To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

perma-grime? gloves?

beatcad

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2013
Messages
4,520
Location
NOVA
if i knew how to set up a poll i would, but i dont, so im just tossing this out there.
theres been plenty of threads on "whats the best gloves" but this aint it.

an old friend of mine(younger than me) thought that the old timers w/ "perma grime" on their hands was a badge of honor that they'de been doing dirty mechanic work for years. you know those old timers. heck, maybe you are one.
he'd get into any dirty car project bare handed hoping to get that "cred"
he was a toolbag.

when i was younger i never wore gloves 'cause i related it to wearing a condom. i want to feel what i'm doing:beer:
i did always scrub my **** beaters clean. my gal wont let dirty hands touch her dirty parts:lol:

now that i'm older i use gloves a lot. i've probably got 6 pairs and 2 boxes of latex. some for safety some to stay clean.

where do y'all fall on the subject?
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

RedneckWelder

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Messages
5,705
Location
The Ghetto Kingdom of Methlandia
I keep a box of latex gloves on my box and some different types of non-disposable gloves available for whenever needed.

I try to put on the gloves when I'm doing something real nasty, like oil changes, greasing a machine, scraping grease and mud, and so on. Lots of the times I am up on a machine and don't want to climb down to change gloves or get a new pair after they tear. I also find that the gloves don't protect the arms and wrists too much, those areas get plenty nasty.

The Zep cherry bomb hand cleaner we have is pretty good about scrubbing away the grime. I also have a lava soap bar in the shower for getting what I couldn't get when I wash up at work.

I don't consider grimy hands a badge of honor or anything. My uniform shows all that care that I am a mechanic. Nobody in our shop is going to ridicule someone for gloving up, certainly not me, I just seem to wind up working without gloves much of the time. I also hate the sweaty hands that you get from nitrile gloves in the summer time. The mechanics style gloves are better but not as sensitive for feeling.
 

goodysgotacuda

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 13, 2012
Messages
668
Location
DFW
Latex gloves for anything "easy" and dirty as well. Power steering, maintenance, swapping gaskets, electrical work, etc.

If I need to regear an axle or something, I can't find anything better than nitrile coated gloves. They're oil resistant, puncture resistant, hands don't get too sweaty in them [unlike latex], easy on/off, cheap, good dexterity... I don't need dirty hands to show that I can work on stuff. The more I work on things, the more I strive to stay clean and the job organized.

Nitrile-Coated-Hand-Gloves.jpg
 
Last edited:

Farmall450

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 23, 2011
Messages
13,371
Location
Marengo, Illinois
Latex gloves for anything "easy" and dirty as well. Power steering, maintenance, swapping gaskets, electrical work, etc.

If I need to regear an axle or something, I can't find anything better than nitrile coated gloves. They're oil resistant, puncture resistant, hands don't get too sweaty in them [unlike latex], easy on/off, cheap, good dexterity... I don't need dirty hands to show that I can work on stuff. The more I work on things, the more I strive to stay clean and the job organized.

Nitrile-Coated-Hand-Gloves.jpg

+1 I love my gloves like that.
 

CJM8515

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 8, 2014
Messages
9,303
Location
NJ
Used to not really care, but it gets annoying to always have dirty hands. Back when I hardly used gloves I took a vacation. 7 days and finally my hands were clean. I wear nitrile gloves now almost always.
 

Haveblue

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 8, 2013
Messages
1,484
Location
kansas
I'm with you guys on this. When I was younger, I didn't worry too much about PPE. As I get older, I realize my hearing isn't great from years of shooting with no ear protection. I also worry more about chemical exposure.. protecting my hands...and my eyes.. I wont get near a wire wheel without safety glasses. My only concern with gloves is you have to be careful with a lathe, or any other tool that may wind your hand into it..otherwise, I find myself using them more all the time.
 

T45

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 20, 2014
Messages
3,253
Nitrile gloves are super useful. Mostly for chemical barrier. Brake fluids, carb cleaners, etc. Oil is sort of less toxic, but all the particulates etc best to keep them out of nicks or cuts. Sensitization to epoxy and when around fibers, etc. For simply hand-tools, most of the newer/thinner workglove gloves are more functional today. Sythetic leathers and silicone grip enhancers. etc. Simply not available before.
 

top drive

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2012
Messages
294
Location
Aberdeen , Scotland
barrier cream first.

then either - latex /nitrile gloves if its a short term minging task

mechanix style if im generally working

rubber dipped tactile gloves like above. if its messyish and ill be working for a bit

or for grinding / chisel work / etc i go for some old west chesters i kept from work - after washing.

work in the oilfield - turned round my outlook on gloves/glasses/coveralls. psoriasis isnt fun. some of the chemicals we handle at work will give you scales in a heart beat , before burning the rest of your skin off....
 

