DIY Dry Gloves

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Good day all. I've done a good bit of digging before starting this thread. First off, I know this project is a little trivial and I could just buy the gloves from a few reputable online stores. The issue is that won't give me any experience glueing latex and fixing a drysuit, and since I'm cheap and I'd like to do my own repairs I figured this would be a fun project and a good place to start. If I mess up, not really a big deal.

I'm looking to build these;
View attachment 554596
I know the gloves are Showa 720's and I have no problem sourcing them. Picking up a set of latex bottleneck wrist seals shouldn't be an issue, it's the glue that I'm having an issue with. From older threads it seams PB-300 was a good glue. In the UK they have Rema Tip Top SC4000 and I'm trying to source it now. Looks to be good stuff and it comes with the hardener. Aquaseal is also an option, but it doesn't come with a hardener and to be honest anything with "aqua" this or "scuba" that usually has a hefty price tag. Rema Tip Top SC4000 is for bonding conveyor belts together (I suspect it's really all the same). I know DRIS has glue, but I'm specifically looking for something commercial grade that I can buy for cheap.

Does anyone have sources to be able to locate where to get good glue. How much should I buy and how long can I expect it to last in the can (storage life on the shelf)?

I have also watched a good many youtube videos, specifically here;
Dry Suits Projects
They seem to have a lot of good info. I asked them about glue and they said they use the Rema Tip Top SC4000.

Thanks all, will try to get all the pieces and assemble over the Christmas holiday and post pictures when I'm done. Excited to have a drysuit, it'll be nice to have a set of dry gloves to go with it.

Rob...

All the adhesive/prep/pre-cleaning/glue accelerator products you're looking for are available through ''Viking''...that's Viking dry-suits...

The trick is finding gloves/bottle neck wrist seals that are the same circumference at the mating end...

The glove you have shown has a bonded yellow flock liner...you can also use any one of a hundred or more ''unlined gloves''...and use separate glove liners of your choice...

You will need to insert a ring at the bonding point...suggest a plastic that you can flex/turn sideways/pull out...you can cut a two inch wide ring off the top of a plastic cup...sand any rough/sharp edges...make sure its a flexible poly cup ..once the glue has set...

Use talcum powder to kill the curing when you are finished...

I've replaced many wrist/neck seals...perform a dry run with no adhesive...until you have a system down pat...flip the seal cuff inside out where it will be glued...mask around the perimeter of the glove to give you a nice clean line...once you have your surfaces mated up...apply adhesive to the glove/flipped over seal cuff...let dry and repeat three times...flip seal cuff on top of the glued surface of the glove...seal with a small wooden roller...apply talcum powder...remove masking tape border...remove cup ring...you're done...

do not use any tape...masking or otherwise on the latex seal...as some tape will not come off and you'll rip the seal...trying to remove the tape...

Best of luck with your project...

W.W...
 
To add: I would just pull the trigger on a set of latex seals. Practice gluing them to the gloves of your choice either by glue, tape, aquaseal, or contact cement. Once happy with the outcome glue them on your suit. That will start you towards the end goal.
 
You guys have all given me awesome ideas, I really appreciate it. Very detailed info, I'll have to read it a few times to suck it all in.

I am going to skip around here:

#2. The cheapest way to get a dry glove system with your current setup and no modification to your suit. Buy cheap rubber pull over gloves like this: Super Grip Black Dry Glove
Then order this:
Dry Adhesive Drysuit Latex Wrist Seals

Put the two together and you have close to what you are looking for (not the exact glove but same system of attachment) Total $46.
You could use glue instead of the tape there is really no difference. The tape works well.

#3. Do the same as above with glue ($12), buying just the seals without the tape. Making the total ~$51

#1. Unfortunately I do not believe the Nitrile 720's will glue to a latex seal. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. They will only seal with a ring system installed. This is due to the fact that they have a liner built in that would prevent sealing without folding the gloves over on themselves.

