Gloves for surgeons: Luxury in the repair shop

Andreas Thaler · Mar 27, 2025

Yesterday I went to see my surgeon for a minor operation. He has such beautiful, delicate tools that I could also use for working with my SLRs. For this reason, I also like to go to my dentist

I asked him where I could buy surgical gloves. They fit perfectly, and if you can perform operations on patients in them, they should also be suitable for working with cameras.

The gloves I've been using so far are less suitable for delicate work and don't fit tightly.

My surgeon was so nice and gave me three pairs from his stock.

Today I tried them on and I'm thrilled.

Nothing is loose; they fit wonderfully, tactilely ideal, powdered on the inside, and made of latex, which apparently also resists acetone, at least longer than the blue nitrile gloves I've been using so far.

Only these and no others, even if they aren't cheap!

Why wear gloves when repairing?

Protection of hands.
Protection of repair candidates from fingerprints.
Better grip.
Protection from the hot soldering iron tip. The heat is held back for a short time, which is enough to withdraw the hand.
Advantageous for photos for repair reports.

I tested both gloves, nitrile and latex, with a butane torch. They burn quickly, so be careful.

They can withstand the soldering iron tip at 320°C/608°F for several seconds.

Caution is also required when working with rotary tools like the Dremel. I use thick leather overgloves so I don't have to remove the plastic ones each time.

+++

All information provided without guarantee and use at your own risk.

chuckroast · Mar 27, 2025

Beware of latex for several reasons:

1. You can develop an allergy to the rubber over time
2. Latex is porous and is not a reliable barrier to liquids like naptha or other solvents

For this reason, Nitrile (the blue gloves above) is preferred. If you find that they are not snug enough to give you good tactile response, you wearing a glove that is too large. I use nitriles routinely for repair and for handing darkroom nasties like pyrogallol, catechol, and sodium hydroxide. My gloves snap on every bit as snug as the latex equivalent.

Andreas Thaler · Mar 27, 2025

chuckroast said:
Beware of latex for several reasons:

1. You can develop an allergy to the rubber over time
2. Latex is porous and is not a reliable barrier to liquids like naptha or other solvents

For this reason, Nitrile (the blue gloves above) is preferred. If you find that they are not snug enough to give you good tactile response, you wearing a glove that is too large. I use nitriles routinely for repair and for handing darkroom nasties like pyrogallol, catechol, and sodium hydroxide. My gloves snap on every bit as snug as the latex equivalent.

Good to know, thanks.

I think the protection is sufficient for brief contact with small amounts of solvent; I avoid immersion in liquid anyway.

Andreas Thaler · Mar 27, 2025

Since we're on the subject of occupational safety:

When I'm working with large quantities of solvent, I wear a protective mask with suitable filters and pay attention to the room ventilation.
Soldering fumes are sucked into an activated carbon filter. I solder with lead-based solder, as this is already in my cameras, and lead-based solder shouldn't be mixed with lead-free solder. I don't know whether the soldering temperature is actually high enough to release lead fumes; I think the fumes are more likely to be the flux, which you shouldn't inhale.
A fire blanket is at hand.
I always wear safety goggles over my prescription glasses; something can easily fly into your eyes.
Wearing earplugs when working with the Dremel will prevent hearing damage.

GregY · Mar 27, 2025

chuckroast said:
Beware of latex for several reasons:

1. You can develop an allergy to the rubber over time
2. Latex is porous and is not a reliable barrier to liquids like naptha or other solvents

For this reason, Nitrile (the blue gloves above) is preferred. If you find that they are not snug enough to give you good tactile response, you wearing a glove that is too large. I use nitriles routinely for repair and for handing darkroom nasties like pyrogallol, catechol, and sodium hydroxide. My gloves snap on every bit as snug as the latex equivalent.

Nitrile gloves are not always blue... they come in a variety of colours.

chuckroast · Mar 27, 2025

Yep. I should have been clearer. I was just referencing the ones in the picture above.

GregY · Mar 27, 2025

chuckroast said:
Yep. I should have been clearer. I was just referencing the ones in the picture above.

chuckroast · Mar 27, 2025

Andreas Thaler said:
Good to know, thanks.

I think the protection is sufficient for brief contact with small amounts of solvent; I avoid immersion in liquid anyway.

As an aside, I learned the second point from a research chemist of my acquaintance. He took a nitrile glove and a latex glove and suspended them each in a container of distilled water. He then poured either an acidic or basic solution (I don't recall which) into one of the fingers of each glove.

He then monitored the pH of each container of water. The container with the latex glove changed ph. The container with the nitrile glove did not.

Andreas Thaler · Mar 27, 2025

chuckroast said:
As an aside, I learned the second point from a research chemist of my acquaintance. He took a nitrile glove and a latex glove and suspended them each in a container of distilled water. He then poured either an acidic or basic solution (I don't recall which) into one of the fingers of each glove.

He then monitored the pH of each container of water. The container with the latex glove changed ph. The container with the nitrile glove did not.

That's interesting.

Surgeons come into contact with various fluids in their work, which latex gloves protect them from. Besides blood, these include various types of chemicals I think, though I'm not an expert in that field.

chuckroast · Mar 27, 2025

Andreas Thaler said:
That's interesting. Surgeons come into contact with various fluids in their work, which latex gloves protect them from. Besides blood, these include varous types of chemicals, though I'm not an expert in that field.

