Building LEGO with Gloves?

Miles

Does anyone do this? I'm thinking of sterile latex or latex-alternative gloves as a means to keep the LEGO free from dirt and oils on one's hands.

Obviously, it sounds a bit neurotic, but nonetheless I've considered it several times while building a set to display. So far I've managed to restrain myself - it seems like a slippery slope as far as OCD.

Am I the only one who thinks of their collection this way? I almost posted this in the LEGO grading thread, however I can't say I've ever encased any of my LEGO in plastic. Yet.

;-)

drdavewatford

Assuming you're not winding us up (!) this is a step too far, IMHO....

Each to his/her own, but for me the feel of the bricks is part of the pleasure.

If you're worried about keeping the bricks oil/dirt free, washing your hands before building will help. Failing that, buy a spare of every set you build and keep it MISB.

madforLEGO

Well it is all in the eye of the beholder, but considering oils on your hands should not really affect plastic Id say you are OK.. Just keep them out of the sunlight or excessive heat that could cause discoloration.
But I guess someone with more scientific background would need to chime in here.

Legoboy

I will scrub my hands thoroughly with soap before I crack open a MISB. No eating or drinking etc. Gloves? Not yet! :o)

Miles

Not trying to wind anyone up, lol.

I figured that the natural oils on my hands wouldn't affect the plastic at all, but it's one of those things...once I thought of it, it was kinda like "that's...kind of gross. I hope I'm not leaving residue on my bricks, lol."

But @drdavewatford you're right, the feel of the bricks themselves is part of the experience. Were I ever to take my building to the extreme of wearing gloves, I can't imagine it would be all that fun anymore.

And @flump, sometimes I'll wash my hands between numbered bags as well...which could explain why they're so dry, lol. To each his own, I guess.

But hearing that you guys feel this is over the top is reassuring. Thanks!

Legoboy

^ I'm about as anal as you can get with MISBs. I can't even handle the boxes with my finger pads through fear that I'll leave grease marks on them. I end up pulling my sweater cuffs over my hands or grasp them the backs of my hands or inside of my wrists. Nevermind the fact that they've probably been handled by shop staff a dozen times over!

Handling the bricks, so long as my hands are clean, nothing permanent can occur.

When are you available for my next session?

BuriedinBricks

I almost always was my hands before handling bricks, but I don't think I'll ever be at the point where gloves will be necessary.

caperberry

Have to admit - I have done this! When cleaning models prior to macro photography.

I'm a LEGO-loving glove-wearing freak.

drdavewatford

I kind of get it when photgraphy of LEGO is concerned.

It never fails to amaze me how much dust and dirt there can be on minifigs etc. when I snap them with the macro lens, even when they look pristine to the naked eye.

Huw

Gloves are a step too far, but my wife says I have OCD because I'm always washing my hands before building :-)

I used to get terribly dry hands but now I use this stuff, which leaves your hands lovely and soft :-)

Legoboy

I think you should add it to the Bargain Watch thing Huw. ;-)

LegobrandonCP

That is a bit insane IMO. LOL But I do wash my hands with soap before building any set to avoid getting oil onto the bricks. :)

The_Brick_Builder

I always wash my hands with soap before building. I especially can't stand touching clear bricks! : )

Miles

flump said:

^ When are you available for my next session?

OMG. Group therapy for AFOL's! (Anal fans of LEGO). Huh. That sounded less scary in my head, lol.

@caperberry - Yes! At least I don't feel so crazy for seriously considering it!

@Huw - That looks intriguing. I wonder if I can rustle some up in the States...

bmwlego

Miles...here in the States Lysol makes the same no touch hand soap dispenser.

No gloves for me.

Miles

Ah, Lysol. Now I kinda want to stay away. *backs away slowly*

;-)

The_Mack

Miles said:

So far I've managed to restrain myself - it seems like a slippery slope as far as OCD.

While I don't use gloves, and I don't consider myself OCD, When I do build I have to make sure the studs that read LEGO are the same direction when laying down multiple plates in a build... I don't do it for everything, but my brain doesn't allow for non-uniformity like that. It's from having a certain level of Autism.