The real hiccup in the whole process is the neoprene seals currently on your suit. I understand the hesitancy of wanting to replace what is perfectly fine. But, follow along with me for a second. Here is an idea you have not thought of. Take a heat gun to your current seal/suit. Remove the existing wrist seals. Then use Aquaseal (without the cotol accelerate) to glue latex seals on. *or a Si tech oval ring. This would allow you the option to then use a ring system with the 720's. It sounds like a lot but the most expensive part is the ring system. The ultima goes for like $170. If you added an oval cuff ring to the suit that would add an additional $69. But isn't exactly necessary. You could still mount the ultima system to a plain latex seal.

Run down:
Ultima rings ~$170
Latex seals ~$25
Aqualseal ~$12
720's ~$free if you call them
Oval rings ~$69 but not needed

The reason I am recommending you use Aquaseal over glue is the cure time. It allows you to glue without worrying about making a mistake. The cure time is like 12 hours. So you can glue the suit and the seal and press them together, if your alignment isn't correct you can fix it without having to start over again. Using the glue isn't difficult but does not leave much room for error. Once the two pieces contact each other that is it. If the alignment isn't good you have to start over. A trick to this would be to use a cut up piece of ziplock bag in between the seal and suit until alignment is perfect then remove the ziplock.

Unfortunately this is the reality of having the neoprene seals with the smooth side inwards. You could also try the dry 5 gloves, I know they are neoprene but they might fit your need. They have a built in cuff (not a full latex seal) that slows the migration of water, keeping your hands warmer. I was in a similar situation as you are about 3 years ago but with a trilam suit that had latex seals. After many different attempts I settled on the ultima rings, 720's. I wish I had just done it in the beginning, I would have saved a lot of $$ and aggravation. Kind of a buy once cry once sort of thing.

There are endless combinations that I could think of. What I said above isn't the bible. I am just speaking on experience.

My end goal would be to switch to latex seals so I could add either the Ultima rings or Kubi system to the suit. Being nervous about gluing, I figured this would get me through the winter season and give me something to practice glueing on.

I have read about the cut up ziplock bag and have seen a lot of people doing it or similar online.

Can't tell you how much I appreciate you writing all that out!

Rob...

All the adhesive/prep/pre-cleaning/glue accelerator products you're looking for are available through ''Viking''...that's Viking dry-suits...

The trick is finding gloves/bottle neck wrist seals that are the same circumference at the mating end...

The glove you have shown has a bonded yellow flock liner...you can also use any one of a hundred or more ''unlined gloves''...and use separate glove liners of your choice...

You will need to insert a ring at the bonding point...suggest a plastic that you can flex/turn sideways/pull out...you can cut a two inch wide ring off the top of a plastic cup...sand any rough/sharp edges...make sure its a flexible poly cup ..once the glue has set...

Use talcum powder to kill the curing when you are finished...

I've replaced many wrist/neck seals...perform a dry run with no adhesive...until you have a system down pat...flip the seal cuff inside out where it will be glued...mask around the perimeter of the glove to give you a nice clean line...once you have your surfaces mated up...apply adhesive to the glove/flipped over seal cuff...let dry and repeat three times...flip seal cuff on top of the glued surface of the glove...seal with a small wooden roller...apply talcum powder...remove masking tape border...remove cup ring...you're done...

do not use any tape...masking or otherwise on the latex seal...as some tape will not come off and you'll rip the seal...trying to remove the tape...

Best of luck with your project...

W.W...

Appreciate your insight. The gloves I'm having sent have a removable liner.

It looks to me like in the picture (in the 1st post) they used a piece of masking tape and did exactly what you say...the strip of blue left on the glove looks like a perfect match to a piece of tape. Good to know about not putting tape on latex.

DRIS sent me some pictures of the cardboard tubes they use, 4"-6", wrapped in duct tape to be soft and flexible when removing.

Does anyone know if the Weldwood can be manipulated / removed with heat as PB-300 is?
 
The trick is finding gloves/bottle neck wrist seals that are the same circumference at the mating end...
W.W...

No one lists the seal circumference on that end...my hope would be that they're all about the same?
 
