As I begin to move toward the woodshop, my wife and I have had several arguments about the use of kevlar gloves in the woodshop. I am on blood thinners and thus would tend to bleed more from the daily nicks and scrapes. Though (knock on wood) I'v never had a bad cut from a moving blade she worries too much. I was wondering if anyone has ever used kevlar gloves around their equipment (I do know a few carvers who swear by them). Part of me thinks it will increase risk as the other part thinks that with good safety practices it wont really matter.

What are your thoughts?

I know of a surgeon who fancied himself a woodworker,  but had to keep his hands all dainty and delicate and didn't want calluses etc interfering with his "touch" and "feel" in the surgery.   So he wore gloves.

Problem is he didn't understand why gloves are a terrible mistake in certain circumstances. 

Around any spinning whirling  grab-capable machinery which would include lathes,  all power saws, band saws, even jug saws, drill presses,  etc your odds of  getting caught wearing a glove are exponentially high because that little bit of extra  the  gloves give you around your skin  is not part of your life long muscle memory.  ERGO you will slip (not if you slip, not when - - will - - you will)  and when you do your glove will catch and pull you in. 

The surgeon lost all the fingers on one hand when his table saw caught the glove.

Even rags are a dreadful hazard. Never have anything tougher than a single sheet of  paper towel around machinery.

So should you wear gloves?

Not around machinery of any sort,  you most assuredly should not.

Around every thing else  like chisels and hammers  and planes and for general moving lumber around  - yah of course -  Why not?  They might get in the way but that's not going to yank  your hand off or slice your fingers off.

I have never used gloves myself and i am not one that uses blood thinners either so I'll just watch and see. I do know that some do swear by them, but I never put my hands near a blade close enough to worry about being cut.

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Charles Nicholls
Site Host
nicholls61@att.net
Proud supporter of The Wounded Warrior Project, Homes For Our Troops and the NRA

No gloves, no jewelry of any sort including rings, no long sleeves and no long hair. 

No alcoholic drinks and no drinks in cans or bottles. Plastic, non sweating containers only. And, even those don't get set on any metal surface.

I know, I'm an old grouch but I have all my digits, most of my hair and nice, rust free metal work surfaces.

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

I echo what the others have said. Woodworking is a very tactile endeavor so sense of touch is critical for control of the wood. I do not wear gloves when using a spinning machine that could tear my hand off. I have worn gloves when using some power tools like a random orbit sander for cushioning, reciprocating saw, air chisel, etc. but it was not something that could readily grab the glove. I do wear gloves when I have to handle wood to move it around like at the lumber yard or from my truck to he shop or from the shop to the saw. But once the power goes on, the gloves come off.

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Allen Worsham
Corona, CA

allenworsham@earthlink.net

http://www.awcreationsandwoodcrafts.com

'Graze in every man's field, but always give your own milk' J. Vernon McGee

Once in a while I'll wear gloves to move lumber. I have a pair of gloves with the fingers cut off to keep my hands warm in winter but they come off when I use saws or anything that could catch them.

I also have a bottle of "NU SKIN" around to put on any scraps. (taking aspirin sure makes any bump bleed)

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Harry Brink
Bulldog Woodworking
Montana

I don't use gloves because I was taught as an apprentice that gloves are a no-no around and rotating equipment.  I would opine that if you were assembling and using hand tools you'd be OK but to think of using a drill press with gloves makes me shiver.

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Ron Dudelston
Site Administrator

Above and Beyond WoodWorks

As a woodturner, the thought of gloves near the lathe makes me shiver. After reading all your posts, my wife has conceded...though I will wear gloves when not running the power tools.

Thanks all

Kevin