How to Load Smurf Gloves (SHOWA 660, 620, 720) on KUBI Rings

[cathal]

I'd edit the original post (and the post with the corrected images later) to include a credit to Steve directly, but the software here has disallowed any additional editing on my part - I suppose due to time passed.

So thank you for the proper credit to Steve for the instructions.



ZeroG, I assume that the KUBI instructions were to mount them as you'd mount latex gloves, sealing on the inside surface? Yeah, some people have had luck with that - but logic says that the liner will make them leak - or at least weep - and you found that logic is on your side.

So yeah - ya gotta turn the cuffs inside-out so that the sealing surface mating with the ring is the OUTSIDE of the glove - the rubbery part.

Hopefully this will help with the leaks.

Side note about mounting gloves this way and the "pain in the arse" (Steve's words in the instuructions) about smoothing things out and getting all of the wrinkles out: I find it's much easier if the o-ring that goes inside the glove is lubricated with silicone o-ring lube or Christolube. If the o-ring is smooth and shiny, it seems much easier to smooth things out and get all of the wrinkles out of the glove when loading them onto the rings.

Whenever I load a new glove (I have the Waterproof Ultima Dryglove rings instead of the KUBIs, but the premise is the same when loading 720/620/660 gloves), I wash all of the rings and o-rings in Dawn using a toothbrush. Dry and lube the o-rings... Then reassemble and load the gloves onto the rings. I haven't found them to be too bad getting everything even and smooth.

Thanks a million for taking the time out to post this very informative post. Your information and dvice is very helpful.

 

[Sol]

So this was done according to the directions provided by KUBI. The fixing ring, which isn't visible here, is on the vinyl side, so that's where the seal would be, no? And yet I can't help but think that with the lining exposed like this, the glove would nonetheless leak via seepage? Am I wrong?

ETA: Tried it in the bath for 20 mins. No leaks.

 

[Sol]

The subject has come up a lot... So here's how.

Thanks to buddhasummer for sharing these awesome instructions and allowing me to post them here.

Some detail on these gloves: The SHOWA 720 is the latest and greatest "smurf" style glove. It is thinner, stretchier, warmer, and tougher than the 660 or 620. It's also easier to load on rings since it stretches more - so that's the recommended glove to use when looking for a tougher, more trustworthy alternative to latex drygloves. All pictures below show a SHOWA 720.


Step 1

Take the ring as shown in the picture below:

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Step 2

Grab your cotton backed glove (or acrylic in the case of the 720s) and place the retaining o-ring the one that slips in the empty grove above and place it approximately two inches down from the edge of the cuff of the glove. This will vary depending on the size of the glove.

View attachment 507172

Step 3

Fold over the excess material of the cuff over the o-ring as shown in the attached pictures below:

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Step 4

Grab the glove with both hands and then stuff the ring into the glove. If you have ever changed a motorcycle tire you will understand what I mean. basically take the cuff and place it against the o-ring and use both hands to pull the o-ring(which the glove is still around) up and over the ring. Once it seats in the grove you are pretty much done. See the pics below:

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Step 5

Once the glove is installed how you want it on the ring and adjust properly for length and wrinkles removed. Note: The wrinkles/folds/kinks in the gloves can be a royal pain in the arse. My GF's gloves barely pull over the ring system as her hands are tiny but my xxl hands are a royal pain in the butt sometimes and can take a few minutes to get the gloves situated just right. Anyways you then end up with the glove looking like below. All that is left is to install the protection ring and the securing o-ring, see attached pics:

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Now a word on cotton backed (or acrylic backed) gloves, there are two different types:

Type 1;

The cotton (or acrylic) is a continuously knitted or woven glove, meaning no seams, these are ideal as the seams do not interfere with the installation of the o-rings.

Type 2

These are gloves that the cotton backing (or acrylic backing) was originally stitched together and flipped inside out prior to dipping them into the rubbery nitrile (720) or PVC (660 and 620) for coating. The seam will cause leaks on the gloves with these systems. What I do is flip the gloves inside out and where the o-ring should sit, I go get a very sharp set of scissors and cut the seam off the cotton backing right down to the rubbery coating. NO this does not cause the glove to leak, it simply is removing the fabric backing in that area which does not cause a ridge in the gloves over the o-ring.


Hopefully that all made sense.

ETA: So I tried it this way, because what you were saying about which side the seal goes on made sense. Everything OK up to the point where you want to put on the covering ring. That thing ain't going on, no way, not even with explosives. And if by some miracle I managed to get it on, I'd need explosives to get it off.

NB I'm working with a 660. Maybe different with the 720.

 

[davecampbell]

ETA: So I tried it this way, because what you were saying about which side the seal goes on made sense. Everything OK up to the point where you want to put on the covering ring. That thing ain't going on, no way, not even with explosives. And if by some miracle I managed to get it on, I'd need explosives to get it off.

View attachment 634239

NB I'm working with a 660. Maybe different with the 720.

I believe I saw on the kubistore a suggestion for different orings when using thicker gloves. I think there was a kit available... 90mm Glove Side Fixing O-Rings for us with the Textured Gloves (74.1 x 5.8mm - pair)

 

[eweingarden]

ETA: So I tried it this way, because what you were saying about which side the seal goes on made sense. Everything OK up to the point where you want to put on the covering ring. That thing ain't going on, no way, not even with explosives. And if by some miracle I managed to get it on, I'd need explosives to get it off.

Before putting the covering ring on, wet your finger with saliva and rub it around the glove surface where the covering ring goes. I haven't had any problems getting the ring on/off on 720 gloves, when the surface is wetted with saliva first.

 

[BlueTrin]

Out of curiosity do you still wear undergarments under the shoes or do you just use the liner of the glove in cold water?

 

[Wants2divemore]

I believe I saw on the kubistore a suggestion for different orings when using thicker gloves. I think there was a kit available... 90mm Glove Side Fixing O-Rings for us with the Textured Gloves (74.1 x 5.8mm - pair)

Has anyone used these?

I ordered these and the thickness/diameter of O-ring itself is the same as the original glove-side large O-ring which holds the glove on, but the overall width / inner diameter is about 5 mm less, which makes it _very_ difficult to stretch over the rings. I assume that the smaller inner diameter is so that if you mount them the regular Kubi way, the textured liner has a greater force pressing it against the metal glove ring and less likely to leak.

For those mounting the Showa gloves in the method described at the beginning of this thread, are you using the standard O-ring or the slightly smaller one for use with the textured gloves?