gloves are a no-no...but what do you do to keep splinters out of your fingers/hands?

Firstgear said:
Several times now I have had to dig steel or aluminum splinters out of my fingers with a needle....if I had gloves on this wouldnt be an issue, but then I could lose a finger or hand or life......so what does everyone to do to keep them from ever getting in to your body?
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This is one of those areas of shop safety that has moved from "don't be stupid" to overzealous enforcement. Never wear gloves, long sleeves, a watch, rings, etc while the spindle is running. The corrollary is don't let your hands near a running spindle, i.e. treat the spindle as if you are always wearing long sleeves or gloves (in the same way you always treat a gun like it's loaded) and use a brush, compressed air, or tool of some sort fo clear chips.

Once the spindle is stopped, put gloves on to handle the part, clean up, etc.

EDIT: Not that I follow my own advice. I forget the extra step of putting gloves on and end up with splinters like everyone else :)
 
benmychree said:
Pretty much goes with the territory; best advice, use a chip brush or shop vac or both for cleanup. If you work with your hands a lot, you build up callus, splinters are not so much of a problem then, it seems, or they are less painful ???
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This ^. My hands used to be callused up bad & I rarely got splinters. I don't work on cars for a living anymore so my hands are getting back to normal.

I also use a shop vac to vacuum up most of the chips. I use those dry wall bags inside the shop vac, makes emptying out the shop vac easy & no mess.
 
There is always a cuff.....
 
Howardd said:
Wht’s wrong with wearing skin tight thin gloves?

Howardd
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Nothing. Thin gloves are a good way to reduce splinters and they will break easily if caught. Still, be careful around machines.
 
I couldn't even wear gloves when I was a grease monkey. I'm one of those who didn't like the lack of feeling so to speak. I only wore them in really messy situations, like if I had to pack a bearing or rebuild a CV joint.

A customer gave me 4 cases of nitrile gloves back then. At the rate I use them at home (which is more than when I was a mechanic) I still have a lifetime supply. :)
 
I wear nitrile gloves whenever I machine brass, stainless or cast iron. I got tired of the splinters.
 
Get a pair of "old man reading glasses" to focus literally 3" in front of your eyes, really good tweezers, and good lighting.
 
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