# IN need of Fireplace gloves that do NOT burn or melt



## RCR 3 EVER (Jan 17, 2011)

Does anybody know of some long gloves to use in manipulating logs in the fireplace.
My brand new gloves supposedly made from same material used for fireman gloves melted into large holes on the cuff while loading new cold logs over the hot embers, NO FLAMES even. I was reloading the fireplace and the gloves started to melt on my arms, luckily it did not get through to skin. (item # 10556 plow & hearth).

I need long gloves capable of handling hot logs if needed and to shield forearms over the hot embers during reloads. 
Are welding gloves made for flame resistance as well as heat resistance? Those leather red fireplace gloves are lucky to last a year before holes develop in index fingers.

First the fireplace shovel goes up in flames and now my fireproof gloves melt on my arms. Am I worried about a chimney fire? Not really, but what will catch on fire next? Will it be the grate or maybe the fireproof hearth hug?


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## RAYINTOMBALL (Jan 17, 2011)

Try these they should work for you.


Proximity Gloves - MESFire.com


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## John R (Jan 17, 2011)

Just get a good set of fireplace tongs


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## dingeryote (Jan 17, 2011)

RCR,

Welding gloves. Skip the cheapos. The 10 dollar jobbies work, but wear out in a season or less.

Even the cheapies don't burn though. 


Stay safe!
Dingeryote


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## beerman6 (Jan 17, 2011)

yep,welding gloves work good.


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## shelbythedog (Jan 17, 2011)

Gotta say welding gloves here as well. About $25 at the local welding supply house. My set looks like brand new after a years use, my Dad has a set that I remember being by the stove 20 years ago that are still in working order.


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## Metals406 (Jan 17, 2011)

Any quality leather glove should last a long time, whether they be welding gauntlet style or shorter.

Or you could make some simple tongs, or just a good fire poker. I use my fire poker to manipulate everything in the stove. . . I don't think I've ever done it with my hands.


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## Dalmatian90 (Jan 17, 2011)

Those Home & Hearth ones look like cheap welders gloves to me...certainly nothing I've seen in the fire service.

You probably want a good set of welders gloves, bought from a welding store, like some of the others said.

At the firehouse to handle hot stuff (usually unloading a woodstove and the handling the chains when dealing with a chimney fire...but I've also used them for cat rescue too  ) we use aramid gloves, which replaced the good ol' asbestos gloves. But they're bulkier and more expensive the welding gloves!

Para Aramid Gloves


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## bluesportster02 (Jan 17, 2011)

I use welding gloves


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## turnkey4099 (Jan 17, 2011)

heavy welding gloves. Been heating with wood for over 30 years and haven't had to manipulate hot logs inside the stove or fireplace (replaced year ago) with gloves yet. That is for pokers and tongs. I use mine for grabbing the *hot* ash pan to dump and when tending my brush piles. 

I had two pairs of them from back when I ran a pattern torch in a welding shop. Last time workign ws 1985. Just lost one of my pairs last week out burning brush - looked everywhere around there but can't find them.

Harry K


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## jsk0307 (Jan 17, 2011)

I use the cheap welding gloves from Harbor Freight. They seem to work just fine. I usually wear a hole in the fingertips from handling wood.


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## RCR 3 EVER (Jan 17, 2011)

*Thanks for the info, will check out the welding shops*

At this time I still trust the tongs less than the now burnt gloves. They smoke when they are used to adjust logs that are in the fireplace or when the tongs are near flame.

I was just reaching into the firebox with the first log and I placed it on the embers, while reaching down to pick up the 2nd log I noticed the smoke coming from glove and resulting holes. The Kovenex lining does not extend past the palm and into the cuff area. Only felt is under the thin leather/simulated leather. I think what happened is the label burned off and started the glove melting. 
Oh by the way this was the first reload after the all night burn so the embers were not super hot.


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## Erik B (Jan 17, 2011)

A number of years ago I bought a pair of fireplace gloves from LL Bean. When the fire is too hot to get a piece of wood in the stove, where I want it, putting on the gloves makes that chore really easy and hands and arms stay safe.


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## England14 (Jan 17, 2011)

Another vote for welding gloves.


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## RCR 3 EVER (Jan 18, 2011)

*Difference in welding gloves?*

:confusedn:
I did a search for welding gloves and came up with loads of them. But big question what is the difference if there is any between MIG,TIG, foundry or just welders gloves?


