I wanted to start doing metalworking for a long time and I finally got an angle grinder of 4 1\2". I also bought the appropriate safety equipment face shield, some safety glasses and I'm planning to use a thick leather jacket that I always use in the workshop.
Though I'm very confused about the gloves, I always intend to use both of my hands to handle the device with the guard on at all time so I'm not worried about my gloves getting caught in the disc, what I am mainly worried about is that the disc explodes and lacerates or cuts off my fingers. I've seen that the most common gloves are leather gloves mostly goat skin but I've seen videos of people putting a glove against an angle grinder and it goes through it like it's nothing. Also also I've read that some people want to feel how the blade is behaving so that's another fact to take into consideration.
I don't know which is better a leather MIG welding glove or an ANSI A9 cut resistant glove??, I want to keep my fingers as they are.
Best Answer
You want moderately heavy leather (or an abrasion-resistant alternative), and you want a good fit.
Firstly, angle grinders aren't very dangerous. Abrasive wheels can go through leather fairly quickly, but it takes a lot of force. The vast majority of hand contact will be quick and light. You won't even notice it. I've even bumped bare skin against abrasive and diamond wheels with no real injury. If the wheel disintegrates, the guard should take the hit.
Any halfway thick leather is fine. You don't want Isotoners, and you don't want leather so thick you can't bend or feel anything.
Just as importantly, you want a good fit. You want the glove to stay in position for a good grip, and you don't want loose material hanging where it'll get caught in the machine.
Finally, don't wear gloves when using toothed, rotating blades. I recently violated this long-known rule and almost paid dearly for it. My glove slipped a bit and got nicked by a 12" miter saw. Had it grabbed the glove's fabric more aggressively it could've pulled my fingers right in. Foolishness noted.