Tronyadorable

Banned
Joined
Sep 25, 2014
Messages
1,170
Kimberly Clark G10 Kleenguard. 100 pairs for about...... $14 ? I bought 5 boxes a couple years ago. Got almost 2 left.
over that I wear whatever cheapo stretch glove with the grippy Latex palm liner.Bought some Jackson G40 the other day.About $2.50 a pair. Go through one or two pairs a week depending. Sometimes I'll wash a bunch in evil purple and stash them by the paint mixing station for a recycle.
 

blackwire

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 18, 2014
Messages
335
Latex gloves for anything "easy" and dirty as well. Power steering, maintenance, swapping gaskets, electrical work, etc.

If I need to regear an axle or something, I can't find anything better than nitrile coated gloves. They're oil resistant, puncture resistant, hands don't get too sweaty in them [unlike latex], easy on/off, cheap, good dexterity... I don't need dirty hands to show that I can work on stuff. The more I work on things, the more I strive to stay clean and the job organized.

Nitrile-Coated-Hand-Gloves.jpg

Yes, those gloves are awesome, better than mechanic gloves because they provide some protection against oil soaking through, but are still breathable. For very messy/oily jobs I use dish washing gloves. They hold up better than disposable latex gloves, but like latex gloves they don't breathe.
 
Last edited:

OutsideMachinist

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 5, 2014
Messages
986
Location
Norfolk, VA
Yes, those gloves are awesome, better than mechanic gloves because they provide some protection against oil soaking through, but are still breathable. For very messy/oily jobs I use dish washing gloves. They hold up better than disposable latex gloves but like latex gloves, they don't breathe.

Yep I dont like or wear any latex/nitrile gloves. Makes my hands sweat like a ***** in church then if i pull them off more likely to get cut or bust your hands open. I will wear those type of gloves most often. I dont always wear them when i should sometimes it isnt easy/practical.
 

crewchief888

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
13,751
Location
NW indiana
if i'm working in the shop, and have all the modern conviences like running water and a toilet that flushes, i rarely wear gloves.

working out in the field like i do most of the time, i wear nitrile gloves most of the time.

i can get back in my truck with reasonably clean hands to grab my laptop, or get something to drink.
my paperwork dont look like it fell in a grease pit,
and my truck stays a little cleaner inside. i really wish my truck interior wasnt light grey cloth :scared:


:beer:
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

K-Dog

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2014
Messages
2,523
Location
Millersville Maryland
Gloves as much as possible. Its kinda hard to feel bodywork with gloves, so that is one of the few times I dont. Some days when its excessively hot I might not because my hands will get all sweaty and jacked up.
I have several pairs for doing different tasks.

I get a kick out of telling people what I do for a living and showing them my hands.
 

theoldwizard1

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2011
Messages
43,243
Location
SE MI
DIY and old school. No gloves.

Lava and a nail brush work good. Old fashioned hand dish washing is the best solution !
 

Outlawmws

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 9, 2011
Messages
39,308
Location
The Badlands
Wearing nitrile more and more for working on any daily driver, because they always have that layer of grime. Race cars spoiled me a bit as they at least start out clean and generally don't get grime. I prefer to not have to wear gloves, but I also hate having ground in grease...

For parts cleaning I've used heavy rubber gloves for years. At one point my knuckles were so dry I could make them bleed just by squeezing them into fists.. Not good. So protecting them from the harsh stuff became habitual.

Yard work I had to learn to work with gloves on, adn that was a pain, but I got there... I keep a couple pair of leather/canvas gloves handy everywhere, in the vehicles, my shed, the garage...
 

Outlawmws

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 9, 2011
Messages
39,308
Location
The Badlands
ps: :+1: what the old wizard said about dish washing soap, but I also discovered a Dobie Pad is VERY good at getting the grease off your hands where just soap and water don't cut it...
 

Danglerb

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2007
Messages
9,736
Location
SoCal
I have a shelf with a pile of gloves of different types.

Leather
Free orange HF, good, better, soft smooth for rigging, pigskin that grips even dripping with sweat.

Bought nice pair of mechanics gloves, decided too nice to get dirty. Dirty jobs with a wear factor, rough handling, I wear Playtex dishwashing lined gloves.