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## beerman6 (Jan 18, 2011)

Lincoln Electric Leather Welding Gloves, Cloth Lined - KH641 at The Home Depot

These are the ones I use.


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## BSD (Jan 18, 2011)

ok... i must be doing something wrong...

i've got some welding gloves I use, but rarely put them on. I toss all the logs into the stove barehanded usually and then manipulate the logs with the poker or tongs. If I can't get it the way I want it with either of those tools then it ain't the right log to go in the stove at the time.


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## beerman6 (Jan 18, 2011)

My firebox is 44" deep sometimes my hands stay in there to long.Plus I like having hairy knuckles.


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## Marine5068 (Jan 18, 2011)

*USE YOUR TONGS and WEAR YOUR GLOVES:*

Welding gloves are cheaper and work great at protecting your hands and arms.
Don't buy the TIG welding gloves as they are made very thin in order to feel the welding rod and for precise manipulation.
The stick or MIG welding gloves are the ones to get.
The cheap ones at about ten bucks a pair or less.
They are all leather with a cloth lining.
Also get into the habit of putting them on EVERY time before you open the stove. That way you'll always be protected.
And never use gloves to move hot logs. Use the tongs or poker.
I teach my fellow welders this as well. Gloves are not for PICKING UP hot metal, they're used to protect from radiant heat, UV rays and accidentally touching hot objects during welding.

~Stan
/Certified Welder
/Architectural Engineering
/Mechanical Engineering


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## turnkey4099 (Jan 18, 2011)

Sorta OT but when I knock a hot coal out onto the tile, I pick it up bare fingers and flick it back in. Wife has seen that but apparently wasn't watching close enough. She ommitted the 'flick' part of it resulting in a blistered fingers. The dog house is quite comfortable now after all the mods I made to it over the years.

On subject of picking up hot things with welders gloves. One learns just how quick a "hot" glove can be shaken off a hand. Once that leather starts to feel hot, it is time to abandon it until it cools down 

Harry K


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## 100 Watt (Jan 18, 2011)

$14 at Home Depot. Should last a year or two.


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## sunfish (Jan 18, 2011)

Wow! I've seen a lot, but I didn't know folks used gloves to tend to a fire


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## Dan_IN_MN (Jan 18, 2011)

I don't use gloves. Door latch has a spring on it so, no glove required there. I take a look see in the fire box to see what piece of wood will fit. 9 times out of 10 the pieces land where I want them. If they don't I just grab the pocker and move it into position.

When at the inlaws, MIL always offers her gloves when I fill the stove there. By the time I get the gloves on I would have the wood in.

IMO if the stove it too hot to put wood in, it doesbn't need any wood.


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## Wind Walker (Jan 18, 2011)

jsk0307 said:


> I use the cheap welding gloves from Harbor Freight. They seem to work just fine. I usually wear a hole in the fingertips from handling wood.


 
Me too. After they get the small hole in the fingertips, which happens the first year - I cut a small piece of scrap leather and shoe goo it on the fingertips. My Cheapo Harbor Frieght gloves have lasted me years. The leather patches last a good long time, and can be sourced by recycling old boots, belts or whatever... 

I have a top loading stove so everytime I load I wear the gloves, that means they handle ALOT of wood.


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## Fronty Owner (Jan 18, 2011)

Ill vote for welding gloves too.
If you really wanna spend some money, get the ones with chrome backing.


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## Marine5068 (Jan 18, 2011)

Hey Manyhobies. What's a Hobie? 
I think you mean Hobby (or pastime) with 2 "b"s right?
Just FYI.


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## RCR 3 EVER (Jan 19, 2011)

Metals406 said:


> Any quality leather glove should last a long time, whether they be welding gauntlet style or shorter.
> 
> Or you could make some simple tongs, or just a good fire poker. I use my fire poker to manipulate everything in the stove. . . I don't think I've ever done it with my hands.


 
Leather fireplace gloves wore out in less than a season and did not offer much heat protection. The door opening is 11 inches vertical so not much room for tongs with a log. Especially when loading logs on top of each other on top of the embers only not burning logs. I pre-plan how the logs will fit so I can get my hands in and out fast. 
Once a flame appears I use a poker or tongs, even if they do start smoking after a few seconds. I never put my gloved hands into the firebox with flames to adjust a log! I prefer the gauntlet style but they need to be long enough so stuff does not get into the open ends.


