How do you protect your fingertips from metal chips?

[erikmannie]

I am as careful as I know how to be, but I often end up with chips in my fingertips after machining.

Do you guys have any tips on how to prevent this? I am afraid to wear nitrile gloves because I could get sucked into the spindle.

Also, once a chip (usually a sliver) is in there, a needle is good in order to expose the sliver for extraction with tweezers, right?

I can’t believe how painful such a tiny sliver can be. I guess that there are a lot of nerves in the finger tips.

 

[erikmannie]

I can’t get this one out. Hopefully it will work it’s way out.

I am about ready to consider using a huge magnet, but it might be 404 stainless. If not 404 SS, it is A36.

 

[jwmelvin]

I wear nitrile gloves but I know that’s not for everyone. A pair of surgical loupes and a large-bore needle are my approach for removing the occasional splinter that makes it through.

 

[Cadillac]

The worst are the little slivers that you can’t see and when you put pressure in that area you can feel it. No matter how much digging you can see or find. Only thing that ve found that somewhat works is bigger depths of cut so swarf is larger.

 

[Shotgun]

Avoid side milling.
Constantly clean everything with a large "magnet on a stick" inside a sandwich bag. Pull the magnet out of the bag over a trash can to never touch swarf.
When the inevitable happens, an upholstery sewing needle under a large magnifying glass.

 

[mattthemuppet2]

ouch!

I use nitrile gloves. Those things break if you look at them funny, so I've no worries about them getting caught and sucking me into anything. In fact, I've cut/ damaged myself several times wearing them and they do a great job of keeping the blood in and the dirty stuff out, until you can get to a sink to wash things out. Wearing those gloves cut down dramatically the number of metal slivers I get in my fingers. Doesn't do anything about the ones I get in my feet, but hey ho, can't have everything

 

[erikmannie]

ouch!

I use nitrile gloves. Those things break if you look at them funny, so I've no worries about them getting caught and sucking me into anything. In fact, I've cut/ damaged myself several times wearing them and they do a great job of keeping the blood in and the dirty stuff out, until you can get to a sink to wash things out. Wearing those gloves cut down dramatically the number of metal slivers I get in my fingers. Doesn't do anything about the ones I get in my feet, but hey ho, can't have everything

Everybody in the house has learned to wear socks and shoes pretty much 100% of the time.

We have one of those robot vacuum cleaners that is constantly going around the house vacuuming and mopping. It does a really great job.

 

[Aaron_W]

Brass slivers are my favorite.

I try to remember to sweep up often, and keep chip brushes handy to dust off parts before I handle them. Its not 100% but definitely helps.

As far as chips in the house, I wear a shop apron which catches a lot of the chips, I have slip on shop boots which I take off before going inside, and I'll brush myself off before leaving the shop. The basement door is on the backside of the house, so there is a bit of a walk around the house to go back inside. So far I haven't had much issue with chips following me inside.

 

[markba633csi]

Amputation, followed up with soldering iron cautery

 

[tq60]

We have a stereo microscope and a pair of tweezers that have a cutting dge as the business end.

They can grab tiny stuff.

The scope helps.

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