Rolock 90 scratched ring

[VladimirG]

Hi

I got a second hand Rolock 90 set. The seller claimed it was not used at all and indeed it doesn't show any wear externally. They came with blue Showa gloves mounted, maybe by the seller.

However I noticed a small leak in the right glove. When I removed the glove I saw some scratches on the inside of the glove ring in the area where the blue ring presses the glove to seal. I suspect that those scratches cause the leak, even if they are small.

Does anyone have an idea what they can be caused by? E.g. some small sand particles that ended there during mounting...

And also, would it be possible to polish the plastic with some solvent like acetone to make it smooth again? I know this is used occasionally with 3d printed parts.

That part is sold separately too, but there aren't many shops offering it.

Thanks.

 

[Badger7]

Wait, you're not talking about the sealing surface between the glove wring and suit ring, that scratch is on the channel that the glove sits in pressed in place with the blue rings correct?

May not be as tough to diagnose as you're thinking. If the glove / glove ring are leaking, the leak will be on your hand, not your sleeve. If the glove ring / wrist ring are leaking, same. If the wrist seal / PU ring are leaking, the leak will be on your sleeve on the other side of the wrist seal. Can you confirm the leak is on your hand and not your sleeve? If so, the issue is either water passing between the glove and the glove ring as you suspect, or between the oring pressed between the glove and wrist ring.

In both cases, a liberal application of a sticky silicone-based lube would tend to (temporarily) alleviate the issue as it would fill any gaps or imperfections.

If that scratch is where I'm thinking it is, probably due to using a metal tool to remove a glove from the glove ring rather than just pulling it out slowly. I use a smear of superlube silicone gel when fixing gloves into rolock glove rings to form a better seal and to make removal possible without tools.

Personally, I'd start with something soft and smooth like a guitar pick to knock down any high points on that scratch, and then put a nice filet of silicone gel lubricant on the channel the glove face gets retained into, reseat the blue ring and retest. If it seals well, then you at least know where the issue lies.

Also, verify that the blue rings that go inside the gloves have their orings on them, that is what forms the pressure inside the gloves to make the gloves seal to the ring. If you were missing the thin o ring from the blue ring, I would totally expect a slow glove leak.

 

[VladimirG]

@Badger7 Thanks for the detailed explanations

And yes, I mean the sealing between the glove itself and the channel it gets pressed into on the inside of the glove ring. The water like you said leaks in my hand, not in the sleeve.
The mating surface between suit/glove ring looks ok and the o-ring is also fine, so my suspect is those scratches. It is not one, but like 5-6-7 of different shapes. Not deep, but I think it may be enough for water to come in.
The o-ring on the blue ring is there.

I will try the silicone gel test to see if that removes the leak temporarily, but I am pretty sure it is from there so I am looking for a way to fix it. Winter is coming...

Btw, there is also a black ring in the set similar to the blue one, but without the o-ring groove. Do you know what type of gloves it is used with?

Vladimir

 

[inquis]

there is also a black ring in the set similar to the blue one, but without the o-ring groove. Do you know what type of gloves it is used with?

The black ring is for gloves with a thick, built-in liner.

 

[lexvil]

Have you tried different gloves?

 

[Badger7]

Yes, thats my next question as well, and can you show one mounted? I use nitrile gloves like showa CS710/CS720 and they make a really nice seal on those delrin rings. Are you sure there aren't any small folds in the glove that are letting some water channel past?

I put a film of this inside the glove ring groove before popping in the glove with the blue ring pre-inserted. It helps guide in the glove and makes it easier to fine tune the glove length and also remove the glove later. I suspect it also might help with any minor leaks.

Something doesnt' feel right with your description. Those scratches look pretty lateral, rather than a channel for liquids. If the glove surface is smooth, no folds, retaining ring seated properly, I feel like you'd need a pretty decent pressure differential to get any water past that glove groove. Can't help but wonder what might also be amiss. More pictures might be helpful. You're absolutely sure you're not missing an sealing o-ring on the wrist ring or something like that?

 

[VladimirG]

The gloves are the popular Showa 720. I have not tried with other models yet.
The scratches are more and not only lateral. There are 4-5 perpendicular ones which are short, but a bit wider/deeper. I added a photo of them, although not a very good one.

Edit: Here is a video that shows it better. Look like tool marks. Like something used to pry and push the retaining ring from the inside. New video · Saturday, Oct 11

Of course there might be something else wrong, but the other surfaces and o-rings look ok, no wrinkles and folds, so I blamed those scratches. A few more photos of the glove and ring are attached.

One thing to mention is that the right ring (leaking one) needs more force to lock, while the left is more smooth. I cleaned and lubed them the same way and there is no visible difference in the orings and surfaces.

I'll make a test with plenty of lube like suggested and see if that fixes it.

Has anyone written to Rolock lately? I wrote them twice from the contact form on their site and received no reply.

 

[Zef]

Not knowing the exact type of plastic the rings are made from, I would not recommend using acetone as it may damage the rings. Instead, I would take a high grit sandpaper/emery cloth and gently buff those scratches out. Once smooth, remount a glove and retest in water.

-Z

 

[lexvil]

Try some new gloves before you get to involved over these scratches.