Chemical resistant dual layer vinyl that go halfway to elbows.
Cheap nitrile, not cheap nitrile, and cheap latex.

Various gloves to keep warm, with and without fingers.

Any type of rotating machinery and I don't wear any gloves, jewelry, long sleeves, etc.

Putting on a barrier, even a coat of Vaseline, makes cleaning yourself up later a lot easier.
 
OP
B

beatcad

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2013
Messages
4,520
Location
NOVA
i used to buy "mechanix" brand gloves for stuff like cutting & grinding metal but they're pricey. now i'll get the simmilar style from HD.
a cut off wheel or a wire wheel will tear up either one just as fast.
i'd rather it cut up the suade than my skin.
latex for paint and prep for paint, but that's just to keep myself clean and the item i'm working on clean(fingerprint free).
thicker leather for buffing.
and yes i do have a pair just for yardwork. even mowing.
 

Heavy Metal Doctor

Well-known member
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
5,417
Location
Mason Dixon Line
i used to buy "mechanix" brand gloves for stuff like cutting & grinding metal but they're pricey. now i'll get the simmilar style from HD.
a cut off wheel or a wire wheel will tear up either one just as fast.
i'd rather it cut up the suade than my skin.
latex for paint and prep for paint, but that's just to keep myself clean and the item i'm working on clean(fingerprint free).
thicker leather for buffing.
and yes i do have a pair just for yardwork. even mowing.

That's about how I am. Working in a shop full time for nearly 20 years. I went though a lot of the machanix gloves years back, but quit buying them as the price went up. Now I get stuff like the thin leather faces / fabric back type like the lite welding (tig) gloves 'cause they last longer and are cheaper. Like Tillman Truefit for $14 a pair are pretty decent.

I used to not care about latex for greasy work and only wore work gloves for metal work and heavy stuff. It's a PITA for me (well, pain in the hands really!) 'cause I can't wear latex all the time or my hand sweat inside them and get screwed up from that, but constant grease one my skins and the excessive washing is just as bad. So, I get the perma-grime and then feel just ok, or I keep them really clean, but the get all cracked / split and hurt like hell if I try to stay gloved up in latex all day. I mostly try to change out gloves for different tasks over the course of a workday.
 

ilovevocs

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 26, 2009
Messages
1,966
Location
Toledo, Ohio
^ cotton gloves are the best for buffing/ polishing. I used to use leather until an old guy I knew that managed a local plating place set me straight. They are a better insulator than the leather; try it. It won't disappoint.

It's difficult to retain polish on your wheels unless you keep the part hot. I truly improved my skills tremendously when I switched to cotton gloves.
 

Outlawmws

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 9, 2011
Messages
39,308
Location
The Badlands
That's about how I am. Working in a shop full time for nearly 20 years. I went though a lot of the machanix gloves years back, but quit buying them as the price went up. Now I get stuff like the thin leather faces / fabric back type like the lite welding (tig) gloves 'cause they last longer and are cheaper. Like Tillman Truefit for $14 a pair are pretty decent.

I used to not care about latex for greasy work and only wore work gloves for metal work and heavy stuff. It's a PITA for me (well, pain in the hands really!) 'cause I can't wear latex all the time or my hand sweat inside them and get screwed up from that, but constant grease one my skins and the excessive washing is just as bad. So, I get the perma-grime and then feel just ok, or I keep them really clean, but the get all cracked / split and hurt like hell if I try to stay gloved up in latex all day. I mostly try to change out gloves for different tasks over the course of a workday.

Try something other than latex. You may be having a reaction to the latex.
 

zoomzoomjeff

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 21, 2009
Messages
1,471
Location
Des Moines, IA area
When I was younger, it wasn't so much of a badge of honor to have dirty hands, as it was I just wanted to get in there and get it done, PLUS I thought gloves were for sissies. I didn't mind getting all grimy and greasy. ****, I cleaned my hands for years with brake cleaner. Skin bounced back. (if I would've only realized then how dangerous that **** is)


Now........I'm older. A year ago my hands just developed crazy bad eczema. Now I have to wear nitrile for any potential chemical or petro use. Period. The rest of the time, I wear mechanics type gloves to protect my now-sensitive hands.
 

csargents1546

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 20, 2009
Messages
805
Location
Westminster CO
I wear nitrile gloves from harbor freight all day. Use the 9 mil. They work great for darn near anything the only drawback is after a hot day at work. Still after reading the msds. Sheets for all the chemicals. It is a small price to pay for peace of mind
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom