Why YOU should wear gloves...

[Brian Parker]

I decided to tune up my table saw before I went to glue some boards up. I had the top off of it and the blade and motor out, adjusted it back to 90 degrees since it was off about a degree. I decided to adjust the height of the blade so I loosed up the set screw which was in a tapered C channel piece of steel and then burned the nut which turned easily. While turning the nut I cut my knuckle on the edge of the C channel which was smooth. After a few days I realized it wasn’t just a cut on the knuckle… the orthopedic said that I had partially cut the tendon… 5mm gap in it to be exact.

This all started on August 11th and after the surgery and time to heal I began physical therapy last week. I am told that I have a good 4 weeks of that ahead of me before I can resume normal activities which just about kills a lot of warm weather projects.

Moral of the story wear gloves when working. I know that people stress using safety glasses, steel toes, no loose clothing but let my ordeal remind you that you can get banged up rather easily even when the machines aren’t plugged in.

Oh and for the picture police here is one of the hand cleaned up. I only cut the part on the knuckle the surgeon made the other cuts.

[Dennis Peacock]

Thanks for the reminder Brian...I also wear a lefthanded glove when I'm feeding wood through the TS to keep out splinters and cuts while holding the wood in place as I feed it through. Maybe one of these days when I become a millionaire? I'll buy me a powerfeeder for my TS.

[Rob Bodenschatz]

That's an unfortunate accident and I can't argue with wearing gloves while performing maintenance on a non-operating machine, BUT...

You'll never catch me wearing gloves while operating a TS, BS, Jointer, Planer, Drill Press, etc. I think it's much more dangerous to have them on.

I hope your recovery goes well, Brian.

[Frank Fusco]

That's an unfortunate accident and I can't argue with wearing gloves while performing maintenance on a non-operating machine, BUT...

You'll never catch me wearing gloves while operating a TS, BS, Jointer, Planer, Drill Press, etc. I think it's much more dangerous to have them on.

I hope your recovery goes well, Brian.

Gotta side with Rob on this. Wore gloves a lot on the farm. But not around these kind of tools.

[Per Swenson]

I must agree with Rob.

Sorry about your accident, but gloves and any powertool are

just a real bad combination. I speak from experience.

Per

[tod evans]

brian, i have the hide of my right hand grown into 3 of the tendons that extend my fingers.....not from tool incidents but from being 10ft tall and bulletproof in my younger days hasn`t seemed to affect function though.....heal quickly...tod

[Ian Barley]

Gloves are a difficult call - I wear them when feeding into the planer (which is very well guarded) because some of the timbers that I use have nasty splinters that I don't react well too. BUT - I would not wear them while using any other power tool. The risk that they pose is higher than the risk that they remove. Maybe not the case with a "non-live" machine but when the juice goes on the gloves come off.

[John Fry]

...*snip*...I also wear a lefthanded glove when I'm feeding wood through the TS to keep out splinters and cuts while holding the wood in place as I feed it through.....*snip*...

I do this too when breaking down (rip only), rough lumber on the TS, BUT that is the only time I break the "never wear gloves around a power tool" rule!

[Alan DuBoff]

but let my ordeal remind you that you can get banged up rather easily even when the machines aren’t plugged in.

I see everyone's jumping on the I have to agree with Rob bandwagon, but I thought you made this point pretty clear in your post. I think you make a good point, I also wear gloves when I move wood around in the shop, as I don't happen to like splinters in my hands (not that I don't get them when I work wood).

For me it's very simple, it makes sense to use gloves to do something as you were talking about, I've busted knuckles up before doing the same.

It's very simple to remove the gloves when you are done doing maintenance or when you need to use a machine.

I never use gloves when I'm using machines, but some do on the jointer and prefer it. This doesn't mean you shouldn't wear gloves in the shop at all, but the choice is all up to yourselves to make.

[Brian Parker]

Before this injury I didn't wear gloves when doing WWing and I really doubt that it will change. I normally don't unless I'm running lumber through the planer where your hands are far from moving blades.

What will change is that I will wear them now when working with steel, on the tractors, cars, roof etc.

The reason is that in those activites which the back of your hand is susceptible to getting hit with things I will wear them. Before this I rarely wore gloves when doing any kind of work. Since I have gotten this and really seen first hand how little protection that there is in that area of the hand I'll spend a few bucks on some gloves.

[Mike Cutler]

Sorry for the accident Brian. There are some sharp edges on our machines.
I cut the beejeezus out of three of my fingers moving my Performax Sander. The underside, inside lip of the extension tables are some kind of sharp. Dressed 'em with a file the next day.

Accidents happen sometimes. Take you're time healing.

[Al Willits]

Someone wanna explain why they don't wear gloves please?

I have a pair of rubber coated gloves that actually grip the wood better than with the naked hand, plus keep slivers at bay.

Al

[Rob Russell]

Someone wanna explain why they don't wear gloves please?

I have a pair of rubber coated gloves that actually grip the wood better than with the naked hand, plus keep slivers at bay.

Al

The issue is that gloves can get caught on a moving blade (or part of a machine) and drag your hands/arms into the blade/machine.

FWIW, I've found that wearing plain rubber dish gloves when working with wood on the saw helps and I don't feel unsafe doing it. The rubber is so thin that any blade contact will rip right through the glove and cut me but I don't think the blade will pull me in, unlike a cloth glove where the fibers can twist and tear and get caught in the machine.

[tod evans]

no gloves here, rubber or otherwise, i just don`t think they`re safe....02 tod

[Al Willits]

Thanks Rob, I could see that happening with some gloves, the ones I use are from the borg and are thin strechy yellow gloves with a crosshatch pattern of rubber on them, got curious and took an older pair and hooked it on a nail and jerked, they tear fairly easily, I used a close aproximation of a response jerk and ripped them easily.

Different strokes I guess.

Al