Best protective gloves for delicate repairs?

April 18, 2008 8:58 PM

What are the best gloves to provide protection from molten stick shellac, while still allowing for extremely delicate repair work?

These would be used for woodwind repair, where molten stick shellac is frequently dripping on my hands in the middle of a repair. Usually when I am unable to use a properly equiped repair bench, and doing repairs in awkward places.

-The gloves would need to allow me to adjust a pad on a saxophone in a very tight space, and in a very precise manner.
-Any protection from needle springs (sharp points), and from accidental contact with hot metal would be a definite plus.
-Latex gloves would be great, but do they provide any protection from hot molten shellac? Hot metal? Will they melt?

Thanks!

posted by alhadro to media & arts (4 comments total)

Spectra gloves ?
posted by hortense at 11:06 PM on April 18, 2008

To be protective from heat I'm sure they need to be of a certain thickness or material that is stiff. So no, I don't think they exist.

These repairs sound delicate and firstly you need a proper bench and not to work in awkward places. WTH¿ It's your instrument and you're using the finest in this shellac to make the instrument sound wonderful, yet look where you're doing this repair. You say you'll be charging for repairs¿ Damn.// Think of your reputation and how long the business would last if your repairs turn out to be ho hum. Word spreads.

The proper bench may need multiple articulating arms that can hold and/or support various pieces. You may need to apply the molten using a popsicle stick or something similar as opposed to your hands.
posted by alicesshoe at 5:29 AM on April 19, 2008

Mechanics gloves may be an option. They may not be sensitive enough but you could cut the finger tips off. That way at least your palms and the backs of your hands would be protected. Mechanix is a good brand and you can find a few of their models rebranded at Sears for about half the cost.

Looking at their catalogue I see they have fingerless and 0.5 mm thin models.
posted by Mitheral at 9:44 AM on April 21, 2008

Thank Mitheral, one of those should definitely work, or perhaps something from here, cut resistant would be great.

I agree with alice that a proper bench would be best. I certainly wouldn't need gloves if I were using one. However I should have specified that the conditions I will be working under will make it impossible to use one (temporarily mind you). And yes I realize that the quality of repair will deteriorate quickly, but I have judged what needs to be done.

Thanks for the suggestions!
posted by alhadro at 7:26 PM on May 15, 2008