Waterproofing for work gloves?

[Bill]

I work in the rain a lot....

What is the best way to keep work gloves from getting soaking wet?

[DanG]

What trade and why are you wearing gloves?

For the cold and still being able to feel, I prefer the brown jerseys. Buy a dozen or two. Nothing nicer than changing into fresh warm gloves. Keep the cold, wet ones somewhere that they can dry out.

If things are really wet and you don't need to feel, get rubber gloves. Not the ladies dish washing gloves, the kind used by glass setters and guys that work in chemicals.

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[scott21230]

Dry and waterproof are mutualy exclusive. If they are waterproof then you will seat all in the inside anyway.

[DS]

[Dean Hoffman]

Are you talking about leather gloves? What about the waterproofing products used for boots? Your local boot repair shop should have some stuff. Even Walmart carries beeswax, I think.

Dean

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Keep them in your pocket.

More seriously, can you wear a rubber glove?

[George E. Cawthon]

Rubber work gloves. Not the little skinny stuff to keep your hands clean, the real kind that are heavy rubber with a fiber matrix meant to work in. Used in lots of industries, e.g., chemical plants, railroading, but you should be able to find them at any farm supply.

[tom]

A pair of thin polypropylene gloves under jerseys, and you can snowball fight all day. 'Course, they're still wet. Tom

[Gene]

Not too sure, but try linseed oil...Or, ask the local hardware guys.

[Bill]

I am cutting/handling large heavy wet wood logs in Oregon where it rains, rains, rains. Also various construction work outside.

So wearing gloves to keep hands warm, protect hands from "wear and tear", and when using a chainsaw I use special chainsaw protective gloves which are not waterproof and will get wet - then my hands get cold.

It doesn't get real cold around here (maybe 20's sometimes, rarely in the teens) , so typically leather gloves will work if they are dry. Rubber gloves are too thin (cold) and I don't think they would last more than a day with me wearing them. (I wear out gloves quickly.)

[The Bald Ass Prairie farm]

Hi Bill, There's no solution and even if they are waterproof, water will drip/run in from the wrist. I was a construction worker in Holland and now a farmhand in Canada. When they get wet anyway, but no real mechanical wear, I use close fitting deerskin gloves $20 that I oil with vegetable oil, not soaked in oil. That will keep them warm/dry most of the day and the oil smoothes your skin a bit, over those I can wear work gloves, leather/cloth 3 dollar a pair, take those off as soon as and let them dry again, use several pairs and oil them too, that makes it easier to start with just dried ones. The exhaust of the chainsaw will heat those up nicely in one minute. Real wet work, cleaning/unfreezing water troughs in winter, I use chemical gloves, all plastic, and they last about 2 months. As soon as I don't need my hands, I use felt gloves, made for oilfield workers $20, they take some abuse, are very warm and can be worn over the deerskin ones or just bare hands. Yes you always have bulky pockets or one part of your tool belt is stuffed, but warm hands are nice J

[Bill]

Thanks! That is a great suggestion. Vegetable oil is inexpensive and will not contain nasty chemicals. I'll try it...

[DanG]

Bill, I would sure look at something like these:

I hate wearing gloves and will only get them out for hot or sharp or cold. I need to feel what I do, commercial contractor/ carpenter and get frustrated with the gloves, so I get them large enough to be able to get them on and off easily. I cannot imagine you wearing out good rubber gloves any faster than wearing out leather gloves. These are not your mother's Playtex gloves.

(top posted for your convenience) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) [e-mail]

[Philip Lewis]

Veg oil is said to go rancid. I'd use a mineral oil instead. Baby oil is the cheap stuff, if you can stand the scent. Of course, I've heard that that deteriates the leather... I guess you can't win. ;)

Another thing to consider is finding a pair of wool "undergloves". Wool stays warm even when wet, by all accounts.

[Michael Daly]

You could consider these - expensive and they will get damp from perspiration, but they will otherwise stay dry:

Mike

[LJ]

Sno Seal (beeswax based). Got mine from a shoe repair place.

I use it on all my leather gloves & boots. While it doesn't make them

100% waterproof, it's about 90% effective. I can work for a few hours in a wet garden or shoveling wet snow before I need to swap gloves/boots for a dry pair.

My hands/feet perspire too much to wear synthetic, 100% waterproof items. The Sno Seal is a good compromise, so I retain some of the breathability of a good leather but can work comfortably for a few hours at a time.

You might want to shop around and try different leathers. I found that not all leathers are the same. Different animal skins have different properties, try pigskin or goatskin. The tanning process used can affect skin properties as well.

I have a pair of goatskin gloves treated with Sno Seal. I love them. They are thinner than cow leather so more flexible, yet offer almost the same strength as thicker cow leather. Very very comfortable to work in, yet very strong.

[Larry Caldwell]

Try Huberd's Boot Grease (made in Carlton) which is a beeswax and pine tar compound. Buy good quality Gore-Tex lined leather gloves, put them on and dip into the Huberds. Work your hands like you are washing them, paying particular attention to the backs of the gloves, then take them off and LET THEM DRY at room temperature. It will take at least a couple of weeks. You will then have a pair of leather work gloves that will keep your hands warm for several hours. Two pair will do you all day. Let them dry at room temperature when they get wet, and grease lightly when they start to dry stiff.

[keith]

Isn't that the purpose of Gore-Tex? It sure works for boots and other clothing.

[George E. Cawthon]

They make very tough neoprene gloves on a fiber base that will last a long time. They are not thin. I've used them as a young man working as a laborer-- shoveling, digging trenchs, carrying iron, etc. Never had one tear. I'm not talking about those thin things that allow you to feel a or the president on a dime.

[ameijers]

I've had luck wearing the disposable latex gloves inside the real work gloves. Hands stay clean and dry, other than a little sweaty.

aem sends...