DaddyDeuce

I'll admit that I have assembled at least one LEGO set using gloves (I wore disposable cotton gloves, not latex or nitrile). It was a custom MOC I was building for resale and I wanted it to be a pristine as possible.

I got into the habit of wearing cotton gloves when handling collectable coins and optical components (two other things I've bought/sold before to support my hobbies) so it was a natural extension to do it for LEGO.

Miles

The_Mack said:

Miles said:

So far I've managed to restrain myself - it seems like a slippery slope as far as OCD.

While I don't use gloves, and I don't consider myself OCD, When I do build I have to make sure the studs that read LEGO are the same direction when laying down multiple plates in a build... I don't do it for everything, but my brain doesn't allow for non-uniformity like that. It's from having a certain level of Autism.

Hey, I do that too - but only when I'm building the sets according to the instructions. Not so much with MOC's. It just feels more 'organized' that way.

:-)

brickmatic

Whether the cause is OCD or autism, having studs all face a certain direction certainly sounds both obsessive and compulsive.

LegoFanTexas

^ I notice it regarding the studs and what direction they face, but I honestly can't be bothered to actually make them face the same direction.

Yea, that is OCD, and while there is nothing wrong with it, I actually prefer my Lego builds to not be "perfect", I think it almost looks nice being "natural". :)

The_Mack

brickmatic said:

Whether the cause is OCD or autism, having studs all face a certain direction certainly sounds both obsessive and compulsive.

^ Lego has a lot of uniformity just in general, and while it's not something I have to do, it's just something I notice. Mainly if it's on a top visible plate, i.e. a roof, or floor. Yes, it's different, but it's how my thought process works. My brain is constantly looking for patterns, and the direction of the word LEGO on the studs is one of them. Obsessive would be if I couldn't stop, but on the compulsive I will agree with you slightly.. if it's covered by another brick it doesn't bother me. So it mainly just the top pieces/plates that I look for the uniformity in.

caperberry

I've never aligned the writing on studs, partly through fear of pandering to my OCD side, but mostly because it would irritate me so much if it then proved impossible to align ALL studs correctly! (e.g. corner plates)

richo

I only build in absolutely sterile environments. lol.

LegoFanTexas

richo said:

I only build in absolutely sterile environments. lol.

Level 4 Clean Room, all the way! :)

Miles

Can I bring my bubble?

;-)

richo

seriously though, I love lego, but come on, if this isn't the sort of thread that makes it sound really anal, I don't know what is.

Legogeek

I use robotic manipulator arms

LegoFanTexas

^ Funny! :)

Miles

richo said:

seriously though, I love lego, but come on, if this isn't the sort of thread that makes it sound really anal, I don't know what is.

You can place the burden of that on me, lol

It's probably good that I'm the minority of the minority, here. Otherwise we'd have entire threads dedicated various kinds of gloves, air purification systems, acrylic displays and even LEGO grading systems.

Wait...

Eh. It takes all kinds. ;-)

LegoFanTexas

Can you get your hands graded?

caperberry

richo said:

seriously though, I love lego, but come on, if this isn't the sort of thread that makes it sound really anal, I don't know what is.

People in trans-clear houses shouldn't throw BURPs, richo... ;O)

richo

^ true! :-D

khmellymel

The_Mack said:

When I do build I have to make sure the studs that read LEGO are the same direction when laying down multiple plates in a build... I don't do it for everything, but my brain doesn't allow for non-uniformity like that. It's from having a certain level of Autism.

Oh, my lord, I thought I was the only person in the world that does that! I do it for everything, unless of course the stud *can't* face that way. But it really bothers me when it doesn't, and sometimes it takes me a while to make myself move onto the next building step.

EDIT: I just read the other comments on obsessive and compulsive... I don't consider myself either... I dunno, it just bothers me.

