There may not be anyone who needs this (but me). Still, I am posting this just in case this is helpful to someone else besides me. I have had major allergies for decades, but the last few years this has caused me to have flare-ups of eczema/dermatitis on my hands. This has made it problematic for me to do anything with my hands when it flares up, from woodworking to gardening in soil. I think I have found a solution for woodworking and I wanted to share it in case anyone else could benefit from this. How this came about is I saw a Japenese woodworker in the YouTube video linked below and he was wearing these nitrile type gloves because he has some type of dermatitis condition. I could not find his exact gloves because they are a Japanese brand and imported. After a lot of searching, I came across these nitrile coated gloves on Amazon and I am very happy with them. They are thin enough that I can still feel through the gloves, but seem to be durable enough for shop tasks. I wear them in the shop except when my hands are in/around anything spinning, e.g. sawblade, drill bit, etc. (for fear of them getting caught around it - maybe paranoid, but think of a tie getting caught in a machine). It is early, but they seem to be helping me. I hope this helps someone else. Also, if anyone has a similar, or better solution, please share as well.

https://www.amazon.com/DS-Safety-NP1001-Technology-Ergonomic/dp/B07GTWNYMR/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=DS+Safety+NP1001+Nylon+Knit+Work+Gloves+with+Micro+Foam+Technology+%26+Spandex+Liner+Nitrile+Coated+Work+Gloves+CE+Approved+15+gauge+Ergonomic+Design+Men%27s+Thin+Working+Gloves+3+Pairs%28L%29&qid=1554466959&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21DFmwZtVlQ

I use nitrile gloves from Harbor Freight all the time. They have them in various mil thickness and are solid nitrile, no cloth. Safe to use around a saw blade as they will easily tear away if you get too close to the blade. Cheap enough too! Some woods and their sawdust are very irrtating.

ChrisNeilan wrote:I use nitrile gloves from Harbor Freight all the time. They have them in various mil thickness and are solid nitrile, no cloth. Safe to use around a saw blade as they will easily tear away if you get too close to the blade. Cheap enough too! Some woods and their sawdust are very irrtating.

Thanks Chris. Yeah, I was really close to trying solid nitrile, but I guess for some reason I wanted more of the cloth glove feel and these are breathable. I should probably try those as well to compare against these. I'll have to see how long these last. Your approach is certainly more economical and you can always grab a new pair out of the box if one tears or gets worn out.

I use the same gloves while working around my Shopsmith Chris is talking about. Unlike the gloves you are using, which I also have, these medical type gloves do not allow anything in or out. If you need gloves that breathe to avoid getting sweaty hands, stay with a good fitting size of the ones you are already using.

chapmanruss wrote:I use the same gloves while working around my Shopsmith Chris is talking about. Unlike the gloves you are using, which I also have, these medical type gloves do not allow anything in or out. If you need gloves that breathe to avoid getting sweaty hands, stay with a good fitting size of the ones you are already using.

Thanks. What mil thickness are you guys using for these in your shop? I want something thick enough to be durable and not get punctured easily handling wood, but still thin enough that I can feel through them.

Mine fro HF are 7 mil. I think they may an even thicker one, too. They may help you but the DO NOT stop splinters.

The only time I use gloves when woodworking is when I'm staining or finishing a project. That keeps the stain and urethane off my hands for easy cleanup. I don't have any issues with any of the woods irritating my skin, and actually like working with the oily woods like juniper and walnut as the oils help keep my skin soft.
I always keep a couple of boxes of the Harbor Freight nitrile gloves around the wood shop, the garage, and also the kitchen for dirty jobs.

garys wrote:The only time I use gloves when woodworking is when I'm staining or finishing a project. That keeps the stain and urethane off my hands for easy cleanup. I don't have any issues with any of the woods irritating my skin, and actually like working with the oily woods like juniper and walnut as the oils help keep my skin soft.
I always keep a couple of boxes of the Harbor Freight nitrile gloves around the wood shop, the garage, and also the kitchen for dirty jobs.

That is the way my wife and I do it also. Mary is allergic to lots of things but wood does not seem to bother her. She had an allergy test 8 or 9 years ago and turned up positive for almost everything they tested for. Mostly though she doesn'r react to most of them.

We use light weight leather gloves when moving rough cut lumber , when staining or finishing the rubber gloves from HF seem to be fine for us as well .

The one thing that I can say about the gloves that I posted is that I don't get any splinters when woodworking with them on. Unfortunately I had to start wearing something like this...not so much that I am allergic to the wood, but because of my other allergies, my hands get very irritated and break out with eczema often. Using these help. I wouldn't recommend these for finishing work though. They are breathable and the nitrile coating is on the palms, fingers, etc. but any liquid would penetrate and get around this coating.