Recommend me some grinding gloves?

a guy at a machine shop around here was sanding a part in a nc lathe with gloves on, apparently he was by some coworkers not to do that but he wouldn't listen. one day the glove got caught in the spinning chuck his dad, who was the owner had to unwrap him from the machine. his arms broken serveral place, broken ribs punctured his lungs, i think he survived it but with life lond disabiltys

gloves + rotating equipment = bad news eventually.
 
I wear fingerless gloves when profiling. No gloves when grinding the bevels. Like has been said, you need to feel what you are doing. No gloves means you can feel the heat build up. Dip in water to cool the blade. You should never overheat when grinding. It can cause warping during HT.
Scott
 
I didn't know there was such a thing as 'grinding gloves'? I use a bucket of water.

NickWheeler

You want your belt running slow when you're grinding Ti.
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Nick's Right! Fast for hogging steel and slow for Ti.
 
I think good grinding gloves should have the fancy ribbing or beading for the best possible grip on your loose billowy sleeves or necktie should they get caught in anything. :thumbup:
 
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Funny thing I forgot to mention. We had a company rep from a major abrasive company come to the school and give a presentation on safety. Now keep in mind 95% of what they were talking about (to welders) was angle grinding.

They did, however, discuss pedestal grinders and belt grinders. The rep stressed several times that you must ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wear gloves when using these tools. He even brought up that some people argue about gloves getting caught up in the machines but that that's nonsense.

I made a comment much like Matt Gregory's post...but it went over like a lead balloon. :rolleyes:
 
I work in tool n die shop I dont wear gloves around any machinery, A guy I worked with was wearing gloves while operating drill press, metal chip caught his glove and pulled his hand in to drill bit.
 
Kevin R. Cashen said:
I think good grinding gloves should have the fancy ribbing or beading for the best possible grip on your lose billowy sleeves or necktie should they get caught in anything. :thumbup:
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I tried so hard not to make any references to the HMS Beagle...:D
 
Kevin R. Cashen said:
I think good grinding gloves should have the fancy ribbing or beading for the best possible grip on your lose billowy sleeves or necktie should they get caught in anything. :thumbup:
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And the left glove's third finger must be cut away to show off your shiny stainless steel scratch-resistant wedding band. I recently read a discussion between some guys who wear such rings in the shop. They seemed thrilled to have a solution that allows them to wear jewelry while using powered tools. :confused:


NickWheeler said:
Funny thing I forgot to mention. We had a company rep from a major abrasive company come to the school and give a presentation on safety. Now keep in mind 95% of what they were talking about (to welders) was angle grinding.

They did, however, discuss pedestal grinders and belt grinders. The rep stressed several times that you must ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wear gloves when using these tools. He even brought up that some people argue about gloves getting caught up in the machines but that that's nonsense.
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And there's the, ahh, "rub"....

I'm guessing that the gloves vs. no gloves division aligns pretty closely with welder vs. machinist career backgrounds. Also, high-volume production vs. custom-ish work makes a lot of difference.

As an example, I worked for a company that made parts for Caterpillar. For a while, my task was grinding the flash off cast steel parts prior to machining. I worked at a 6x<mumble> belt grinder running 60-grit belts, whipping through a hundred or so 5lb castings a shift. Those parts had sharp edges everywhere and they got damned hot. I'd have never made quota if I stopped to cool them, never mind ripping my hands up on the flash. My boss would have killed me had he caught me working barehanded, even had I been silly enough to do so.

I will say this - as far as I'm concerned, a "properly-fitted" glove is one that will stay on my hand with my arm hanging loose, but that I can fling off with a snap of my wrist. Tight-fitting gloves are for driving, golfing, or weight-lifting, not running a grinder.
 
Interesting discussion. I mostly work without gloves... but after this discussion I'll toss the gloves except when using hand files. I got a nasty deep cut that went nearly to the bone when one stroke with a short file went a little too far.
 
I actually think it's not terribly dangerous to wear a glove around the grinder itself.
There is danger, but it's not excessive.

That being said, I've spent my whole life in machine shops and have seen people lose fingers.
One guy I know can only count to 8.
He's missing a thumb and pointer finger.

My problem with gloves is that if you wear them doing anything, you just might slip up one day and walk to the drill press with them on, or use a hand drill, or polish something on the lathe, etc...

You get used to wearing gloves, and feel safer in them.
It's very easy to get distracted or decide "I'm just going to drill a quick hole"

If you don't allow gloves in the shop, that won't happen.

