Preference in "bulb" gloves? Lighting "toolbox"?

[JLNorthGA]

I'm a firm believer in not touch bulbs with bare hands. As I'm going to have to educate some volunteers in putting bulbs in instruments, I was wondering which gloves ya'll preferred for bulb gloves.

I was figuring that the cotton work gloves were generally available (Home Depot, hardware store) and inexpensive. We do have a Wal-Mart near. Other than that all we have are stores like Dollar General.

Any reason I shouldn't use the cotton work gloves provided that they aren't used for anything else?

I was figuring on making a "lighting" toolbox with gloves, bulbs and a wrench or two.

 

[chausman]

We just use the piece of foam the bulb comes in. It is always there and is effective. It is easy to keep track of, and has absolutely no value if they were to walk away for some strange reason.

 

[josh88]

just saying... this got posted in a blown lamp thread awhile back and while they don't do a long term test over the course of weeks/months this at least proves there aren't any immediate threats to bulb integrity, that being said I usually use the foam as well or I throw on my mechanix work gloves, they're a real tight fit and don't impede my dexterity.

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Lamp Test Video - YouTube
(Discussion of video here http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/lighting-electrics/12040-epic-fail-why-fels-bad.html#post226121 beginning with post #40.)

 

[derekleffew]

The least-expensive white cotton gloves are fine, as are non-powdered latex gloves, but so is the foam, paper, or polyethylene lamp wrapping (just don't forget to remove it!). If changing HPL lamps, consider adding a Best Seat to your kit.

ETA: Note that many of the more expensive gaseous discharge lamps for moving lights are packaged with an alcohol swab/"wet nap." If the lamp comes with one, use it, whether or not you've touched the lamp. By doing so you'll insure that your new, expensive (>$100 usually) lamp is free of contaminants from the manufacturing and shipping process.

 

[techieman33]

We use the foam, paper, whatever that comes with the lamp, unless it's an hpl then we use the lamp seat deal. Every lamp is then wiped down with alcohol as an extra precaution.

 

[Beans45601]

I have never been a fan of things like bulb gloves. It would be impossible to keep any glove free of oil and dirt, as you are going to touch the fingers while putting them on, drop them on the ground, whatever. Maybe if you kept them in a zip top bag whenever you were not useing them, they would be worth something. But, no one would ever do that. Just use the foam that most lamps come with, or get good at seating HLPs with just touching the heat sink (not hard). Or go get a paper towel.

(edit) Oh, and my favorite thing was in high school when the teacher made us install lamps using the same shop gloves that people wore while painting, sanding, drilling, sawing, moving scenery, etc.

 

[Wood4321]

I agree Derek,
But that being said, When I was at High End training many years ago, we discussed those wipes.
The High end guys opinion was that impurities on the surface of an arc lamp were not going to cause a problem.
They then told us about a time when they dropped a hot cyberlight lamp onto the carpet, and it melted a large glob of carpet onto the lamp.
They placed the lamp into a fixture, and it ran just fine in the demo room for years.....

After that I have never used the swabs, But I am still careful not to touch the envelope, especially on the short arc lamps without the outer envelope.

(Oh, and I have never had an oil based lamp failure as far as I know...)

 

[gafftapegreenia]

I have seen a fingerprint lamp failure, but as far as I know, I've never caused one. I normally have enough dexterity to manipulate and install a lamp touching only its base, however I leave the foam on as a precaution and use the alcohol whip on arc lamps. For an HPL, however, I'm usually not as careful, and while I have a best seat in my bag, I've never used it.

What is cool is when someone has only just lightly touched a lamp so that when said lamp finally dies of natural causes one finds a perfectly burned in etching of someone's fingerprint.

 

[Gern]

I have seen a fingerprint lamp failure, but as far as I know, I've never caused one. I normally have enough dexterity to manipulate and install a lamp touching only its base, however I leave the foam on as a precaution and use the alcohol whip on arc lamps. For an HPL, however, I'm usually not as careful, and while I have a best seat in my bag, I've never used it.

What is cool is when someone has only just lightly touched a lamp so that when said lamp finally dies of natural causes one finds a perfectly burned in etching of someone's fingerprint.