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## RCR 3 EVER (Jan 19, 2011)

Marine5068 said:


> Welding gloves are cheaper and work great at protecting your hands and arms.
> Don't buy the TIG welding gloves as they are made very thin in order to feel the welding rod and for precise manipulation.
> The stick or MIG welding gloves are the ones to get.
> The cheap ones at about ten bucks a pair or less.
> ...



Thanks for all the info at least now I know what to look for. I do not pick up HOT logs or burning logs with the gloves, nor do I use the gloves to protect my hands while sticking them into flames. I only use the gloves to load the fireplace with embers present and I use them all the time.

All the paint has been burned off the poker so that does not smoke or flame up anymore, but the tongs still must have some cheapo paint so if held in flame a few seconds too long it will start smoking hard and will probably burn if not withdrawn quick. A squirt bottle of water is always handy.


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## RCR 3 EVER (Jan 19, 2011)

manyhobies said:


> I don't use gloves. Door latch has a spring on it so, no glove required there. I take a look see in the fire box to see what piece of wood will fit. 9 times out of 10 the pieces land where I want them. If they don't I just grab the pocker and move it into position.
> 
> When at the inlaws, MIL always offers her gloves when I fill the stove there. By the time I get the gloves on I would have the wood in.
> 
> IMO if the stove it too hot to put wood in, it doesbn't need any wood.


 
To everyone who just throws their logs into the fireplace and then manipulates them, it must be nice to have a large firebox! I envy you.

My firebox is small and the top is sloped down to the rear. So if I have 2" of embers/ash my log diam. is maxed out at 6-7 inches placed on top of the embers in the rear of firebox. The depth of firebox is only 12.5 inches back to front andirons. 
I can place a couple of log pieces on top of each other in back but only with gloves and then 1 log in front. I pre-plan how the logs will be placed. Planning may sound rediculous, but it works and I can get my hands in and out fast. Again this is done in ember stage only, no flames are present above the embers. It usually takes some coaxing with pieces of bark and kindling to get the large logs just to start flaming up.

When those gloves melted I believe the label burned off first and that caused the glove to melt into large holes. Inside label states 15% synthetic leather so that is probably what the cuff is made of since the cuff melted instead of flaring up?


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## Haywire Haywood (Jan 19, 2011)

Marine5068 said:


> What's a Hobie?



A Hobie is a boat, they're pretty nice. Hobie.com

Ian


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## yardmanlee (Jan 19, 2011)

RAYINTOMBALL said:


> Try these they should work for you.
> 
> 
> Proximity Gloves - MESFire.com


 
ges 150 plus for gloves! not me! welding gloves will do just fine. also tonges


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## Marine5068 (Jan 19, 2011)

Ah yes....the "Hobie" brand of sailboats is what comes to mind.
They also made surfboards and skateboards if I'm not mistaken.


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## Upidstay (Jan 20, 2011)

I seem to get about a season and a half out of my fireplace gloves. I bought a cheap pair of welders gloves, they lasted a week of burnt fingers, then I tossed THEM on the fire. I bought what I thought was a good set of welders gloves, cost me $25, lasted 1/2 a season. I go to my local hardware store and buy whatever they have, and get, like I said, about a season and a half. Ready to replace my existing pair about now.

I will ocasionally pick up a burning log with the gloves, but I use my poker almost exclusively for moving stuff around. I have a set of tongs, but I prefer the poker.


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## fearofpavement (Jan 21, 2011)

To the OP, if your tongs catch on fire from the paint, stick them in some hot coals for a while and burn that paint off. They aren't much good if you're concerned they'll burn. They are steel, right?

And I am confused by all the people on here putting their hands in the stove, wearing out their welding gloves and so forth. We heat 100% with wood and have a cat wood stove and a wood furnace and I never wear gloves except if I am handling the hot ash pan. Why are we putting our hands in the stove? I use welding gloves a lot (for welding) and we do keep a pair by the downstairs wood furnace that my wife sometimes uses when she does stuff with the stove and the cheap harbor freight ones seem to work fine. The aren't as durable as more expensive ones but work fine for that.


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## Rudedog (Jan 28, 2011)

I just got these US Forge 403 18-Inch Extra Length Welding Gloves. Very well made gloves for the price. I also like the length that protects my forearms. I got tired of all the burn marks on the inside of my forearm from throwing in logs. Looked like I had some issues.

Amazon.com: US Forge 403 18-Inch Extra Length Welding Gloves: Home Improvement


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