When is it safe to wear latex or nitrile gloves when using a belt grinder ?

O

Ome108

Joined
Apr 29, 2014
Messages
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Hi Guys,
Been watching lots of knife making videos showing the operator wearing latex or nitrile gloves when grinding a knife on the platen.
I do not know of any other way of keeping the fine dust from getting on your fingers and hands. Needless to say, my better half is not happy with me, and wants no metal dust either on my hands or anywhere else in the house, since we have a basement shop.
Thanks,
Jon:jerkit::eek:
 
I use nitrile and they seem to be fine but I used latex once and they actually melted...probably just did something wrong but it still hurt.

I only wear gloves if I have any cuts but I find bare skin is safer than thicker work gloves.

You should have seen my moms face when she realized there would be metal dust, she was pissed.
 
I would use the Nitrate gloves.to keep the little women happy. HF has a black disposable mechanic's glove that's pretty tough.
Just so you know, Lava hand soap and a finger nail file do a lot to clean up my hands.
 
Thanks Laurence,
Yes, my wife comes first, and she has a sensitive nose and a brilliant mind. Nothing gets past her. I promised her that if I can't grind metal and keep the chips and dust from making it upstairs to the house, I won't do it. Now I am buying disposable clothing, shoe covers, boots, gloves, and fine head net. Works well, but I need a way to suck up that dust from the grinding and make sure all sparks are arrested or quenched. I am looking to buy that now, before I get a tw-90 belt grinder and a nielson system from Wayne Coe.
But I remember 20 years ago my friend bought a dentist practice from a older gentleman and he had said to never use even latex gloves, cause he lost his finger on the dental grinder with the wheels, not the belts. Is that a concern with the belt sander or just the grinding wheels.
on a different topic, if you are wondering how effective these trigger points and the right stretches and exercises are, my 90 year old buddy is doing much better after a bunch of health problems..
I will tell you what you need to get to do those trigger points in your back, before you stretch, so all the lactic and uric acid in the musculature can be released.
send me a email or text or call when you are ready.
Be well,
Jon
 
Don't use sturdy cloth or leather gloves, with or without a nitrile coating, if you use any type of tool rest while grinding. The tip of a glove can catch on the belt and be pulled into the gap between the rest and the belt, taking your finger with it. Un-reinforced thin nitrile or latex should be OK if they don't melt, but I usually just grind bare handed and use a good hand cleaner (try a product called Worx) after. There's going to be far more dust on your clothing than on your hands anyway
 
I think it is safe to wear nitrile while grinding.

Grinding flaws often come from little slips. A layer of nitrile between you and your work is one more surface that can slip, particularly once your hand gets sweaty.
 
I grind without a work rest and use either mechanic's gloves or nitrile. As Mahoney says, the danger lies in getting a glove caught between the rest and the belt. Glove have saved my skin many times. Belt burns and cuts can be a PITA when you have to work everyday. NEVER WEAR GLOVES AT THE DRILL PRESS, LATHE OR MILL unless the machine is shut down and you are cleaning it.
 
I use snug fitting mechanics gloves with leather tips. Once the tips are ground off I buy a new pair. I only use them on the grinder and band saw though, nothing else. Like Rick says, anything spinning don't use them, not even latex.
 
The only time I wear gloves in the shop is when I'm mixing and applying epoxy, or when I'm heat treating. For epoxy, I use the disposable nitrile or latex gloves, and for heat treat / hot work, I use welding gloves.

My hands probably get dirtiest when hand sanding my blades, but when I've tried wearing the nitrile gloves, they just end up catching on things and getting shredded. Same with the couple of times I've had them on while grinding. Other gloves, including the mechanic style gloves, remove far to much dexterity/sensitivity for me to want to use them.

As for the dirt, I just use a combo of pumice soap and/or borax to get all of the grease, oil, dust, etc... off my hands. A couple minutes of scrubbing, and it's like it was never there. ;)
 
Jon
Grinding dust is insidious in it's way of getting darn well everywhere! Taking off your clothes when done grinding and going from the shop to the shower is really the only way to not bring any of the dust up into your living area of your home.
 
I use Black Mamba brand nitrile gloves. They are rediculously strong. They have saved me from many small cuts and burns. I was paying $8/100 for cheap latex gloves and these cost roughly $10/100 and are a way better glove.
 
I always wear nitrile gloves when grinding. The ones I use are the costco brand nitrile exam gloves. They're very cheap and come in backs of 400. All of that toxic metal dust can absorb through your skin so I try to never touch it. Almost everything we use in knifemaking is toxic at some level so I think its important to limit exposure as much as possible. Even low alloy steels like 1095 have manganese which can cause sever neurological disorders with prolonged exposure; and thats just one element. Vanadium, cobalt, tungsten, and even chromium can all be extremely toxic as well.

Not to mention a thin layer of nitrile can save you from cuts and burns. Most of the time when I grind I wear a pair of thicker work gloves with nitrile gloves underneath.
 
I buy metal handling safety gloved by the case (gross) at the local safety supply shop. They are knit gloves that fit snugly on my hands. They slowly grind away at the finger tips, and I either switch the hands, or change them. They have saved me a lot of skin over the years. They come in two weights...I get the heavier one.

The big thing to remember is:
NEVER WEAR GLOVES WHEN OPPERATING ROTATING MACHINERY.
That is lathes, drills, routers, milling machines, die grinders, etc. Also don't wear them on toothed machines like table saws and band saws.
 
Stacy can you specify the brand and type you use. If I google "metal handling safety gloves" I get prices that range from $7 to $135. If they are knit then I hate 'em... lol. The steel dust gets between the knit and irritates the heck out of the back of my hand and in between my fingers.
 
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