Using gloves ?

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Techniques
1

This has probably been discussed before so I will apologize in advance.

I’m new to modelig. When reading instructions they say to wash the plastic parts before using them. It seems to me that when handling the parts the oil from your fingers would attach to the parts thereby possibly creating a problem when applying glue and paint.

My question is do any of you use gloves when working on your models? If you do what kind do you use?

Mark

2

Mark!

Welcome to the forum! I don’t wear gloves while I’m assembling the model. It’s been my own experience that the amount of oil and such transfered from my fingers to the kit has never hindered the glue. Paint, however, is another story. I’m almost embarrased to say this but when I have my plane all set to paint it can be downright filthy from all the handling. To me that’s okay because I know that the very last thing I’m going to do before painting it is to wash it. I’ll wash the plane in warm water and something like Dawn liquid soap. Then I’ll dry the plane and THEN put on a pair of latex gloves like the kind doctors wear. I picked up two boxes of 100 pairs each at my local Sam’s Club. You can also pick up bulk boxes at a place like Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc. I’ve been burned enough to know that they’re not kidding when they say to make sure your model is clean before you paint it! I’ve applied metalic finishes only to see numerous finger prints popping out at me. I once was airbrushing paint on my Skyray only to see beads of paint forming in a particular spot. After lots of cursing, I stripped the paint off, washed it, did the glove thing, then repainted it. It worked and I didn’t have any problems after that.

Hope this helped!

Eric

3

I also wear gloves when preparing to paint. I like the purple nitrile. Not only does it keep oil off the kit, it keeps paint off your hands! Nitrile also does not degrade in the presence of organic solvents like latex does.

Gip Winecoff

4

I prefer cotton “inking” gloves (used by animators) or a thin cotton sock to handle airplane models while painting and decaling.

5

I use cotton inspection gloves during the paint stage but rather than wash the model I wipe it down with a Micro-Sheen cloth.

6

I use surgical Rubber Gloves, buy them in packages of 50 for about $9.

Only drawback is that they are in a horrible blue, makes the blood easy to spot.
[:D]

7

[#ditto] I’m with Gip on this one, although I have the light blue ones and not those pretty purple one’s. [;)][:D]
Harbor Freight has them for a great price of just $8.99 for 100:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=44946

Mike

8

Hi everyone:

Thanks for all the great information. I’m off to Harbor Freight to get some nitrile gloves.

Swanny - would you please expand on the Micro Sheen cloth. What exacrly is it, what does it do and where can I get some?

Thanks, Mark

9

I’ve been using latex gloves (non-powder). What’s cool, is I can pick 'em up at the grocery store when I go shopping for food!!

10

The Micro Sheen tack cloth works a lot like a regular dust cloth but the triangular fabric mesh will reach into panel lines and clean them out, it will remove oils and grease so light as finger prints and so heavy as axel grease and leave a nice clean, lint free surface behind. I’ve been using them for years. My wife uses them for her eye glasses, my kids use them to polish musical instruments and I use them for models. When they get dirty just wash them with soap and water - just cannot allow them to be in contact with fabric softeners.
http://www.microsheen.com//catalog/index.php?cPath=22

11

Thanks Swanny, Mark

12

I always wash completed models before painting, but I dont wear gloves. I just wash my hands, then fix the clean model to a “handle” before airbrushing.

I have dry skin, so it takes a few hours for the oils to build up on my fingers after washing.

Cheers

13

I’m with Clockwork on this one. I wash the model and my hands then go for it with the paint. Of course I do mostly armor so a perfect paint job isn’t always necessary. I wear the purple nitrile gloves if I’m going to be holding something while I paint it which is kind of rare.

14

I must have dry skin or something. I have never used gloves or cloth of any kind. Though I think until the model is painted, I tend to hold it like I do photographs or negatives; by the edges.

Until recently, I never washed the model ahead of time and I used the testors glue. The majority of those models have since disappeared. Parts have fallen off them or broken. I think it has been caused by the Testors glue and not for the lack of rubber gloves.

I value information I find here, but when I go home to night to work on the JU288 and the F-51D, I will be handling them the same way I always have.

15

I’m with most of you too, in that I try not to touch the parts after washing them just prior to painting. It’s the safest thing to do - and the rubber gloves are the best for protecting yourself. Don’t you just hate having paint in you nails? My wife dosen’t like it either…but at the same time, you are taking good care of your model too.

16

You know, I never thought I would be happy that I have bitten fingernails.

Here is a question for all you “glove users”. Part of the reason for keeping your greasy fingers off a plane is to protect the paint job or to keep it from coming off right?

So the current favorite thing is to seal the paint job with future. Why worry about your finders if you are going to be sealing the plane or other vehicle later?

17

The initial primary concern is to ensure that the paint adheres solidly to the styrene substrate. No amount of Future is going to seal paint that won’t stick to the plastic. Of course, it’s also important to keep your hands off the topcoat so that the Future will adhere when it is applied. A water-soluble product like Future won’t adhere to anything that has an oily coating on it.

My second concern is keeping paint off my hands and fingers. The solvents found in acrylics, enamels, and lacquers have the ability to “de-fat” the skin. Repetitive exposures may cause dermatitis, or even direct exposure into the blood stream from skin contact. Yes, I could use various ways of mounting my model so I wouldn’t have to touch it, but when applying fine camouflage lines, or other fine detail, nothing beats holding the kit in your hands for the ultimate in control.

Hope this helps.

Gip Winecoff

18

Gip, you are a safety encyclopedia. Keep up the good work! [tup]

19

I agree. Gip is awesome. [:D]

Mike

20

Aw, shucks, fellas [:I] Just doing what I really enjoy…

Thanks for the kind words.

Gip Winecoff