kevlar gloves? who uses them?

[Dumber than lumber]

looking for something to protect my hands when working with 72" belt sander.
Anyone using kevlar gloves when working in these situations, or when using a hand-held grinder?
Or is there a better glove material for protection in these situations?
I figure some of the gloves would be a problem for machinists (for example) because of snag risk.

 

[Finky198]

I used them to sharpen all my chainsaws I do them by hand... the last time I didn’t wear em, I ended up with 6 stitches on the back side of my hand. Good enough reason for me...

 

[redidbull]

I was given a pair a while back and use them often especial using a grinder with a cutting blade. Cut the glove leather a couple times but it never hit my digits. Jim

 

[CGT80]

I don't have a suggestion but look forward to the others. I have used cut and hyperdermic needle rated gloves for a job where we replaced 30,000 feet of barbed wire fencing. The gloves were a must. The bench grinder sometimes eats my gloves when I sharpen tungstens for tig welding and I did hit my glove with a 7" 24 grit disc sander the other day, but it was light enough to not get through the gloves. It would be good to know what would hold up and if they allow good dexterity.

Sent from my SM-G955U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[rlitman]

No way in hell I'm using a glove around a bench grinder, belt sander or any spinning tool! I'd much rather risk a chunk of flesh cut or abraded off than have a much larger chunk torn off with the glove.

Yes, I have kevlar as well as needle rated gloves. I use them when handling sharp metal, glass, and for pruning my roses (the needle gloves there, not the kevlar). I've used the hypodermic/rattlesnake rated gloves also when handling animals that didn't want to be handled.

 

[LXCam]

No way in hell I'm using a glove around a bench grinder, belt sander or any spinning tool! I'd much rather risk a chunk of flesh cut or abraded off than have a much larger chunk torn off with the glove.
.

I didn’t feel this way till exactly 1.5 seconds after splitting my left hand in half when it got sucked into a machine because I had good leather gloves on. Once it grabbed it was just like a Chinese finger handcuff deal, I wasn’t getting loose.

Another words, I don’t think it’s a good idea either.

 

[rlitman]

I didn’t feel this way till exactly 1.5 seconds after splitting my left hand in half when it got sucked into a machine because I had good leather gloves on. Once it grabbed it was just like a Chinese finger handcuff deal, I wasn’t getting loose.

Another words, I don’t think it’s a good idea either.

I've spent a good deal of my life in wood and metal shops and have read about far too many gruesome accidents. I still get the chills thinking about such accounts, mainly because I know the setups intimately well enough to easily picture the same happening to myself. Long hair, loose sleeves, necklaces and ties, rings, gloves, polyester sweat shirts, alcohol; there are all sorts of things that have no business being used in a shop.

On that note, kevlar is much worse than leather. It's fibrous and catches on everything sharp. I hate it around sheet metal cut with snips, because it grabs on every burr. There's a reason that chainsaw safety chaps are made from kevlar. The kevlar isn't designed to simply prevent the chain from cutting through. It is left loose inside the chaps, so that bundles of the fibers get sucked into the chain, which will clog the cog and stall the machine.

If you're working with something on a belt sander, learn how to either fixture it or hold it in a clamp in a way that keeps your fingers clear of the belt.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

There are situations where it is better to go bare (so to speak). But sometimes you want a little extra PPE when around power equipment or other tools.
I would also like to hear what works well for people who work around this kind of equipment (hand-held grinders, belt sanders) daily
It is easy to imagine there are many out there who have been saved great harm by using the gloves, etc.
Thanks for those words of warning, etc. I appreciate hearing about your own personal experiences - But people get killed wearing seat belts. People get killed by car airbags.
At least one person was killed by a misplaced metal drinking straw (according to internet reports) this week.

 

[rlitman]

There are situations where it is better to go bare (so to speak). But sometimes you want a little extra PPE when around power equipment or other tools...

NO! How about you hit google for two whole minutes?

https://forum.canadianwoodworking.c...belt-sander-lesson-learned-until-the-next-one

https://pmpaspeakingofprecision.com/2014/08/13/gloves-and-grinders-unsafe-osha/

http://forums.macresource.com/read/1/702310

https://homesteady.com/12203398/belt-sander-safety-rules

Then, once you're not convinced, look through the pictures.

You want to wear gloves with a Dynafile or 5" RO, ok, fine. But the inertia of a 72" belt sander is a thing to be reckoned with.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

What are you trying to protect your hands from? A belt sander or grinder won't be throwing sparks into your hands when properly used. If you're wanting to protect your hands from the material you're handling, then consider better prepping the material (i.e., use a hand file to knock down burs). If it's heat, then try quenching the material (if appropriate) or taking intermittent cuts. Gloves just aren't a good idea around a lot of power tools. This is a basic, day 1 safety item in tech school. I had a shop instructor that would kick you out of class if you even had a rag in your back pocket around the grinding area. Gloves were strictly forbidden around any mill, lathe, grinder, etc.

 

[matt_i]

I will echo all others and no gloves around any stationary power tool. Its a recipe for a life-changing incident.

I typically wear gloves when it gets cold (winter) or too hot (welding) and typically get them out when handling heavy stones or concrete due to the abrasion or the basic/corrosive properties of the wet concrete. I bring out Kevlars when handling sheet metal by the edges.

 

[shawhite]

Medium duty fitted leather glove is required at my job to use any stationary or power tool. In 20 years have not seen any techs injuries due to gloves being used.

