Spent 2 years using the wrong glove material on our pour line

I was always grabbing those cheap cotton gloves under my leathers until a safety guy pointed out they melt into your skin if you get a splash. Switched to wool liners after a near miss with a ladle last Tuesday and now I can actually feel my fingers at the end of a shift. Anyone else get caught using the wrong stuff because it's what the shop always ordered?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_avery29d ago

Respectfully, wool can get just as nasty when it gets hot and wet.

richard11028d ago

Start peeling off those cotton liners immediately (they're a lawsuit waiting to happen). I've been through this exact mess and wool is actually better than cotton for thermal protection, but the_avery has a real point about wet wool getting heavy and losing its insulation value. What really worked for me was getting the aluminized back gloves with zetex liners (they're pricey but worth every penny when you're doing continuous pour work). The zetex doesn't melt, doesn't burn, and stays flexible even when it gets damp from sweat. Those big box supply houses always push the cheap stuff because it's what they stock, but you can get proper foundry gloves from safety specialty shops online for less than you'd think.