I know there is a debate regarding residue. This is my opinion.
For this discussion I refer to a light bulb, lamp=globe=bulb.
I have never seen anyone use 'special clean gloves' to re-lamp. I have used Simpson racing kevlar gloves to remove globes we didn't have time to let cool.
I am a firm believer in not leaving any residue on Tungsten Halogen lamp envelopes.
I always use Techspray brand wipes from our expendables dealers. They are large sized to help keep fingers clear when working. They are also a high quality & percentage of isopropyl alcohol.
I believe that in the studios I work in (Hollywood), T.H. lamps are literally run till they die, or noticeably off normal output levels.
So, while some people have done 'tests' on the oily bulbs, and not seen a difference, my years of swapping globes tells me otherwise.
I too, feel that you can see the fingerprints on some globes when they are swapped out.
I spent time with the GE Lighting scientists and engineers who develop our Studio line of globes. They assure me that it is detrimental to the life of the globe to have (finger, taco, fish, any type) oil on the bulbs envelope.
I have been to the Wolfram factory and in discussion about the HMI bulbs, it is told to me that the 'outer' envelope oils don't cause early failure like the T.H. cycle bulbs.
Now, of course, I admit I can certainly mix up facts or forget things over time.
I DO know that I lack knowledge & education & experience when compared to the people I look up to for such.
I may not grasp or fully understand the "why'', but when it comes from people I feel would know the correct info, I go with it.
Steve Terry would be a great example of this. Of course there are many many great people out there and in here on CB, I single out ST, just as an example. There have been times I see a post and think, "How can you disagree with Steve Terry?"
I certainly cannot.
Maybe that just makes me a fanboy of people I think are smarter than me!!
Regarding swabbing globes with alcohol, I will stick to that philosophy.

BTW, I only use what CB promotes as proper DMX cable.
I always alcohol globes on re-lamp.
I never have my knee on the ground when I tie in ANY cable or connector.
I always use U.P.S.'s on my rigs.
I back-up my console early & often.

 

[Les]

just saying... this got posted in a blown lamp thread awhile back and while they don't do a long term test over the course of weeks/months this at least proves there aren't any immediate threats to bulb integrity, that being said I usually use the foam as well or I throw on my mechanix work gloves, they're a real tight fit and don't impede my dexterity.

As the Mythbusters would say -- Plausible might be a better fit.

The video does open an interesting line of discussion on its own though. Especially since I remember having a newly-renovated auditorium experience a mass lamp failure a few days after opening due to the original installers touching all the lamps. Then you see something like this, and well, it makes you rethink things.

Either way, my budget says "keep lamps clean for good measure". It also says "you'd might as well use the alcohol swab".

 

[derekleffew]

...They then told us about a time when they dropped a hot cyberlight lamp onto the carpet, and it melted a large glob of carpet onto the lamp.
They placed the lamp into a fixture, and it ran just fine in the demo room for years.....

I wonder if their attitude/actions would have been the same with a xenon Super Trouper lamp?

 

[Wood4321]

Actually, They specifically mentioned both the New Short arc lamps (New at the time) as well as xenon lamps as both types of lamps that this would not work with.

To be honest this all makes sense to me, as the thermal load on a tungsten, or short arc lamp is much higher than on a traditional MSR/MSD Lamp.

 

[derekleffew]

... as the thermal load on a tungsten, or short arc lamp is much higher than on a traditional MSR/MSD Lamp.

Are you saying that the envelope surface temperature, or pinch seal temperature, is lower on an MSR/MSD lamp than on a tungsten-halogen or short-arc lamp? I didn't know that, and am not sure I agree with it. Got any evidence?

 

[Wood4321]

I believe I was told that the outer envelope temperature is much lower than the inner envelope temperature, or the only envelope temperature of a short arc.
That being said, I have no proof, other than my memory from several years ago.
So I very well could be off target on this one...

The lamp portion of the training was taught by Don Pugh at HES if that helps...

 

[derekleffew]

Ah, you're speaking of double-envelope (is there a better term?) -type lamps. That makes perfect sense. No one ever worried about greasy fingerprints on a PAR64 lamp either.

 

[Robersim]

For HPL's just handle the lamp by the heat sink, if you graze the glass just wipe it with your shirt. I have never had a lamp explode due to improper handling of the lamp (at least when i install them). Non-HPL's just use the little piece of foam it comes with.