Do you wear gloves while applying vinyl?

[mim]

My hands are always covered in minor cuts and scrapes from materials and, I guess, a lack of coordination with the xacto I don't really care but outside of work I get a lot of comments that I should wear gloves. I can't imagine working with vinyl with gloves on, I'm frustrated just thinking of it lol.

Just curious if anybody does, and if so, what type/brand?

Thanks

 

[myront]

For sign work? No gloves.
I only wear gloves when unloading pvc and polymetal sheets from the delivery truck.

 

[rjssigns]

For large areas of vinyl I use the white poly gloves from Horror Freight. If I lose them or wreck them it doesn't matter. A bag of them is less than 10 bucks.
In the lab at school we have some super slick application gloves from Italy. Better than the name brand gloves but they're stupid expensive. IIRC they cost around 30 bucks for one.

 

[GAC05]

I always do if I know the police will be investigating the area after I have moved on to the next job.

 

[signage]

Real men don't wear gloves unless committing a crime

 

[Stacey K]

These are the kind of gloves GAC05 wears...

 

[gnubler]

No gloves, but hair pulled back into a braid or bun. Never fails.

 

[unclebun]

Don't use X-Acto knives to apply vinyl. For most anything sign-related for that matter. Those #1 blades are murder on anything they bump into or fall on. Far too pointed. Use a retractable snap blade knife like an Olfa SVR-2.

And if you're cutting the backing paper for application, use an Olfa scissors, not a knife. No risk of cutting yourself and you don't get a line of that fuzzy paper fiber under your vinyl from knife cutting paper either.

 

[mim]

Don't use X-Acto knives to apply vinyl. For most anything sign-related for that matter. Those #1 blades are murder on anything they bump into or fall on. Far too pointed. Use a retractable snap blade knife like an Olfa SVR-2.

And if you're cutting the backing paper for application, use an Olfa scissors, not a knife. No risk of cutting yourself and you don't get a line of that fuzzy paper fiber under your vinyl from knife cutting paper either.

I use both but its ALWAYS with the xacto that I end up hurting myself I use it for weeding and trimming contours. Olfa for just general cutting purposes. I never use either for backing paper, I learned that (expensive) lesson the hard way.

 

[unclebun]

Use a pick for weeding, not an X-Acto. And you can cut things out with the Olfa, you just have to learn how to hold it (not like a pencil)

 

[mim]

Use a pick for weeding, not an X-Acto. And you can cut things out with the Olfa, you just have to learn how to hold it (not like a pencil)

I have a pick too but I always go for the xacto, it seems better to me, but I guess if I'm posting on a forum about injuring myself I should probably train myself to use the pick instead haha. Thanks!

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

+1 for the xacto weeding camp

 

[jochwat]

I've had both a pick and an x-acto roll off the table and stick into my shoe. I don't know why the barrels of these things are cylindrical instead of, oh, I dunno, ANY OTHER SHAPE.

 

[unclebun]

I've had both a pick and an x-acto roll off the table and stick into my shoe. I don't know why the barrels of these things are cylindrical instead of, oh, I dunno, ANY OTHER SHAPE.

We don't use the X-Acto brand handles. Ours have the tightening scre mechanism at the back end and there's a hex nut shape there. Excel brand I think. They don't roll.

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

I've had both a pick and an x-acto roll off the table and stick into my shoe. I don't know why the barrels of these things are cylindrical instead of, oh, I dunno, ANY OTHER SHAPE.

that's why i have one of the black handled ones. it has flat sides on one end so no more rolling

 

[Gino]

Hard to believe that people outside your workplace comment on your hands. What kinda people do you hang around with ??

Do this and it won't be so evident.................

 

[mim]

Hard to believe that people outside your workplace comment on your hands. What kinda people do you hang around with ??

People who don't work with their hands I guess!

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I hate olfas. Put a rubber band around the handle of your exacto and it will stop it from rolling

 

[Gino]

People who don't work with their hands I guess!

That's still creepy.

Oh Jerry, look at your hands, they're so full of little cuts. What on earth do you do for a living ??

 

[Boudica]

I wield blades all day long - I never cut myself with the blades, but I'm chronic with paper cuts. That liner can make some pretty deep cuts. My arms get scratched up from substrates like SIntra and coro corners.