Protective gloves

[edit] Protection against cuts, splinters etc.

When working with wood, fiberglass and other materials, or with sharp tools, it is reasonable to wear some kind of protection.

• Kevlar gloves will protect against sharp objects including blades, broken glass, and other materials. Available at many good hardware stores. Example
• Protective tape is occasionally used by persons doing carving. This is wrapped around the fingers and thumbs to avoid cuts. Example.
• For protection against splinters and glass fiber, leather gloves are often used. Densely woven cotton or canvas gloves provide some protection as well. For glass, Kevlar and carbon fiber, the gloves in Protection against chemicals, below, are usually adequate.

If your gloves are contaminated with fibers and splinters, consider replacing them.

[edit] Protection against chemicals

There are several gloves on the market that are good. Latex gloves are cheap and common. Vinyl gloves are also available and are better for those with latex sensitivities; they’re less stretchy, though, so sizing is more critical. I prefer the more expensive nitrile gloves for their puncture resistance coupled with reasonable stretch. The latter are easily identified by their green colour. Unfortunately, nitrile gloves are not recommended for resins, due to the use of MEKP.

Get a lot of gloves – when working with large amounts of resin or epoxy, it’s a good idea to put on several layers of gloves. That way, as your outer glove becomes contaminated and too sticky to use, just peel off that layer and carry on – no need to stop to put on a second glove. The working time of resins and epoxies can seem awfully short, so this time saver will be appreciated.