What Gloves Do You Wear?

fshfindr · May 12, 2013, 02:01 PM

I know that when smelting boolets and when assembling them, one should wear gloves. So when using my press to assemble them, I wear mechanics plastic gloves, sometimes on only one hand. They are alright until I must place my boolet into a shell. I do it but it is unwieldy. As to smelting, I know it is foolish to use my bare fingers. The plastic mechanics gloves would offer little protection. I have tried to wear heavy protective work gloves but they are just too unwieldy, actually I think they are flat out dangerous. They are larger than necessary and get in the way. So I was wondering what you guys use for hand protection. Thanks,

Shootest · May 12, 2013, 02:13 PM

When casting I wear welders gloves, molten lead is just to hot to risk it. Wile loading I’m bare handed, lead can’t be absorbed through the skin so no need for gloves, as long as you wash up afterwards.

Hawg · May 12, 2013, 02:40 PM

I don't wear gloves at all. I'm more prone to burns while wearing them than when I'm not. In the 44 years I've been casting the worst thing I've ever done(knock on wood)is drop a fresh cut sprue that fell inside my sneaker with no socks.

ricklaut · May 12, 2013, 10:00 PM

I wear thick welding gloves when smelting & casting. When I first started, they were unwieldily, but I took it slow and worked carefully & methodically with them on. Like anything, muscle memory develops and now it's second nature - it's almost as if they aren't there.

When loading boolits? No gloves.

LAH · May 13, 2013, 07:54 AM

I wear no gloves while loading ammo. I do wear a glove on my right hand while casting.

Pahoo · May 13, 2013, 09:53 AM

While smelting and casting, I wear a pair of course weave cotton gloves. Just plain old garden variety work gloves that breath well and afford good protection. These are the ones that you can buy in a bundls of ten or so, from Walmart or Menard's which is a large local builders supply store. They are white with a green band on the cuff. I rarely get burned and never lose the feel. ....

Wear then and;
Be Safe !!!

David Bachelder · May 13, 2013, 02:49 PM

No gloves here. Gloves always feel awkward to me, I don't normally wear them ..... at all. Sometimes when using the chain saw or things like that.

m&p45acp10+1 · May 13, 2013, 04:57 PM

I load bare handed. I wash my hands whenever I am done. Simple, and easy.

Mike / Tx · May 13, 2013, 05:50 PM

I wear leather gloves when smelting and casting. Not the real thick ones but some that are very pliable and supple enough to conform to my fat fingers. Something very similar to these,

If you go to the stores like Tractor Supply or Harbor Freight you will find they have a variety, I use the thickest I can find that are soft and pliable, so as not to make holding or picking up things an issue. Being a fitter/welder for close to a dozen or so years really prepped me for working with hot stuff. I learned what to be aware of and how to keep it from getting on me in the first place.

When I am sizing or loading the only time I wear them is if I have some tacky type of lube and don't want the gunk on my fingers. Usually when I tumble lube I will wear one of the latex type disposables on one hand so I can reach in and pick out the bullets. Like mentioned when done with loading or handling bare bullets I always wash up using a soap with some sort of grit to it like Lava or one of the similar type liquid hand soaps found at auto part supply.

jcwit · May 13, 2013, 06:39 PM

I wear no gloves while smelting, casting, or when reloading. I have burned myself a few times, but then I heal with little problem.

I've hurt myself much worse while working in a cabinet shop, as in ripping, not cutting but ripping 2 fingers off my hand, this too healed and they both work just fine.

BTW, I've been reloading and casting since the 1960's.

FrankenMauser · May 14, 2013, 11:46 AM

At the reloading bench, I don't wear any gloves. I just wash my hands when I'm done.

When casting or smelting, I wear welders' gloves. They're thick and obnoxious, but I like my hands the way they are.
Since I cut sprues by hand (not with a mallet), I also need that protection for normal operation.

wncchester · May 14, 2013, 04:09 PM

I've been casting and loading cast bullets since '65. I make no suggestions for how others should work but I wore leather work gloves for maybe the first 15-20 minutes of my casting career, never for loading.

I don't lick the gray off my fingers and my blood lead level was low the one time it was tested. (And I don't worry about lead 'dust' from tumbling either.)

LAH · May 14, 2013, 07:50 PM

Quote:

I wear leather gloves when smelting and casting. Not the real thick ones but some that are very pliable and supple enough to conform to my fat fingers.

Fat fingers????? Do you belong to the mob?

Mike / Tx · May 15, 2013, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Fat fingers????? Do you belong to the mob?

Naaa, just been a mechanic, millwright, welder, fitter, for the past 30'ish years. Pulling wrenches along with plenty of other neat hand tools used in the industry.

Besides you know the saying, big hands, big feet......

