[Claypple]

I know most of you think that wearing gloves while working with clay is not cool.
(I am talking about very fine rubber gloves that hospitals and doctors offices are using.)
I personally think the gloves can be very helpful, especially when you work with the different colors of clay at the same time,
or need to cut down on water use, or simply need to answer your cell phone frequently while throwing.
I add vinegar to the water I dip my gloves in to make them more slippery for the throwing.

Just a thought for the beginners.

[OffCenter]

Claypple, on 26 February 2013 - 10:41 AM, said:

I know most of you think that wearing gloves while working with clay is not cool.
(I am talking about very fine rubber gloves that hospitals and doctors offices are using.)
I personally think the gloves can be very helpful, especially when you work with the different colors of clay at the same time,
or need to cut down on water use, or simply need to answer your cell phone frequently while throwing.
I add vinegar to the water I dip my gloves in to make them more slippery for the throwing.

Just a thought for the beginners.

It's one of those ideas that I want to reject as silly but you're convincing enough that I'm gonna have to try it just to see if it works, not that I'll use them even if it does work since I not all that concerned that my hands look well-used. Where do you get fine rubber gloves that doctors use?

Jim

[Claypple]

You can buy them at the pharmacies.
One thing, though: for you it will be like learning to throw all over again, since you are a very experienced potter and you always did it without the gloves.

I've been using the gloves all my life for work, so that makes a big difference too.

I tried working with the clay without the gloves the other days, and contaminated my porcelain bowel with the earthenware slip and didn't like it at all.
When working with the leather dry clay I do not need the gloves.

[Nelly]

Claypple, on 26 February 2013 - 12:16 PM, said:

You can buy them at the pharmacies.
One thing, though: for you it will be like learning to throw all over again, since you are a very experienced potter and you always did it without the gloves.

I've been using the gloves all my life for work, so that makes a big difference too.

I tried working with the clay without the gloves the other days, and contaminated my porcelain bowel with the earthenware slip and didn't like it at all.
When working with the leather dry clay I do not need the gloves.

Dear All,

While I never like to be a naysayer, if you are using rubber gloves day-in and day-out, isn't that a lot of waste? I mean you could wash them a certain amount but I am guessing you throw out a lot too??

In the end, I believe whatever suits you--suits you.

Nelly

[Denice]

I have never tried throwing in gloves but I do use disposable gloves that I get at harbor freight when I am making and applying glazes. I once had a reaction to a wash with copper carb in it, I took my gloves off, it was a sculpture and was have a hard time hanging on to it. It had absorbed into my system and my mouth went numb, scared me to death. The gloves I buy at Harbor freight I think they would be thin enough to throw in and they disintegrate in the environment easily. They come in a box of 100 and if I don't use them fast enough they get brittle and start breaking up. The vinegar tip is a good idea I always splash vinegar on my hands when I get done for the day, it helps replace acids in your skin that clay has pulled out and keeps my hands soft. Denic

[Mark McCombs]

Interesting. I'll have to give it a try.

I have those gloves for handling bisque-ware. I never thought to use them while throwing.

[R Fraser]

I have a safety tip. Much of what is sold as "consumer grade" disposable gloves are not latex free, and you may have to read the fine print to know it. All health care facilities are now "Latex Free Zones" due to the risk of serious allergy developing over time to latex both in staff and patients. Significant allergy can occur often only after sustained chronic exposure. The non-latex gloves do not have the same degree of elasticity and in some cases the same feel as the latex based gloves. Make sure you look for latex free on the box, particularly if you know or suspect you have a latex sensitivty. When I work with seriously toxic stuff (ferric chloride,soluble lithium or barium salts) I have a set of reusable gloves made for use with toxic and or harsh chemicals that go almost to mid forearm. I rinse, dry and repeat over and over again. I do keep some nitrile purple gloves similar to what prehosptial personell use for barium or lithium containing glazes as they are much more robust and can be dried and re-used for a bit.
I also collect shower caps from every hotel that puts them out to cover my banding wheel when spraying or sloppy glazing. The glaze pops off when dry.
Richard

[Bette]

I must wear gloves due to a nail condition that flares up when my hands are wet for prolonged time. After testing different gloves, the best for me is here http://www.amazon.co...x/dp/B000RW8EEA - good tactile sensation, snug, and with a little effort I can re-use them several times.

Took me a while to get over the loss of bare hands touching wet clay, and it bothers me every time I toss used gloves in the trash... but throwing and fine clay work is really fine with these and of course I still have fingerprints /> and soft clean hands.