I use a 32oz yeti mug when I glue new seals on. I found it to be perfect. You could also use a large Nalgene bottle with a few wraps of blue painters tape.
 
I use a 32oz yeti mug when I glue new seals on. I found it to be perfect. You could also use a large Nalgene bottle with a few wraps of blue painters tape.

That's great, I have a Yeti cup (I believe they're 30oz, not 32). Do you put anything on it to protect it?
 
Just read through the last bunch of post. Here are some thoughts/feedback:

1. I will take some pictures of the si-tech qcs oval system in my wife's neoprene suit either tomorrow evening or saturday and post them to this thread.

2. I did not install the system in her suit myself - we ordered her suit with the si-tech wrist system and neck system. After using the wrist and neck system in my drysuit, I could not see a reason to not order her suit without them....having the ability to replace a seal at the dive site with no mess or fuss is great insurance in my opinion. Had we not been able to get her suit with the si-tech systems I would have had them installed aftermarket by the shop we purchased the suit through...not sure I would do the neck ring system myself but I would definitely do the wrist ring system if I needed to.

3. With the wrist ring system and a dry glove ring setup, there will be no need to glue latex onto gloves. the SHOWA gloves will mount on the glove rings and then that will mate with the corresponding ring pressed into the cuff of the suit to create a watertight seal. The only gluing would be the base ring of the si-tech wrist system you choose.

4. Weldwood is great contact cement. I have used it during my whitewater kayaking days to customize the cockpits of my kayaks by gluing in custom shaped pieces of minicell foam blocks. After more than a decade the blocks are still strongly secured in place to the inside of the plastic hull of the kayak. The best way to remove something stuck together with weldwood is to not remove it. The second best way is to use to use some heat with a hairdryer or heat gun on low setting while prying the cemented together parts apart. Some materials are nearly impossible to separate without damage such as foam cemented to foam with weldwood. I think the last time I purchased a can of weldwood I got it from walmart and it was relatively inexpensive. I cannot vouch for how it will work trying to adhere latex to pvc or nitrile...it is a glue so like I mentioned in a previously post it is a physical bond not a chemical btnd like with vulcanizing fluid.

The typical way one applies weldwood cement is to light coat both sides to be adhered together and wait until they become dull in appearance. Depending on the application a second light coat is applied and again one waits until the cement coated surfaces become dull in appearance. The two surfaces are then joined together....the bond is not manipulateable (is that a word?) even with heat.

5. While the SHOWA 720/720R gloves are nitrile, I think the darker blue section that makes up the wrist portion of the glove may be pvc or pvc coated as a final finish. I have no conclusive evidence of this except the contrast in texture between the hand and wrist part of the glove. Both the nitrile and pvc gloves are supposed to offer protection from chemicals so they be resistant to gluing without treatment with something like MEK or acetone as previously discussed. I would give DRIS a call or use their chat feature on their website as they do a lot of drysuit repair work/customizations and I think they may make or made gloves similar to what you are on the verge of making and they may be able to give you pointers.

6. Si-tech also makes a rubber cuff ring system that is designed to use with latex gloves by pulling the cuff of the glove over the ring. Here is video made by DRIS on the product:
Here is a link to the Si-Tech webpage...the rubber cuff components are at the bottom of the page: Modular Solutions - Products - SI-TECH

7. The Northern Diver dryglove system is a good system and the price listed on the webpage you linked to earlier is freaking great. There are a few divers in the club I am a member of that use that system and are extremely happy with it. My preference is Si-Tech but that is because my suite came with the system pre-installed and I found it works great. I primarily use the Waterproof Ultima DGS and before sending my suit back to Aqualung for warranty replacement I was testing the new Fourth Element Ellipse system. My wife has 2 suits, one with the round cuff system and one with the oval cuff system...they both work very well.

-Z
 
Just read through the last bunch of post. Here are some thoughts/feedback:

1. I will take some pictures of the si-tech qcs oval system in my wife's neoprene suit either tomorrow evening or saturday and post them to this thread.