Sure Shot Mc Gee · May 15, 2013, 05:15 AM

The only time I wear a heavy canvas glove is when I'm scooping the leads impurities off its surface melt. Having a glove on helps in that circumstance because of the extreme heat been ratitated. And the necessity of using a short handled table spoon. Otherwise no glove's worn. Have encountered little accidental splash burns here and there during my casting session's. But nothing too overwhelming so far. (knock on wood)

May 12, 2013, 02:01 PM	#1
fshfindr Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2013 Location: South Jersey Posts: 188	What Gloves Do You Wear? I know that when smelting boolets and when assembling them, one should wear gloves. So when using my press to assemble them, I wear mechanics plastic gloves, sometimes on only one hand. They are alright until I must place my boolet into a shell. I do it but it is unwieldy. As to smelting, I know it is foolish to use my bare fingers. The plastic mechanics gloves would offer little protection. I have tried to wear heavy protective work gloves but they are just too unwieldy, actually I think they are flat out dangerous. They are larger than necessary and get in the way. So I was wondering what you guys use for hand protection. Thanks, __________________ Richard L.

May 12, 2013, 02:13 PM	#2
Shootest Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2011 Location: Just outside Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 722	When casting I wear welders gloves, molten lead is just to hot to risk it. Wile loading I’m bare handed, lead can’t be absorbed through the skin so no need for gloves, as long as you wash up afterwards. __________________ The private ownership of firearms is an American Heritage. Anyone who disputes that is Anti-American and unpatriotic. NRA Life Member

May 13, 2013, 09:53 AM	#6
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,783	Course weave cotton While smelting and casting, I wear a pair of course weave cotton gloves. Just plain old garden variety work gloves that breath well and afford good protection. These are the ones that you can buy in a bundls of ten or so, from Walmart or Menard's which is a large local builders supply store. They are white with a green band on the cuff. I rarely get burned and never lose the feel. .... Wear then and; Be Safe !!! __________________ 'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.

May 13, 2013, 02:49 PM	#7
David Bachelder Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2011 Location: Trinity, Texas Posts: 636	No gloves here. Gloves always feel awkward to me, I don't normally wear them ..... at all. Sometimes when using the chain saw or things like that. __________________ David Bachelder Trinity, Texas I load, 9mm Luger, 38 and 40 S&W, 38 Special, 357Magnum, 45ACP, 45 Colt, 223, 300 AAC, 243 and 30-06

May 13, 2013, 04:57 PM	#8
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	I load bare handed. I wash my hands whenever I am done. Simple, and easy. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

May 12, 2013, 02:40 PM	#3
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,189	I don't wear gloves at all. I'm more prone to burns while wearing them than when I'm not. In the 44 years I've been casting the worst thing I've ever done(knock on wood)is drop a fresh cut sprue that fell inside my sneaker with no socks.

May 12, 2013, 10:00 PM	#4
ricklaut Member Join Date: February 17, 2012 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 64	I wear thick welding gloves when smelting & casting. When I first started, they were unwieldily, but I took it slow and worked carefully & methodically with them on. Like anything, muscle memory develops and now it's second nature - it's almost as if they aren't there. When loading boolits? No gloves.

May 13, 2013, 07:54 AM	#5
LAH Senior Member Join Date: March 22, 2002 Location: In The Hardwoods Posts: 1,188	I wear no gloves while loading ammo. I do wear a glove on my right hand while casting.

May 13, 2013, 05:50 PM	#9
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	I wear leather gloves when smelting and casting. Not the real thick ones but some that are very pliable and supple enough to conform to my fat fingers. Something very similar to these, If you go to the stores like Tractor Supply or Harbor Freight you will find they have a variety, I use the thickest I can find that are soft and pliable, so as not to make holding or picking up things an issue. Being a fitter/welder for close to a dozen or so years really prepped me for working with hot stuff. I learned what to be aware of and how to keep it from getting on me in the first place. When I am sizing or loading the only time I wear them is if I have some tacky type of lube and don't want the gunk on my fingers. Usually when I tumble lube I will wear one of the latex type disposables on one hand so I can reach in and pick out the bullets. Like mentioned when done with loading or handling bare bullets I always wash up using a soap with some sort of grit to it like Lava or one of the similar type liquid hand soaps found at auto part supply. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

May 13, 2013, 06:39 PM	#10
jcwit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2007 Location: Upper Indiana Posts: 609	I wear no gloves while smelting, casting, or when reloading. I have burned myself a few times, but then I heal with little problem. I've hurt myself much worse while working in a cabinet shop, as in ripping, not cutting but ripping 2 fingers off my hand, this too healed and they both work just fine. BTW, I've been reloading and casting since the 1960's. __________________ U.S. Army Veteran NRA Certified Range Officer

May 14, 2013, 11:46 AM	#11
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	At the reloading bench, I don't wear any gloves. I just wash my hands when I'm done. When casting or smelting, I wear welders' gloves. They're thick and obnoxious, but I like my hands the way they are. Since I cut sprues by hand (not with a mallet), I also need that protection for normal operation. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

May 14, 2013, 04:09 PM	#12
wncchester Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 2,832	I've been casting and loading cast bullets since '65. I make no suggestions for how others should work but I wore leather work gloves for maybe the first 15-20 minutes of my casting career, never for loading. I don't lick the gray off my fingers and my blood lead level was low the one time it was tested. (And I don't worry about lead 'dust' from tumbling either.)

May 15, 2013, 05:15 AM	#15
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	The only time I wear a heavy canvas glove is when I'm scooping the leads impurities off its surface melt. Having a glove on helps in that circumstance because of the extreme heat been ratitated. And the necessity of using a short handled table spoon. Otherwise no glove's worn. Have encountered little accidental splash burns here and there during my casting session's. But nothing too overwhelming so far. (knock on wood)