Sheet metal edges are unforgiving. A momentary lapse in attention, a slightly wrong grip angle, and you're bleeding. HVAC techs, fabricators, and auto body workers accumulate cuts daily — small ones that sting, deep ones that sideline you. Full gloves protect but eliminate the precision touch these trades demand.
Self-adhering tape offers targeted protection. Wrap the vulnerable zones — finger pads, the web between thumb and forefinger, the heel of the palm — and leave the rest bare for feel.
The Cut Zones
Most sheet metal cuts happen in predictable places. The pad of the index finger during edge handling. The web of the thumb when feeding material. The inside of fingers when reaching into ductwork. Map your own injury patterns and wrap accordingly.
Ductwork installation requires reaching into tight spaces where gloves catch and bunch. Tape protects without adding bulk or reducing sensitivity to sharp edges you can't see.
Why Not Cut-Resistant Gloves?
Cut-resistant gloves work for some tasks. But they reduce tactile feedback, trap heat, and make fine manipulation difficult. Try setting a self-tapping screw wearing cut gloves. Try feeling whether a seam is properly aligned.
Tape maintains full sensitivity in unwrapped areas while armoring the specific spots where cuts occur.