# Glove recommendation for cold shop



## Waterlog (Feb 9, 2013)

I have a 16×28 unheated woodshop near Buffalo, NY. I built a 10×14 addition on that which is heated. It's a great woodshop man cave however, when it is 10 degrees out using my tablesaw and bandsaw in the unheated shop can be unbearable on the hands. Can any one please recommend a specific glove brand or make that would be safe but provide some warmth while using the tablesaw? Thank you.

LWB Waterlog


----------



## stonedlion (Jan 12, 2011)

I have had good results with bike gloves. They are fingerless beyond the first knuckle, which allows contact with tools, but help keep your hand at least partially warm.

You might want to try a radiant heater like this one from Lee Valley. Point it at your saw for awhile and it should take the chill off of it.


----------



## paratrooper34 (Apr 27, 2010)

While using power tools, gloves are dangerous.  Take a look at this video.






Everything I have ever read about table saw and power tool safety including instructors, shop teachers, etc all said gloves SHOULD NOT be worn when working with power tools. The above video shows one reason why. I am sure there are guys out there who wear gloves when working with machinery and they will say there is no reason to heed the warnings, gloves are safe, blah, blah, blah. I am glad those guys have never experienced a mishap with gloves. However, when everything I see and read, other than the very small minority, says gloves are bad, I think I am going to go with gloves are bad.

Get some heat in your shop and be safe.


----------



## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

Painful, but I never wear gloves in the shop. I recommend having a hand warmer and toughing it out.


----------



## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

I don't wear gloves at the table saw either, but I was given a pair of 'texting gloves' They a very thin wool with little pad thingies all over the palm. The wool supposedly contains a compound that allows you to use an iPhone. 
I never used them for texting, but found them great for the shop when it's cold. They are very snug to my hands without being tight. Something to consider - I find them very easy to work in.


----------



## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

I live is a cold climate. I recommend putting so heat in the shop.


----------



## redryder (Nov 28, 2009)

What is with so many people who don't have heat in thier shop??
I can't get motivated to do much of anything when I'm cold.
Heaters cost less than a lot of power tools. You have heat in your car. You have heat in your house.
Give up a couple of latte's and turn on the heat…..........................


----------



## needshave (Jan 13, 2013)

I can't wear gloves when I'm working. It, to me, is clumsy, difficult and quite dangerous. I certainly understand the pain of cold and it is most difficult sometimes, but I try and tough it out. If it gets too cold to where I can't stand it, I just leave and do it another day.


----------



## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

The real solution is to heat your shop. Machinery doesn't like the cold anymore than you do. Think about your bearings in frozen grease. I don't think gloves are a good idea.


----------



## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

Gloves can be the difference between a boo boo and a missing hand. You will never catch me wearing any kind of glove around a power tool. My shop is unheated as well. It's so drafty that even with a big heater, I would be heating the earth. Mid 30's is tolerable for me. Anything below that, I find something else to do (like clean it!)

Long sleeves is also a bad idea. I do wear a jacket in the shop, but when using the table saw, band saw, drill press, etc, I take it off while making the cuts.


----------



## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

We had a man get his fingers wrapped around a drill press spindle so tightly that he almost lost two fingers. He was warned twice to not wear gloves. No gloves, no loose clothing, no rings, no watches, no long loose hair.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


----------



## Kreegan (Jul 10, 2012)

I have an unheated shop in Minnesota. I wear fingerless compression gloves, which are designed for people with arthritis. They fit your hand pretty tightly in order to keep the blood in your fingertips a little longer. Anything that I would do that would get the glove tangled in a machine would get my hand tangled in the machine.

http://www.amazon.com/Imak-20171-Compression-Gloves-Arthritis/dp/B000N4EKKE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1360595872&sr=8-3&keywords=compression+gloves


----------



## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

Rich, that is a common misconception, but not true. Yes, you have less to worry about in the way of dangling fabric/bulk, but skin tears a lot easier than fabric. If you make very slight contact with your hand, you will get a cut. If you make contact with a glove, the fibers won't tear as easily and your and will be sucked into whatever is spinning - turning something (hopefully) minor and fixable by a band-aid into a trip to the ER.

Any pro will tell you - NO GLOVES OF ANY KIND AROUND POWER TOOLS EVER


----------



## Waterlog (Feb 9, 2013)

I am very impressed with the responses I recieved, this was my first post. I appreciate the advise from everyone. My conclusion is I need to heat the shop, maybe start with the heater from Lee Valley, I have considered it before. If it get's too cold and I can't rough it out, I will do the more responsible thing and clean the shop. Thank you all for your feedback.


----------



## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

I agree with the no glove bit. One old carpenter referred to them as hand shoes, and it does make it harder
to feel the way hand tools are cutting.


----------



## bobasaurus (Sep 6, 2009)

Avoid gloves like the plague around power tools. Though feel free to wear some while working with hand tools, layout, etc. I just got a quartz/radiant heater and it does wonders for cold hands.


----------

