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Topic: White Cotton Gloves

Rob Brooks
Film Handler

Posts: 57
From: NY, U.S.A.
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 11-03-1999 10:37 PM

My management says we must use them when inspecting film. Do you think it makes a difference in the final presentation? Some complain their fingers aren't sensitive to feeling what's on the film with them? I haven't had that problem. I think they help most between reels where splices get very smudgy from fingers. Any commments?

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Rob

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-03-1999 10:57 PM

Just put on a pair of gloves and clap your hands together a few times.... See all that dust in the air? That lint from the gloves gets on the film. (I.M.H.O.)

However, I don't advocate that you shouldn't use gloves. Do what you think is best. If you don't think it's possible to handle the film by the edges and not get any fingerprints on the film, use gloves by all means. Even I have to be really careful not to get fingerprints on the film without them.

Usually, I wear only one glove on my left hand. If I'm winding film off the left spindle of the rewind bench, that's the hand I touch the film with most often. My right hand is most often operating the controls or handling the reels, etc. Any film that I touch with the right hand is usually the part that gets cut off. (leaders or junk frames) If I have to touch the film on the right hand spindle, like when splicing reels together, I cross over with my left hand. Further, I use my right hand to put the splicing tape on the film and not wearing a glove on that hand keeps the tape from getting stuck to the glove and attracting lint under the splice.

Well, that's the way I do it. It ain't pretty but it works for me. Heck! I only have to order gloves half as often that way!

One last thing... If you wear glove(s) you're less likely to get a friction burn or a film cut.

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George Roher
Master Film Handler

Posts: 266
From: Washington DC
Registered: Jul 99

posted 11-03-1999 11:54 PM

I can't feel a lab splice quite as easily when wearing gloves. I prefer not to use them.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 11-04-1999 12:28 AM

I do not use gloves. However I can tell where there is a lab splice in a reel just by glancing at it before I even start winding anything. I just do not prefer the feel of those "one size fits all" gloves, and they are very weak and get torn to shreds very quickly. Just be sure to handle the film by the edges only!

If you use FilmGuard, feel free to get as many fingerprints as possible on the film, and go ahead and slobber on it to find out which side is emulsion, as FG will take it all off and make everything nice and good! Actually, I don't recommend that you be that careless, but using FilmGuard kinda takes the anal-rententiveness out of splicing, as you'll never see any fingerprints onscreen if you use it.

And speaking of slobbering on the print to find out which side is base and emulsion--- I HATE THAT! I can tell usually just by looking. If not I lightly breathe on the film. The side that fogs up is the base. On sound test loops I draw an arrow on the film with a marker so I don't have to figure it out each time (unless there is an arrow already printed on the film like Dolby loops)

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 11-04-1999 01:43 AM

I use the cotton gloves---not for film handling, but for wiping (or mopping) up oil leaks from the projector.

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Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99

posted 11-04-1999 03:56 AM

I don't wear the gloves, because they don't fit. If you are careful with the film, it isn't a problem...

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 11-04-1999 05:04 AM

I don't use gloves for building, as I can't feel the tiny defects in the prints with them on. Plus, as Joe mentioned they don't "fit all".

I only use gloves for threading! Wouldn't want to get any fingerprints on that leader. (You'd be surprised how much fun that is watching people's reactions as you pull out a pair of gloves acting completely serious, to thread the leader. Tons of laughs.)

Other than putting on a show for "booth tours", I personally find the gloves useless because as Joe mentioned, you can get all the fingerprints you want on the film and FilmGuard will pull 'em right off.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 11-04-1999 07:07 AM

If you can find a supplier, nylon or polyester "film handler's gloves" don't generate dust or lint like the more commonly available cotton gloves. They also come in different sizes. If you have the discipline to handle the film by the edges only and not get fingerprints on the image area, bare hands are OK too. As noted, finding splices and nicked edges is easier without gloves to snag, and bare fingers give a much better "feel" of the film. But do wash your hands before handling film, and keep them dry and sweat-free. It's also important to keep the splicer and work surfaces absolutely clean, and try to keep film or leader off the floor or dirty surfaces.

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John Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Professional Motion Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Eastman Kodak Company
Rochester, NY 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Fax: 716-722-7243

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-04-1999 07:30 AM

I never had the gloves, but I don't think that I would have bothered with them if I did. As long as the projectionist washes and dries his hands well before inspecting or threading film and is careful when doing so, I can't imagine that there would be much of a problem with damaging the film with dust/fingerprints/etc.

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John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 11-04-1999 08:43 AM

I'm with most everybody; If you're careful, I don't think gloves are needed. But I can easily see where the definition of 'careful' will vary from person to person. One person will wash their hand before threading or making up- Another will honestly think that if they wipe their hands on their pants real hard, than that's enough to get the cheeseburger juice off.

And since management can't tell who is who, they simply force gloves on everybody. Maybe you could explain to the other operators about the importance of keeping the film clean when making up, adding that if we aren't careful, we'll have to deal with gloves. Then ask management to give you, say, a month. After that, let management see the improvment.

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-04-1999 09:24 AM

I wear the gloves during build up and can feel the splices go through. It helps prevent friction burn during that and while holding the spool when spinning on trailers.

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Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 11-04-1999 09:10 PM

Tried the glove thing once... and after having the hair standing on end then the HUGE static shock i received upon touching the make up table, (handling polyestar of course) I promptly chucked them in the trash.

If you are using common sense and are careful the gloves shouldnt be necessary.

Aaron

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Erika Hellgren
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 168
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-06-1999 12:15 AM

I don't need gloves to protect me from burning my fingers when I hold the edges - somehow I made myself immune to that long ago. Now, I don't feel a thing when that film is zipping through. Kinda scary.

I used gloves once. Not my thing. I think I'm pretty good at keeping my fingers on the edges. (Plus I have FilmGuard - the miracle chemical)

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Will Kutler
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1506
From: Tucson, AZ, USA
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 06-25-2001 05:27 PM

The only type of gloves that my old theater was authorized by its home office to get were the white cotton style. As an experiment, my fingerprint easily went through the glove and onto the film! It was also difficult to handle film with these gloves-and heaven help you if you tried using them while handling splicing tape! I quit using gloves and learned how to gently handle film by the edges. If I accidently did get a fingerprint on the film, then I tried to clean it up with a little Film-Guard and lint free lens cleaning tissue.

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Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 09-19-2001 02:43 PM

My company has always required white cotton gloves. (I have no idea where they get them from or what kind they are; I just order them and they send them to me.) Of course that does not mean that everyone wears them, which tends to piss me off since I'm a booth certifier. Anyway, I have never heard such strong arguments for not wearing gloves before! By my theater doesn't have a film cleaner, so any Film Guard would have to be applied by hand. Maybe I would do that, but most others wouldn't take the time to. I always have worn gloves, and probably always will, even if it isn't company policy (which it is).

I've heard lots of complaint from other operators that I've trained about splicing while wearing gloves. I got used to it a long time ago. Just be careful not to get any glove lint stuck to the tape!

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