Just wondering

[a101960]

As a matter of interest, how many of you use latex gloves when playing around with oily bits? I don’t but I notice that many professional mechanics do. As a general observation, sooner or later they get punctured and then the oil and grease gets in any way.
John

[bsa-bill]

I have them in the shed always but often forget them as lately when using fast acting glue - 

Should be used tho as many of the lubricants and stuff we use can enter our sytems through the skin

[Topdad]

I use them at times but they seem to "age" quite quickly, and then rip and fall apart ,bet I buy some more in January , see how many I can use before they to go in the bin

[Butch (cb)]

When I was an apprentice we were faced with dire warnings of the effects of over exposure to the various oils in use. Favourite was the poster against putting oily rags in your pockets - featured a blow up of a somewhat diseased scrotum; looked more like a set of bagpipes ... sans pipes.

Main concern really is probably with contact dermatitis. As a full time mechanic with continual exposure you probably need to take more care. I have a big box of gloves in the garage, and yeah they soon tear through. I mostly use them when holding bits and bobs I'm spray painting, but also for the real dirty greasy stuff.

[muskrat]

I tried them once, lasted 45 seconds.
You know you can get drunk handling methanol, it's absorbed through the skin, but it cleans so well.
Cheers

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,
These  are a lot better than the "normal" nitrile gloves
http://www.amazon.com/Eppco-Tiger-Orange-Nitrile-Gloves/dp/B00FSLV4KQ

Sometimes I wear the nitrile cloves under "mechanics " gloves

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/mechanic-gloves or http://www.micksgarage.com/search/gloves

Regards
John

[RichardL]

So, I'll put on mechanics gloves figuring I'll stay cleaner and maybe get fewer cuts and knicks. As soon as I have to do something fussy, like installing rocker-box front nuts, they have to come off. Then, they don't quickly get put back on because my hands are all greasy from the grease I used to keep the nut on-board the knife I used to get them in place (the nuts, not the gloves).

Richard L.

[terryg]

Didn't use gloves for many years but got fed up with all the scrubbing required to clean up.

Now I use Rigger gloves for the heavier jobs and nitrile for more fiddly stuff and painting.

Next box of nitriles I buy will be the more robust type though.

[Topdad]

interesting point from Musky about methanol being absorbed via the hands. First time I saw gloves like this being used was in 1970 when I worked for a blasting firm .The explosives guru was unusually sensitive to one of the elements in the explosive they used and used to use these gloves results if he didn't have them and handled the stuff were 2 days flat on his back with shakes and sweats , very nasty.

[Butch (cb)]

When I went out to Sweden a couple of years ago try some speedway with Ole Nygren we were seated on 70's two valve Jawas. A real iconic bike for me (and I'd love to stick one of those motors in a road chassis). They run methanol of course and I got excited enough that I had to have a little taste.

I gather that it is in fact toxic.

[muskrat]

Sure is Butch.
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002680.htm
^^^"Methanol is extremely poisonous. As little as 2 tablespoons can be deadly to a child. About 2 to 8 ounces can be deadly for an adult. Blindness is common and often permanent despite medical care. How well the person does depends on how much poison is swallowed and how soon treatment is received."
Cheers
ps. Gee it smells good once filtered through a high comp motoe.

[WozzA]

Yes... latex should be used for protection...  but NOT on your hands...      

[jachenbach]

When I was working at Big Twin BMW (was, currently unemployed and in a few months retired!) I tried using latex gloves. As others have said, they'd either tear or get in the way. The other mechanics use nitrile, which I've tried but didn't care for. Mostly, it's just to save having to go wash hands quite so often. I have heavy rubber elbow length gloves I use when working at the parts washer.

[nimrod650]

latex i have used melt if they come into contact with petrol