Sanding Gloves

[orbb]

I always try to wear gloves when sanding - primarily for epoxy but also so I am not tearing up my hands. I have been using Mechanixwear gloves from Lowes and have sanded through the suede fingertips. Any suggestions on gloves that will hold up to continued sanding?

[David G]

Well... there are kevlar carver's gloves. I've never worn gloves to sand, though... so can't offer much.

[Brian Palmer]

Canvas painters gloves can work fairly well. When I was doing a lot of hand sanding in my youth, I wrapped my finger tips in masking tape to keep from wearing through the skin.

Brian

[St.J]

The Pardeys recommend Guardtex tape which is surprisingly abrasion resistant.
I've tried gloves and found it really insensitive.
With the tape you can wrap each finger and then put the wrappings back on if you take them off at a tea break.
I haven't tried this but if you're worried about not getting the epoxy dust on your hands and need abrasion resistance you might wear nitrile gloves and then wrap your fingers in tape.

Oddly I've only been able to buy it in green.
St.John

[Ian McColgin]

Never got much dust on my hands hand sanding. Never thought to wear gloves.

[orbb]

Never got much dust on my hands hand sanding. Never thought to wear gloves.

I have been sanding a Chippendale gate that I assembled with epoxy to make it stronger, and was fairly sloppy with the epoxy so that I got all the joints well glued. As a result, I am sanding off a lot of excess epoxy and gcreating a lot of dust. I'm not sure it is an issue, but have read a number of horror stories about epoxy sensitivities that come over time, so I am being precautious.

Tape sounds like a good idea. Thanks.

[Ian McColgin]

I'm not aware of sensitivity from cured epoxy beyond the fact that the dust can be in irritant to the lungs. Unlike fibreglass dust, it's not especially itchey on the skin and unlike some woods it's not toxic to skin. Uncured epoxy has many volitiles that are indeed more dangerous than at first thought.

As I grew up I took a rather silly but manly pride in how hard my hands are. Used to amaze my Oklahoma cousins because I could rope bare handed, and I don't wear sailing gloves. For work I only wear gloves for hot stuff like welding. I've wondered if I ever splice wire again whether my hands will still be hard enough or whether at last I'll wear gloves for that. I didn't even wear gloves fishing, cutting bait, shucking clams. My hands showed it but I always was lucky in resisting infection and never minded a little blood. It's really silly, since it was ok for manly men like John Wayne and Steve McQueen to wear gloves, but it was a thing I had.

[JimConlin]

When there's a mess of epoxy dribble and squeeze-out, A heat gun and a sharp scraper are a better removal method.

Best not to sand epoxy before it's fully cured.

I only use gloves when sanding bottom paint.

[Eddiebou]

I've built HUNDREDS of linear feet of "Chippendale" stuff. I've never used epoxy on it. None of it has ever failed. It's quite a strong design on its own. Somehow epoxy and Chippendale don't seem like they belong together. But what do I know?
Maybe try a mill/bastard file in those corners.

[JimConlin]

These are Chippendale. Neither would use epoxy.

[Bob Cleek]

Masking tape on the fingers is the ticket. I knew a guy once who used those rubber finger stalls they sell at the stationery stores for flipping through paper pages without licking your finger. They worked fine, but everybody in the yard razzed him pretty good about being a sissy. There was another guy like Ian who used to work on boats around here. Bill was probably the finest interior trim painter I ever met. His technique was no secret: meticulous hand sanding. His fingernails were sanded down to the nubs like they'd been bitten to death and they'd get infected and he'd have to squeeze the puss out from under them. Gross out! But he claimed he couldn't get the feel of the smoothness he was looking for with tape on his fingers. He was probably right, but I wouldn't have gone through what he did sanding every day.

[orbb]

I've built HUNDREDS of linear feet of "Chippendale" stuff. I've never used epoxy on it. None of it has ever failed. It's quite a strong design on its own. Somehow epoxy and Chippendale don't seem like they belong together. But what do I know?
Maybe try a mill/bastard file in those corners.

Here's the gate. I used epoxy at the joints because I don't want it to fail - it will be in an area where people will lean on it. Perhaps overkill, but it feels really solid.