Many surgeons and dentists (mine among them) wear nitrile since latex is not a reliable barrier for all pathogens. When using latex, I believe they often double glove.

It's not that you cannot use latex, it's that its inferior to nitrile if you can find a proper fitting nitrile glove. Keep in mind that they come in various shapes and thickness (as measured at the palm). For most things, I use 5mm nitrile. For scrubbing I use 7mm.

Nitrile gloves are widely used now not only by the medical folk but by mechanics, industrial folks, woodworkers ...

As you note, none of the above gives you much of anything in the way of heat protection. For that, I wear welder's gloves

Andreas Thaler · Mar 27, 2025

What about soldering fumes and lead?

Andreas Thaler · Mar 27, 2025

chuckroast said:
As you note, none of the above gives you much of anything in the way of heat protection. For that, I wear welder's gloves

Sometimes I ask myself what I am actually doing

chuckroast · Mar 27, 2025

Andreas Thaler said:
What about soldering fumes and lead?

For soldering I just make sure my work area is well ventilated or has a fan blowing since I am not soldering all that much. If I were soldering all day long, I'd either wear a respirator or gin up some kind of fume extraction hood over the work area.

Modern electronics solder is made of tin, silver, and copper and is lead free. If you're isn't, I'd recommend replacing it.

(Plumber's solder used to have lead in it, but these days is also lead free.)

chuckroast · Mar 27, 2025

Andreas Thaler said:
View attachment 394796

Sometimes I ask myself what I am actually doing

You're protecting yourself and good on your for that!

Sirius Glass · Mar 27, 2025

I started using Nitrile gloves before COVID and I keep them handy when I am in the darkroom.

Andreas Thaler · Mar 27, 2025

chuckroast said:
Modern electronics solder is made of tin, silver, and copper and is lead free. If you're isn't, I'd recommend replacing it.

I don't want to mix lead-free and lead-containing solder in my cameras.

I solder everything lead-free, unless it's from the 80s.

Lead is harmful to the environment, and that's probably why it's now banned as a component of solder in industry.

Private individuals and repair shops are still allowed to use it here in my region.

But is lead actually floating in the soldering fumes?

chuckroast · Mar 27, 2025

Andreas Thaler said:
I don't want to mix lead-free and lead-containing solder in my cameras.

I solder everything lead-free, unless it's from the 80s.

Lead is harmful to the environment, and that's probably why it's now banned as a component of solder in industry.

Private individuals and repair shops are still allowed to use it here in my region.

But is lead actually floating in the soldering fumes?

I wouldn't breathe it to find out. I happily solder old machinery with modern lead-free solder. Never had an issue. I still ventilate well, though.

Roger Thoms · Mar 27, 2025

What I found is that I had to try several brands of nitrile gloves before I found a good fit. I suspect that would also be the case with latex also.

Roger

paul ron · Mar 27, 2025

harbor freight sells nitril gloves in 3 different thicknesses. the light weight are nice for light duty, then the other heavier types are great for auto repair.

im alergic to latex, but those were much more durable and had a better feel, although yhe nitrils are just as good.

chuckroast · Mar 27, 2025

Roger Thoms said:
What I found is that I had to try several brands of nitrile gloves before I found a good fit. I suspect that would also be the case with latex also.

Roger

There is no question that you have to find the right fit for any glove. But no matter how well it fits, the nature of latex is such that it will not protect your skin from solvents or pathogens anywhere near as well as nitrile.

In fairness, my reason for switching to nitrile actually had as much to do with wanting to avoid latex allergies as it did with barrier protection.

chuckroast · Mar 27, 2025

paul ron said:
harbor freight sells nitril gloves in 3 different thicknesses. the light weight are nice for light duty, then the other heavier types are great for auto repair.

im alergic to latex, but those were much more durable and had a better feel, although yhe nitrils are just as good.

They do indeed, but I think the OP is in Europe (Vienna?) if memory serves. HF is probably thin on the ground there

loccdor · Mar 27, 2025

Andreas Thaler said:
View attachment 394796

Sometimes I ask myself what I am actually doing

I used to wear this type of thing when working in my 3 foot by 3 foot unvented darkroom closet.

BrianShaw · Mar 27, 2025

chuckroast said:
They do indeed, but I think the OP is in Europe (Vienna?) if memory serves. HF is probably thin on the ground there

But the general point is worth noting, and likely the same in EU as in US… nitrile gloves are readily available in pharmacies, hardware stores, auto parts stores, and on Amazon.

Andreas Thaler · Mar 27, 2025

chuckroast said:
I wouldn't breathe it to find out. I happily solder old machinery with modern lead-free solder. Never had an issue. I still ventilate well, though.

I can't choose anyway, since the lead-containing solder is already in the cameras. New solder is rarely added; most of it involves soldering cables with the existing solder.

Andreas Thaler · Mar 27, 2025

chuckroast said:
They do indeed, but I think the OP is in Europe (Vienna?) if memory serves. HF is probably thin on the ground there

Yes, in Austria.

Amazon delivers everything here too.

Gloves for surgeons: Luxury in the repair shop

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