new guy question about using gloves

[anvillain]

This subject has been thoroughly covered, but my 2 cents worth is: Sometimes I use em and sometimes I don't. On light work mostly I don't, but you can always stand more heat with a glove on. Mainly I do what seems right at the time and if I use gloves I feel absolutely no guilt, nor do I concern myself if great-great grandpa would have done so.

Anvillain

[CurlyGeorge]

I agree that wearing gloves to forge is a burn waiting to happen. I do wear a loose fitting glove on my left hand when forge welding a large item. But normally not for regular forging. I can tell better if the heat is getting too close to the end I'm hangin' onto, if I don't have a glove on there.

[RBrown]

i ware gloves most of the time the cheap leather ones from hf get about 10 for $6 or so they are loose enough that they will just flip right off if i get any slag in them or if you get something to hot and the glove gets to hot. I hardly ever get slag in the glove but it happens some time. As for grabing a peice of metal that is black but still sears the flesh (admit it we have all done it atleast once) I would much reather be waring a glove when that happens. I get allot less blisters and burns when waring the gloves than without and thats even when im not doing something stupid.

[civilwarblacksmith]

At BGCM we teach student to forge barehanded as we don't want to get used to wearing a glove then grabbing hot metal when they forgot to put the glove on. Down the road on their own if the choose to wear gloves is up to them. If the do, the glove need to be loose fitting so that if a spark falls into the glove it can be thrown easily.

I wear a pair of high welding glove on certain thing I might be doing. I normally forge barehanded though.

[ksb]

I was in the battery business for 29 years ( wholesale, repair, rebuilding, etc ). The first two or three years I didn't wear gloves ( and my hands showed it). So the rest of the time I wore every kind I thought would help - from dish washing to heavy lined rubber gloves and everything between. Sooo .. Im used to and comfortable working with gloves . I wear them almost all of the time in the shop. Another reason I seem to have developed a case of dermatitis. As I write this I have a crack on my left thumb that is sore and a large one on my right that really hurts. So gloves help protect my hands a little bit. I would really like to be able to work without them, but....
yeah - I wear gloves
KSB

[Ten Hammers]

At work, I wear left glove only for the most part ( welding ). Depends. Forging I will wear a left glove if if is something large or a large piece of sheet metal ( often both gloves then ). The gloves I wear at home are in the pic. Grinding as well ( you can feel heat through them but not burn ). Of course they are excellent for welding although I normally weld bare handed at home ( MIG and gas ). Yes they are pricey ( $ 14.00 last I bought ) but I go through perhaps 3 pair a year. I would rather hit the slack tub with the held end of a piece than use a glove ( even these good ones ) normally. Bare hands gives me better feel but HEAT from a large piece doesn't mean I won't wear gloves. I wear wool mittens in the wintertime mostly ( for cold hands ).

[rfb343]

despite my life long career of protecting person and property, I rarely use any type of safety equipment being for smithing, operating power equipment, shooting, etc not because I've tricked myself into thinking im above using it, but Im just dumb like that, and I havent come out the worse for wear YET, but on to my point... If I was gonna wear a glove for smithing I would use a structural firefighting glove with a knit cuff(nomex/kevlar usually) these gloves have vapor barrier(to prevent steam burns if wet) and have allowed me to hande handle steel handled tools in environments that were well over 600 deg F, and still retain a good bit of dexterity. One manufacturer used to have someone picking up a coin off a table with thier glove on, now I think that'd be a stretch, but you could easily pick up any smithing tool or stock, as I could tie my shoes while wearing them. Check at www . thefirestore . com or www . galls . com both have a good reputation. I prefer shelby brand but thats just what Im used to and they seem to be of good quality leather,fit well, and would usually last the better part of two years with regular use.

[geofthesmith]

i wear realy,cheap, almost rawhide glvoes from home depot there only like 6$ and im still on my first pair, there real loose that way when i get another piece of something hot in it i can just flick my wrist and it flies acrosd the patio.

[GOATMAN]

Don't Wear Gloves, Except When Punching/chisling, When I Wear One On To Hold The Punch. (i Would Prefer To Have Handled Punches)

[Jerry W.]

I do not always wear gloves. If I do it is usually only on my tong hand. Most of the time they are in my back pocket if needed. Just a pair of inexpensive leather work gloves. I have a couple pair of welding gloves. I don't use them much but they are sure nice to have if you need them...
Jerry