[chas]

This is my day to day glove in the winter. They work great with sanding blocks also. After 180 grit I would barehand, but epoxy doesn't require that finesse, right? LOL / Jim

http://www.seattlemarine.net/product...idcategory=982

[fishrswim]

I wear leather work gloves and use duct tape on the fingers if I'm doing a lot of sanding. Put the tape on before you wear the holes in the fingers. If I've got to feel the smoothness, the gloves come right off. Otherwise I wear holes in my fingers.

[Nicholas Carey]

Masking tape on the fingers is the ticket. I knew a guy once who used those rubber finger stalls they sell at the stationery stores for flipping through paper pages without licking your finger. They worked fine, but everybody in the yard razzed him pretty good about being a sissy. There was another guy like Ian who used to work on boats around here. Bill was probably the finest interior trim painter I ever met. His technique was no secret: meticulous hand sanding. His fingernails were sanded down to the nubs like they'd been bitten to death and they'd get infected and he'd have to squeeze the puss out from under them. Gross out! But he claimed he couldn't get the feel of the smoothness he was looking for with tape on his fingers. He was probably right, but I wouldn't have gone through what he did sanding every day.

If you go to the drug store, they've got a kind of tape that's made from rubberized gauze. Non-adhesive, but it sticks to itself. Just the ticketfor protecting the fingers while sanding. Lee Valley stocks it as "Guard Tape": http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/pag...at=1,130,43332

[Hunky Dory]

I'v been doing autoboby for 38 years without gloves except for painting . I never found sanding to bother my hands and if your figertips are getting worn you arn't doing it right anyway. You can feel imperfections better than you can see them when working a sanded no gloss surface. You sand with the palm of your hand not your fingers.

[CJ]

If you're ambidextrous, this shark diving haness might save you time - probably don't even need sandpaper.

By the way, has anyone ever seen "sanding goves"? I've always thought that a pair of disposable gloves that are actually made of abrasive material (at least on the palms and fingers) would be the ticket when sanding intricate, or curved parts. No paper, just put on the golves and start sanding with your hands. Hmmm, could be my million $$ idea; forget I said anything...

[Ron Williamson]

I'v been doing autoboby for 38 years without gloves except for painting . I never found sanding to bother my hands and if your figertips are getting worn you arn't doing it right anyway. You can feel imperfections better than you can see them when working a sanded no gloss surface. You sand with the palm of your hand not your fingers.

Agreed,except when sanding inside corners.
By the time a guy is down to the last coat on a house load of raised panel doors,bloody fingertips are the order of the day.
Won't need a manicure for a while, either.
R

[Brian Palmer]

Try sanding the entire inside planking "with the grain" between the frames of a boat like a Maine peapod before repainting. It isn't anything like autobody.

Brian

[Hunky Dory]

To sand into tight corners pressure senitive adhesive paper (PSA) stuck on a paint stick will save your fingers and give a smoother finish than a fingertip

[McMike]

I get the part about wanting to avoid the epoxy dust coming in contact with your skin, although I don't imagine you can unless you are in an enviro-suit.

I used to sand for a living when I first started in cabinet making, never thought to use gloves. I would think they'd get in the way when getting in the crevices and crannies; that is, assuming you can find gloves that are tough enough without being too thick as to get in the way or metal which will inhibit your tactile feedback.

As for your hands getting scuffed; they will, and you'll be fine after a few 8 hour sessions, your skin has a way of dealing with abrasion . . . it calluses up.

[fishrswim]

[quote] You sand with the palm of your hand not your fingers.

Umm, well it's a little hard to get your palm down in the nooks and crannies you find on a boat. We generally end up using tri folded quarter sheers of sandpaper. Just like I used to do around windows grills etc. on cars I was restoring. Also when we're going back down to wood in those places, the grit is pretty aggressive.

[orbb]

These are working pretty well:

[Jay Greer]

I've never worn gloves for sanding but, I do tape my finger tips.
Jay

[chas]

I had mine on today, Orbb, finish sanding the last of 1000' of cedar decking. 80 grit on the belt sander (gloves help prevent wholesale removal of skin), 120 grit on the RO which I feel less vibration with the thicker rubber palms and hand sanding the round-overs with 150 grit and a soft pad. Calluses are for cement finishers and roofers, LOL. / Jim