2. I did not install the system in her suit myself - we ordered her suit with the si-tech wrist system and neck system. After using the wrist and neck system in my drysuit, I could not see a reason to not order her suit without them....having the ability to replace a seal at the dive site with no mess or fuss is great insurance in my opinion. Had we not been able to get her suit with the si-tech systems I would have had them installed aftermarket by the shop we purchased the suit through...not sure I would do the neck ring system myself but I would definitely do the wrist ring system if I needed to.

3. With the wrist ring system and a dry glove ring setup, there will be no need to glue latex onto gloves. the SHOWA gloves will mount on the glove rings and then that will mate with the corresponding ring pressed into the cuff of the suit to create a watertight seal. The only gluing would be the base ring of the si-tech wrist system you choose.

4. Weldwood is great contact cement. I have used it during my whitewater kayaking days to customize the cockpits of my kayaks by gluing in custom shaped pieces of minicell foam blocks. After more than a decade the blocks are still strongly secured in place to the inside of the plastic hull of the kayak. The best way to remove something stuck together with weldwood is to not remove it. The second best way is to use to use some heat with a hairdryer or heat gun on low setting while prying the cemented together parts apart. Some materials are nearly impossible to separate without damage such as foam cemented to foam with weldwood. I think the last time I purchased a can of weldwood I got it from walmart and it was relatively inexpensive. I cannot vouch for how it will work trying to adhere latex to pvc or nitrile...it is a glue so like I mentioned in a previously post it is a physical bond not a chemical btnd like with vulcanizing fluid.

The typical way one applies weldwood cement is to light coat both sides to be adhered together and wait until they become dull in appearance. Depending on the application a second light coat is applied and again one waits until the cement coated surfaces become dull in appearance. The two surfaces are then joined together....the bond is not manipulateable (is that a word?) even with heat.

5. While the SHOWA 720/720R gloves are nitrile, I think the darker blue section that makes up the wrist portion of the glove may be pvc or pvc coated as a final finish. I have no conclusive evidence of this except the contrast in texture between the hand and wrist part of the glove. Both the nitrile and pvc gloves are supposed to offer protection from chemicals so they be resistant to gluing without treatment with something like MEK or acetone as previously discussed. I would give DRIS a call or use their chat feature on their website as they do a lot of drysuit repair work/customizations and I think they may make or made gloves similar to what you are on the verge of making and they may be able to give you pointers.

6. Si-tech also makes a rubber cuff ring system that is designed to use with latex gloves by pulling the cuff of the glove over the ring. Here is video made by DRIS on the product:
Here is a link to the Si-Tech webpage...the rubber cuff components are at the bottom of the page: Modular Solutions - Products - SI-TECH

7. The Northern Diver dryglove system is a good system and the price listed on the webpage you linked to earlier is freaking great. There are a few divers in the club I am a member of that use that system and are extremely happy with it. My preference is Si-Tech but that is because my suite came with the system pre-installed and I found it works great. I primarily use the Waterproof Ultima DGS and before sending my suit back to Aqualung for warranty replacement I was testing the new Fourth Element Ellipse system. My wife has 2 suits, one with the round cuff system and one with the oval cuff system...they both work very well.

-Z

I really appreciate you taking the time to spell all that out. Gives me a lot to think about.

Of all the things that I've ordered this holiday season the trial package of gloves came here the fastest! Comparing the cuff of the 720 nitrile and the cuff of the 465 pvc I can't tell a difference, they may both be pvc?. The actual gloves have a slightly different feel. The 465 (which are just orange 660's) are wider and possibly thicker, but that could be for the liner that goes in them.

They didn't send an XXL in the 720, which it turns out I am. Without the liner I'm an XL, with one XXL for sure.

vFKNqTrl.jpg
0EL9Buil.jpg
vFKNqTrl.jpg
WWmLr4Vl.jpg
 
Orange is L 465 pvc (no liner on in the pic), Blue is XL 720 nitrile. You can see the difference in size. (for anyone interested in the gloves).

jUATPKHl.jpg


P.S. - my wife thinks I'm weird for making her take pictures of me in gloves so I can share them with my imaginary scuba friends:)
 
Back
Top Bottom