Also...

caperberry said:

I've never aligned the writing on studs, partly through fear of pandering to my OCD side, but mostly because it would irritate me so much if it then proved impossible to align ALL studs correctly! (e.g. corner plates)

I have yet to find a build that allows me to align ALL the LEGO logos :(

CCC

^ I do the same if the model is to be displayed or photographed. LEGO logos point upright or to the right, unless the part does not fit in that way.

As to the last point, it is possible, but the builds tend to be rather boring!

rocao

Huw said:

Gloves are a step too far, but my wife says I have OCD because I'm always washing my hands before building :-)

I used to get terribly dry hands but now I use this stuff, which leaves your hands lovely and soft :-)

This literally had me LOL'ing, which I don't often do. It reminds me of Curley in "Of Mice and Men" who always kept his hand in a glove full of vaseline... for, um... the ladies

berniebond

I put gloves on for lego just once: When I took those four 1x8 dkblue arches out of this ugly bionicle set. Just to get them untouched to the buyer (who payed 11€ each... )

nkx1

Add me to the list of slightly OCD people who have to have all or most of the Lego printing facing the same direction on pieces. Although, I've noticed that after the model is built, I really don't notice the direction of the printing much. Also, it takes me much longer to build something when having to do this. I think from now on, I'm going to try to not care about the printing direction (that is, if I can muster the will power to allow the printing to be different directions lol).

lulwut

Built the recent Y-Wing with latex gloves. Incredible results but the build process, not so much. Finally got stickers to stick on and REALLY stick on. Didn't like the sweating and loose flapping glove getting caught in between bricks.

DaddyDeuce

lulwut said:

Built the recent Y-Wing with latex gloves. Incredible results but the build process, not so much.

See my comments above about cotton gloves. Solves the sweating problem. For stickers, use tweezers.

lulwut

DaddyDeuce said:

lulwut said:

Built the recent Y-Wing with latex gloves. Incredible results but the build process, not so much.

See my comments above about cotton gloves. Solves the sweating problem. For stickers, use tweezers.

Is there a big box store that carries cotton gloves? I've tried looking and seem to have a hard time finding them.

LegobrandonCP

lulwut said:

DaddyDeuce said:

lulwut said:

Built the recent Y-Wing with latex gloves. Incredible results but the build process, not so much.

See my comments above about cotton gloves. Solves the sweating problem. For stickers, use tweezers.

Is there a big box store that carries cotton gloves? I've tried looking and seem to have a hard time finding them.

Walmart? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cara-Disposable-Cotton-Therapy-Gloves-24-Pairs-Large/6436315

Quite expensive for 24 pairs.

DaddyDeuce

lulwut said:

Is there a big box store that carries cotton gloves? I've tried looking and seem to have a hard time finding them.

Not a big-box, but they are on eBay. Example:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/24-Pairs-White-Inspection-Cotton-Lisle-Gloves-/160891590558

I grant that they are still more expensive than latex/nitrile, but you can get multiple uses out of a single pair.

Crowkillers

This is a rather odd, but interesting topic...

mrseatle

I'd stay away from latex and use the white cotton gloves too. But am trying to imagine taking it apart and not being able to generate any "grip" to get pieces apart.

Laziter

Sometimes when I've bought huge lots of LEGO, I use a pair of gloves like those below here when sorting the bricks, they keep my hands free of dirt and protects them from hard and pointy edges.
They cost about $2/pair which makes them affordable to just about anyone :-)

caperberry

And building with thick gloves is apparently something new LEGO Designers are made to do! To make them find building as difficult as a 4 year old does.

Laziter

^ What are you talking about? You can buy gloves that you can hardly feel on your hands. The gloves I use are perfect for fine use. I've even used them when I was working with electronics, never had any issues.

CCC

When our kids were smaller and we were doing a race build (building the same small sets at the same time), I was often handicapped by having to wear woolly gloves. These days, it should be the other way around!

Miles

Crowkillers said:

This is a rather odd, but interesting topic...

What can I say? I'm unique.

(And apparently not the only one.)

;-)

Crowkillers

Hey, I didn't say that there was anything wrong with it.. It's just a bit off the wall... ;)