A drill press can rip fingers from your hand, just ask "Lefty" one of my mentors during my apprenticeship. (thumb and pointer)

A mill has enough strength to pull your middle finger out by the root, ask "Dumbass" who didn't believe me when I told him to not wear gloves at the Bridgeport.

A small hand drill still has enough torque to actually pulverize the bones in your fingers, just ask "Corky" who I ran out of my shop in Nigeria last year because he insisted on wearing gloves. A week later a little Black and Decker destroyed 2 of his fingers.

If you have the policy of no gloves around rotating equipment, you take these dangers out of play.

I have never known anyone hurt by gloves and a grinder, but that doesn't mean it can't happen.

Sack up, learn to live with scrapes, cuts and burns.
Grow some calluses.

To each his own of course, but I'll fire a man who insists on wearing gloves in my shop.
 
I grind (and do most work around machines) without gloves. Both to avoid it catching and so I can more easily feel what's happening. I keep a small bucket of water handy and dip regularly. Grind a little, dip, check, continue. It helps me pace myself too. I'm new to doing this for knives, but I'm finding it works just fine for knives as well as other stuff.

Gloves are great for banging around in non running machinery, working with sheet metal, chopping wood... the minute my fingertips get near something powered I want nothing extra around. I KNOW where my fingers are, I can't say the same with a glove. I might still mess up, but probably not much if I follow the other safety rules, and I don't risk getting caught as easily.

The ONLY time I wear gloves with rotating equipment is when using an angle grinder. Long sleeves that stay close (or just a quick loop with some masking tape or something) and good gloves go along with eye protection and a mask.
 
A recent survey showed that 5 out of 4 knifemakers disagree on wearing gloves (as well as having problems with fractions).

Seriously, one of the things that muddles the water on safety discussions is when someone asks if X is a safe practice, and another answers that Y and Z are not safe. Grinding on a belt sander, and operating a metal lathe are as different as snorkeling and deep sea diving. Only a total idiot would put a gloved hand near any rotating machine like a lathe, shaper, router, drill press,mill,pedestal grinder (abrasive wheel), etc. A moving surface, like a belt sander is a different animal. There are many reasons not to wear gloves doing certain tasks, but sanding safety isn't necessarily one of them.
Wearing gloves does cut down on your "feel" of the grind, and certainly may lead to overheating a post-HT blade. Wearing the proper type and using them safely can allow gloved hands in the right grinding conditions.

I use metal working gloves, which are a knit material that fits the hand snugly, but can be pulled off easily. I don't wear them for any tool other than the belt sander/grinder. I purchase them from our local industrial safety supplier store. Similar looking gloves are made in Kevlar, but I don't like the loose fit and stiff feel. Those are good for handling hot objects coming out of the tempering oven, however.
 
i guess i should have been more specific in my post. i wear gloves when sanding on my disc sander. there is little chance for anything to catch since my hands are clear of the disc. my belt sander runs so slow i can watch the seam go by. i leave my drive belt loose i can stop the sanding belt with little effort yet still grind a blade. if anything including a finger or more gets between my belt and contact wheel it stops. if i were to be running at a high speed without the loose drive belt, i wouldnt wear gloves.
 
Back to FriskyDingo's original question, just buy cheap gloves that are reasonably comfortable. When you wear holes in them, wrap masking tape around the holes. I normally only change gloves when there is nothing left for the tape to stick to. On rare occassion, the tape may start to smolder, very seldom, but you will know when that happens. Just put the fire out, and add more tape. I will repeat however, do not wear gloves if using a tool rest, or other jigs that could get you in trouble. Also, do not wear rings. I will also repeat, when and if, free hand grinding, there is no way to get your finger or hand between the wheel and belt unless you stick it there on purpose. In 32 years on the Square Wheel, I have had one close call, and one dumb blunder, none involved gloves. I let a point catch the belt and drive the blade into my abdomen. Fortunately, side ways, but it left a blade shaped welt for over a week. That scared hell outa me. The second time, I was in a hurry, turned the grinder off, bailed off my stool and stuck my knee into a 36 grit belt before it slowed to stop. I stopped it though. 15 stitches to close that blunder up, and destroyed a nice pair of Levi's. Nothing ever even remotely, anything, involving gloves. Again not involving gloves, my first student also presented a blade point to a serrated wheel with a thin grade fine grit belt. His shop, not mine. The serrated wheeled belt caught the point and drove the blade through the center of his foot pinning him to the wood floor. He had to work the blade loose, before he could pull from his foot. I worry more about flying blades than glove problems.
 
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