gloves or no gloves.

[wallenba]

wallenba that says attached thumb nail but looks like detached thumb nail?

I noticed that too. LOL (it's a 'pinky' too)

[Cowboy T]

Unless it's an "in extremis" situation, I will never, EVER cast without my protective gear. That includes not just full-up welding gloves, but also a full face shield, a leather jacket, thick denim or canvas pants, and hiking boots. The Tinsel Fairy came to visit me one time and splattered lead all over the front of me. But for my protective gear, I would've been hurt pretty badly.

NEVER without protective gear!!

[Armorer]

Always leather gloves, and always safety glasses. Jeans, work boots and whatever shirt I happen to be wearing.

Armorer

[cbrick]

I wear a glove on my right hand because as several people have already said, I'm simply not man enough to reach down and open the sprue plate without the glove. I wear safety glasses, long shirt & pants, alway wear shoes, never sandals etc.

A little something I recently learned about leather gloves. Was in the hardware store a while back and found a pair of pig skin leather work gloves. I tried them on and thought, wow, these are really comfortable so I bought them, at nearly 4 times what I normally pay for leather work gloves.

Three things I learned about these expensive gloves. 1> Pig skin heats up faster than cow skin. 2> pig skin holds that heat much longer than cow skin. 3> Pig skin does not wear as well as cow skin, rather quickly they are starting to show wear and thin spots making number 1 and number 2 even worse.

At least I still have the old gloves.

Rick

[Mossy Nugget]

Welding gloves, long sleeve flannel shirt or denim jacket in winter. (unheated shed) jeans, high top work boots. ANSI Z87 glasses. I bought a pair of bifocal Uvex for $5 at work. I, uh, "have to" wear them, so they are always on my face in the shop anyway. Honda is one of the safest plants partly because if you get caught without your PPE, you are in some trouble. Got to be a habit after 20 years. Safety is one bit of work worth taking home with you. You should see my motorcycle gear after reading the Hurt Report.

[RugerFan]

Always leather gloves, and always safety glasses. Jeans, work boots and whatever shirt I happen to be wearing.

Armorer

Ditto (but not necessarily work boots although a good idea)

[ke5ldo]

ALWAYS!! I have 3 sets of white Mules and switch out when they get warm.

[a.squibload]

Today, after scraping a small splat of lead off my face shield,
I thought "Dang, should have taken a pic for CB".
It was right at eye level.

Welders gloves for me. Had plenty of welding slag burns (most on ankles,
one on my eye), but only tiny splatter burns from lead.
Sometimes I don't wear long sleeves,
could be a mistake if a drop goes down the cuff of a glove.
I stand while casting.

[Southern Son]

Originally I used a pair of leather Riggers Gloves that had insulation on the inside. They were great but I litteraly worked my fingers through them so many times I couldn't repair them the last time. Then I bought two "Ove Gloves" from BACO. They make my hands a little more clumbsy (I cannot pick up a small sprue laying flat on the bench where I could have with the Riggers Gloves), but the "Ove Glove" are better insulated AND they go with my lucky casting G-String.

[Bret4207]

I'd just like to offer the thought that some people are "Glove" people to start with. Same with the other PPE. Some people, my oldest boy for instance, seem to like to wear gloves for any kind of work. I don't. Never have. Some people seem to consider PPE part of the "uniform" they wear for casting or chainsawing or whatever, liek the folks that dote on their team or drivers jacket. It's just the difference in people I've sort of noticed over the years. I knew a guy that always seemed to have safety glasses on. He wore them the way some folks wear sunglasses, up on his head. Good for him, it worked for him.

To each their own.

[Tracy]

I'd just like to offer the thought that some people are "Glove" people to start with.
To each their own.

I agree. I feel vulnerable doing most mechanical work without safety glasses, but I hate gloves. I wear them for some things, but mostly I go bare-handed.
I used to do a lot of caving. Other cavers were always asking me how I could cave without gloves. I carried one glove in my caving bag, and that was only for rappelling.

[badgeredd]

Myself as a new caster "Dang these gloves suck!"

Myself when to much hot lead came forth from my mold" Ouch, oh,ooh *@#%$&**!"

Myself as an experienced caster " Where are those gloves? Oh there they are!"

Nuff said.

Edd

[Mal Paso]

I wear a glove on my right hand because as several people have already said, I'm simply not man enough to reach down and open the sprue plate without the glove.

Rick

You can get Right Hand only Michael Jackson gloves on ebay for $2 right now!

[7of7]

I picked up an inexpensive pair of lightweight leather gloves. Not really for protection from the heat, more for the incidental splashes from dropping the sprues back into the Lee dripomatic. I have a taleen hammer that I use for opening the sprue plate, and then give it a couple taps.. (this is an adjustable core mold) I lay it on it's side, on a piece of aluminum that I made specifically for this purpose.. I should be using wood though.. -- note to self-- make wood plate for core mold.--
There, that should remind me.
I wear glasses, however, probably should use a face shield. but then again, I use one lb ingots in the pot, and I don't think splashing is going to be an issue...

welders apron.. next purchase from harbor freight..

[HeavyMetal]

Leather glove on the right hand for opening sprue plates and dealing with HP pins.

Safety glass of course! As a lefty I use that hand for fine pick up and other such delicate work while casting. I do keep the left glove handy incase I need to use both hands for some special job.

Over the years I have gotten my share of little burns, strangely on the right fore arm, but nothing ever bigger than a pin prick. Pre planning your casting session to make sure you got all the surprise covered sure helps the saftey gear along!

[9.3X62AL]

I "suit up" for casting or smelting. Yeah, gloves can limit dexterity--but gloves have kept my hands unburned on at least two occasions that readily come to mind. Compared to the Michelin Man suit-up I used to do for meth and PCP labs, getting geared for casting is a walk in the park.

[Tim357]

gloves only when pouring pot remnants or smelting ingots.

[Suo Gan]

Hmmmm Mr. Loverin is wearing a suit and tye, glasses, and nooo firewood gloves. The picture of Keith he wasn't even wearing glasses.

And even Louisiana bigfoot cast without gloves, as seen in this rare photo...

[finishman2000]

smelting yes, makin' boolits no

[bhn22]

No gloves? how do you cut the sprue? Please don't tell me that you're beating your moulds with a stick!!!???