I have this genetic thin skin on my forearms which causes me to bleed very easily when I bump into something or scrape against something. This is a real pain in the rear when woodworking as getting blood out of wood grain is not easy as well as having big red marks and scabs on my arms. When it is cooler I wear long sleeve shirts, but when it is hot during the summer it gets a bit rough. So after banging my arm yet again the other day I was rather annoyed and was debating about putting on a long sleeve shirt in the 90+ degree heat in the garage. Then it hit me and I thought about those compression sleeves that athletes wear to protect their arms as well as making them smoother with less friction against other players. So I headed over to my local Sports Authority store and picked up the cheapest pair I could find which was $9.99 (they have similar ones with logos of the big name companies all the way up to $30 but still the same materials). I have to say that I really like these sleeves as they are much cooler than wearing a regular long sleeve shirt and they fit very snug around the wrist so nothing dangling to get caught in a spinning bit or blade. Most important I didn't get my arms banged up.

Edited November 25, 20178 yr by Ron Dudelston
tags added

Cool tip, Allen, thanks.

My biggest problem is banging my elbow into the live center on the lathe tail stock- even pulled all the way to the end of the lathe. Maybe I need to get a thick elbow pad for my right arm.

Lew,

Back when I did a lot of turning, I had the same problem banging my elbow into the centers. I went to Home Depot and picked up some rubber caps that would fit over the ends of the centers and would put them on every time the wood was removed so I didn't hurt my elbow. If you put one of those strong round magnet disks inside the cap it will stick to the metal of the lathe so it won't fall off. You could also attach it to the lathe on a small chain so it will hang there in easy reach and not get lost. It only took me a a few short months to get to the point where I would do it automatically and not bang my elbow on it. 

 

That's a cool idea, Allen! Thanks! I was just about ready to head out to Lowe's. I'll see what size I need for my centers.

Cool tip, Allen, thanks.

My biggest problem is banging my elbow into the live center on the lathe tail stock- even pulled all the way to the end of the lathe. Maybe I need to get a thick elbow pad for my right arm.

TAKE THE CENTER OFF~!!!!!!!

 

TAKE THE CENTER OFF~!!!!!!!

 

 

TAKE THE CENTER OFF~!!!!!!!

 

If I did that, I'd spend half a day looking for it the next time I needed it. I suffer from terminal CRS.

Ahhh   I see.  I am still working on my cure for that, and the cure  has  got a lot to do with the idea that if you give a tool a good home it'll usually find it's way there. 

 

I have the wall behind my lathe festooned with slanted boards into which I put holes or dowels etc  and each hole or projection is a home for  a particular one of those lathe items. 

 

Cool tip, Allen, thanks.

My biggest problem is banging my elbow into the live center on the lathe tail stock- even pulled all the way to the end of the lathe. Maybe I need to get a thick elbow pad for my right arm.

Yep - me too Lew, or getting stabbed by a drill bit chucked up in the tailstock.  Really smarts and since I am on blood thinner I bleed pretty good after that-again even with the tailstock pulled all the way back.

 

I have the wall behind my lathe festooned with slanted boards into which I put holes or dowels etc  and each hole or projection is a home for  a particular one of those lathe items. 

 

Ahh, the elusive wall space. I've read about that myth

 

I'm going to have to check that out Allen. The least little bump and I'm bleeding and then have an ugly red mark.

Thanks.

I take blood thinner and just  a little touch  and I will start to bleed. I have been trimming trees for the last few days and this is what my arms look like. I am wearing gloves but I still get it. I can walk down the hallway in my home and my arm may hit a light switch and there is blood.

I think your idea about the sleeves is a great solution for me. I have been taking blood thinners since 1986 and without them I hate to think what may be. When my wife and I go out I have to wear a long sleeved shirt!

Again thanks for the great idea.

 

Preston 

ewwwwwww...

My son works at the auto glass factory here in town (  AGC, Inc)  and they are required to wear  kevlar sleeves at all times while at work.   Along with a pair of Kevlar gloves, BTW

 

The Steel stamping plants that supply parts for the Honda Assembly plants around  here, also have to wear those sleeves and gloves

 

Might look into a source for the sleeves? 

Edited August 25, 201610 yr by steven newman

for blood thinner users get padded sleeves..

here.. made in Canada...

 

http://www.superiorglove.com/arm-protection/protective-sleeves/cut-resistant-sleeves

Allen, Thanx for the info. I don't dare go into the shop or yard without gloves on due to thin skin on my hands. I'm guessing that the issue will migrate upwards over time.  Rick Sexton