tell me quickly where I am. I wouldn't turn without them, but that may not be foe everybody.

[Chip Sutherland]

I bought biking gloves when I used to hollow vessels to protect my hands from the pounding. When I noticed that my elbow and shoulders were sore from hollowing....I bought a captive hollowing system. Have not needed gloves since and I am no longer sore from hollowing. Some woods (ash, walnut, etc) turn my palms black but it washes off easily with a little lemon juice.

I occasionally catch myself turning with nitrile gloves on which is dumb. I just forget to remove them when switching between multiple projects in various states of completion. Sticky handles from whatever finish product I am using is a bummer.

[Fred Belknap]

I wear a golfing glove on one hand and on the other a glove with the thumb and two fingers left off. Last summer the backs of my hands broke out with something that looked like poison ivy, might have been. I started wearing the gloves then, it is completely gone now but I still like the gloves, I like to have a couple fingers to feel what I'm doing.

[Thom Sturgill]

I bought and occasionally wear, bikers gloves with fingers cut off below the first joint. They are tight fitting. I wear them when turning dry wood as it can be very hot on the skin. since I use both hands easily, I usually wear both gloves when I wear them. Wearing LOOSE gloves, especially ones loose around the fingers can be very dangerous, as can wearing jewelry, neckties, and loose long sleeves. Of course down here in Florida short sleeves are a matter of course (and short pants most of the year too).

[Steve Schlumpf]

Glen - I wear buckskin gloves with full fingers. I always wear the left hand glove but only use the right one during cold months. I find the gloves offers some cushioning between the tool and toolrest, protects my hands from hot curlies, and helps keep them warm from handling cold steel tools.

[BILL DONAHUE]

As an avid long distance cyclist I have several pairs of bicycle gloves but find that CAT fingerless work gloves sold by Harbor Freight are best (& cheapest). They are partly leather, partly synthetic and have better cushion in the palm area for hitting things. They fit tight so I don't worry about catching them on moving parts. The only upside to the biking gloves is that most of them have a terry cloth area under the thumb for wiping ones' nose. When you're putting on the miles in cold weather you can't stop to wipe your nose so a quick swipe with a glove does the job. This is why you NEVER shake hands with a serious cyclist. LOL!!!

[Reed Gray]

I could see wearing a glove on the handle hand for warmth, and for shock absorption, I guess, but never have done that. I turn big handles, and learned some years back that the 'white knuckle' grip not only wears you out, but adds to shock transfer to your body. Move the tool rest closer, longer handles, light grip cured that. On the hand that goes on the tool shaft, I used to have a big turner's callus on my left pinky finger. Lots of shavings moving across the top of my hand. When using scrapers for roughing, the shavings go up and over the top of my hand rather than across it. Callus gone. I also roll my gouges over and hold my left hand more back on the shaft, so most of the shavings go away, or are so light, they don't abrade my skin. Our temps are rather mild here, so I don't need the warmth factor.

robo hippy

[Ted Calver]

I always wear either golf or racquetball glove on my left hand to keep the hot curlies off. They are pretty much skin tight and have saved me from some nasty slices in addition to the hot curlies and splinters. I have CA'd the glove to my finger more than once though.

[Jon Lanier]

I'll admit, I'm a wimp. I started wearing a mechanics's glove on my left hand when clearing bark. Man, that hurts without a glove. But when putting on the final smooth cut I don't wear a glove... I need to have better feel.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

I usually wear a heavy leather work glove with the finger tips removed then I rough turn. I wear it only on my left hand. I wear it for the aid it gives me gripping the big gouges and to buffer the back of my hand from flying debris. I see no added danger by wearing it. I also use a "Sanding Glove" from the company of the same name when I hand sand. If you haven't tried it, you're missing a treat.
faust

[Timothy Mann]

I wear a tight fingerless glove on my left hand.