Mechanic's gloves

[Gordon Maney]

I have never worn gloves either, but I have learned that wearing gloves is not just about protecting hands. Solvents enter your bloodstream through absorption and/or inhalation and have the potential to destroy vital organs.

Even with solvents that are billed as being non-toxic, it is still good practice to wear rubber gloves when working with solvent.

After nearly 50 years working in a printing factory without gloves, toxic chemicals destroyed my dad's pulmonary system and he suffers every minute of his life because of it. The men he worked with are ALL dead or dying from related conditions.

Whenever working with chemicals that you are unsure of, protect yourself from absorption and INHALATION hazards.

If you have ever seen someone you love unable to take in a breath, you will start wearing gloves. I did.

By the way Gordon, I am in Cedar Rapids this weekend and would have loved to get together, but the schedule has been pressing. In fact I am running behind schedule now and must get moving. Wear PROTECTIVE GLOVES with solvent always.

I admit to, by my calculation, having worked with bare hands in solvents and fuels for 46 years. The main solvent has been a Barsol type, commonly used in auto parts cleaners. It is a form of dry cleaning solvent and is also found in many versions of brake cleaner.

I know there was a time when I had some skin problems from it, but at that time nobody used gloves, and we would have thought we were sissies for wearing them then. :-)

Your health hazard issues are important and I take them to heart. I want to live a long time yet and be functional. I will explore some of these gloves mentioned in this thread.

It just occurred to me, are you people packing wheel bearings with gloves, too? I am guessing so.

Thanks all. Good stuff.

PS, Sorry we missed you. We actually passed by Altoona Sunday, coming back from Des Moines. We will get together again sometime, it is always great to see you [and your young bride].

[Tom Petroff]

Wow, that is quite a machine! I don't know that I will ever be near there, but it would be fun to get a tour of your place.

Gordon,
That 210 Ton American Crane belongs to the company I work for.
We moved three large cranes last week to Various projects.
We started breaking this one down Thursday Moved it Friday to the new I-70 Mississippi river bridge crossing project at St Louis and spent 10 hours Sat. finishing it.
Yes some day I would love to get up your way and see an "old School" Shop!
Buy Some Gloves!
Yes, the Ntrile gloves are Great for packing wheel bearings.
Latex are not good for automotive work as the nitrile glove hold up much better to the solvents,and other chemicals.
TGP

[Bruce]

Raven

I have tried many styles, materials and types. I like mechanix fabricator gloves for sheet metal welding, and as far as latex, most are too thin, so you tear them a lot. Thick ones I cannot feel. The best balance for ME has been raven gloves.

Hey Lee,
Where do you find these gloves?
Bear Paw = Bob?

[MasterYota]

Bob, I've got the same problems that you do. I've had to soak my welding gloves in the sink overnight, and then stretch them on and wear them untill they dry in order to get them to fit right.

I gave up on disposable gloves years ago; I can pass a quarter through my wedding ring with room to spare, so even the largest disposable glove is generally too small. I can usually make a fist in them, and blow the knuckles out!

I've found that since I switched my parts washer over to water based solvent, I've had less issues with skin irritation, but I do wipe and wash my hands right away, and I don't spend alot of time using it. A good waterless hand cleaner, like gojo, seems to help alot as well.

ATF is the worst for skin that I've seen. When I used to work in the transmission shop, all the builders wore gloves. Repeated contact with atf will make your skin soft as butter. You can cut it quite badly with just about anything that can be considered sharp - even a butter knife, or slotted screw driver. That stuff is terrible. I found I was washing my hands every 30 mins, as I couldn't wear gloves.

Techs that also use an impact gun alot seem to like the mechanics gloves with the pad over the palm of the hand. The pad has a notch in the center, and the notch prevents the hammering of the impact from damaging the nerves that run under the bottom of your wrist into your hand. The concensus in the shop was that it reduced hand fatigue, and numbness. Seems like a good idea.

[Kevin Mienke]

I admit to, by my calculation, having worked with bare hands in solvents and fuels for 46 years. The main solvent has been a Barsol type, commonly used in auto parts cleaners. It is a form of dry cleaning solvent and is also found in many versions of brake cleaner.

I know there was a time when I had some skin problems from it, but at that time nobody used gloves, and we would have thought we were sissies for wearing them then. :-)

Your health hazard issues are important and I take them to heart. I want to live a long time yet and be functional. I will explore some of these gloves mentioned in this thread.

I remember the look and feel of Dad's hands when he came home from the plant. They were hard, rough and dry. His fingerprints were embedded with oil base ink. They were "man" hands and they were cool.

As you mentioned, there was a day when hardly any working man gave a thought to wearing gloves. Many of those men eventually felt the effects through some type of organ failure. With Dad it was his lungs. It is hard to imagine that the absorption of chemicals through the skin could lead to such misery. It has become very real for our family.

Printing is one of the many occupations that don't lend themselves to the practical use of gloves. They can get caught in machinery and they seem nothing but cumbersome when you want to feel what you are working on. Feeling is the foremost of the five senses when you are working with your hands. Even at that, I have learned to wear them.

[maineSS]

It's interesting to see the new emphasis on hand protection with chemicals, but none on respiratory protection.

Your lungs present a much greater surface area than your hands- one that is designed to exchange chemicals between your blood and the ambient air. There's no quicker way to get something into your body at full strength than inhalation. Keeping your chemical/welding work ventilated so that your head isn't in a cloud of fumes/smoke will make your later years much more enjoyable...

[Gordon Maney]

I do think occasionally of the amount of brake dust I was exposed to as a mechanic and vocational instructor. Toward the end of my teaching career the emphasis on asbestos safety was emerging and I was trying to get the school district to buy a containment/recovery system, but they did not, which was no surprise, since it was their goal to end practical programs to a large degree.

I can remember working at the Olds/Cadillac dealership. One day another mechanic and I engaged in the truly rotten game of blowing brake dust back and forth between our stalls with air nozzles. Sounds terrible, now. We didn't know at the time. That was 1975.