 

[BarryWells]

Medium duty fitted leather glove is required at my job to use any stationary or power tool. In 20 years have not seen any techs injuries due to gloves being used.

elaborate a lil. We talking James bond driving gloves or what ? My "snuggest" are Mig gloves Tilman 50 and they are by no means snug.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

NO! How about you hit google for two whole minutes?

Dude - you got an anger problem?
Sorry that I offended you.
Can we be friends anyway?

 

[rlitman]

Dude - you got an anger problem?
Sorry that I offended you.
Can we be friends anyway?

We can be friends. I'm not angry. Just firm on my stance that we shouldn't be spreading dangerous advice here. Take some time to learn from other's losses.

elaborate a lil. We talking James bond driving gloves or what ? My "snuggest" are Mig gloves Tilman 50 and they are by no means snug.

I retire my TIG welding gloves to other purposes as they get dirty. Tillman 24CM. They fit me about as well as nitrile gloves.

 

[shawhite]

We are issues these along with the ones with the gantlet at work. Of course we have individual safety precautions on every tool or machine we operate but all safety practices require the use of snug fitting leather gloves among other PPE. We also have Kevlar lines leather gloves for cut protection.


https://www.kunzglove.com/files/129083588.doc

 

[Fluelikesymptoms]

No way in hell I'm using a glove around a bench grinder, belt sander or any spinning tool! I'd much rather risk a chunk of flesh cut or abraded off than have a much larger chunk torn off with the glove.

Solid advice, I wouldn't take any other advice. Kevlar gloves are good for handling sharp thing and cutting etc.

At my job we had an incident wear one guy was wearing his gloves while running a tap, the tap grabbed the glove and broke his finger as well as shredded the glove and skin. If management sees one of us wearing our gloves when operating any type of tooling or equipment that rotates in a similar nature, it is automatic termination, no questions asked no exceptions. They even have stickers of a "no glove" symbol on everything you should remove your gloves for. They take it very serious.

As far as the gloves themselves they can be just as useful as harmful. Get a decent pair and break em in, use common sense and you'll be fine.

 

[Merch1]

Thirty five plus years in steel fab/welding. I wear leather gloves religiously. Metal has this weird tendency to get hot when grinding, welding. I wear tig gloves and a tig finger from Jody when tig welding, and usually long sleeves as well. Never had an issue wearing gloves at a pedestal grinder or large 4 x 72 belt sander. In a former life, sometimes we had to deburr hundreds of stainless wear plates on a big stationary belt sander. Sometimes a glove will slightly touch the belt or grindstone and get a small groove or cut. Better the glove and not my finger. A guy just has to be aware of what he is doing. All those years and no broken bones or severe cuts from the trade or hobby. Probably just jinxed it.

 

[ttpete]

You might be OK with a belt sander, but when the machine has a belt or disc passing through a table, there's always a chance that the abrasive will grab the glove and **** it into the gap with your finger inside. This is why the gap should be adjusted as small as possible. Pedestal grinders are famous for having badly adjusted work rests.

 

[sqznby]

I understand about safety but sometimes common sense keeps you safer than the actual gear that is meant to save you.
Use common sense and be aware. Getting too comfortable will surely end up with negative results.
If I do use gloves, I use ones (Maxi-Flex 34-874) that I know will tear or shred very easily as I typically grind with between 40 to 120 grit belts.

 

[Jazz1]

I have thin Kevlar gloves I wear when working with sheet metal.

 

[BigGarage]

I have thin Kevlar gloves I wear when working with sheet metal.

I use them when handling glass (often) and would never wear any type of glove around spinning or moving equipment.

Dennis

 

[engineer2]

I bought Kevlar sleeves for ripping out tile. I also wear leather gloves. Edges of broken tile are sharp like glass. Had a piece jab me in the arm and it hit a blood vessel. I tried to keep working, but when hematoma got to the size of half an egg, I had to stop. No more work for that weekend.

If you buy gloves or sleeves from Amazon, remember Chinese "large" is our "medium".

 

[rodder98]

I use Kevlar sleeves when trimming trees and bushes, and putting the cuttings in the containers. My arms were getting sacrificed every time before getting them.

 

[Mandres]

If it's spinning under power then no gloves, watches, rings or loose sleeves anywhere in the vicinity.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I worked with kevlar for 8 years in a cutting and processing operation. It has 5 times the strength of steel by weight. Kevlar gloves are great for handling sharp items, but if you are wearing them and get caught by rotating equipment, that glove is going to take your hand with it wherever the glove goes whether your hand is attached to you or not.

High speed steel blades would shatter after a few minutes of cutting kevlar threads in a rotary cutter. It took tungsten carbide blades to survive for any serviceable length of time in the same machine. We had specially modified machines to handle the stresses of cutting kevlar. We had one lady lose the end of her finger from having her finger in the wrong place as a twirling loop of thread tightened around her finger

 

[matt_i]

The kevlar sleeves are remarkably good insulators and PPE when forced to work around "hot stuff" like exhaust manifolds, exhaust pipes.

 

[IndyGarage]

I use Ansell Cut resistant gloves (the blue ones with black dipped fingers and palms) whenever I work on sheetmetal or sharp metal.

They are great and I've never had any damage when using them. I have often had damage when not using them.

 

[Seppala]

When I was forging a large piece of steel held with tongs that hand was insulated from the radiant heat with a Kevlar glove. My hammer hand never had a glove on it.