I think it's key to find the type/size gloves that are a snug fit for your hands and feel reasonably good.

[Pres]

Bette, on 27 February 2013 - 08:56 AM, said:

I must wear gloves due to a nail condition that flares up when my hands are wet for prolonged time. After testing different gloves, the best for me is here http://www.amazon.co...x/dp/B000RW8EEA - good tactile sensation, snug, and with a little effort I can re-use them several times.

Took me a while to get over the loss of bare hands touching wet clay, and it bothers me every time I toss used gloves in the trash... but throwing and fine clay work is really fine with these and of course I still have fingerprints /> and soft clean hands.

I think it's key to find the type/size gloves that are a snug fit for your hands and feel reasonably good.

Back in the 70's I was throwing at Penn State, somehow a piece of metal rib got into my clay that I didn't notice when wedging. Tore the finger tips up pretty well, even though it was quite small. I still had to throw, and found finger cots worked pretty well. These are made for counting money and for other tasks that use the finger tips. Some of you might look into them for glove alternatives.

[JBaymore]

Denice, on 26 February 2013 - 01:40 PM, said:

It had absorbed into my system and my mouth went numb, scared me to death.

Did tyou ever follow this up with a physician? Maybe check for something like Wilson's Disease? Was there anything else in the wash besidec copper carbonate (or oxide) and water?

best,

............john

[JBaymore]

R Fraser, on 26 February 2013 - 02:08 PM, said:

I have a safety tip. Much of what is sold as "consumer grade" disposable gloves are not latex free, and you may have to read the fine print to know it. All health care facilities are now "Latex Free Zones" due to the risk of serious allergy developing over time to latex both in staff and patients. Significant allergy can occur often only after sustained chronic exposure.

You beat me to this one, Richard. Latex allergies are getting VERY common.

best,

...............john

[Benzine]

JBaymore, on 27 February 2013 - 09:24 AM, said:

R Fraser, on 26 February 2013 - 02:08 PM, said:

I have a safety tip. Much of what is sold as "consumer grade" disposable gloves are not latex free, and you may have to read the fine print to know it. All health care facilities are now "Latex Free Zones" due to the risk of serious allergy developing over time to latex both in staff and patients. Significant allergy can occur often only after sustained chronic exposure.

You beat me to this one, Richard. Latex allergies are getting VERY common.

best,

...............john

Indeed. Peanut allergies as well. Humans as a species, seem to be getting weaker in this regard. Our bodies like to overreact to every little thing now.

[patham]

The gloves that Bette recommends are nitrile gloves and are a great choice (though I doubt you want 1000.) As a nurse, I was happy with latex, great fit and tactile sensation, but they are not allowed now. The common vinyl gloves are awful , don't waste your money. Purple nitrile gloves slip on easily, have great tactile sensation and are chemical resistant and i like them better than latex now. I haven't tried throwing with gloves but may do so after reading these posts. I wouldn't mind my hands getting roughed up with the clay, but even minor skin openings on my hands are not a plus on my nursing job.
Patsy

[JLowes]

When I had a cut on a finger I tried using latex gloves while throwing and the learning curve was pretty low slope. The hardest thing to remember was to occasionally lube them with a dip in the water bucket. I found that they actually seemed to have less resistance to the spinning clay than my own fingertips, and tended to use less water than when throwing glove free. I suppose that makes sense because the fingerprints are actually Mother Nature's grip increaser. They were not so comfortable using them for a longer throwing session, as I tend to sweat inside them and they start to stretch out.

In a class I took for may years, there was a orthodontist that used gloves all the time. He said that he was in and out of water all day long at work and found the gloves kept his hands in good shape while practicing pottery. He used a small glove for his medium hands, and found that the stretching was less of an issue.

Those purple nitrile gloves are available in lesser quantites on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co...pd_sim_sbs_hg_1 Also check out the ones below on this page that others bought after looking at these. Some are less cost for same quantity, I noticed that after grabbing the URL.

John

[Jo-Ann]

Thank you for this idea, I cut my hand deep last week, I tried to throw in spite of the cut but it was very painful as nothingnkept it mud free. . . I believe the rubber gloves is my solution. silly I didn't think of it myself. . .

[perkolator]

i've tried throwing with gloves on once because i had a cut - it was less than ideal, i don't see how you prefer it. now i just keep super glue in the first aid kit to keep the wound shut - or just fill it with clay!

tip for throwers who want to answer cellphone with clay hands - keep phone inside ziplock bag