GloveBucket

By Jim Langley

Sci-Fi-Inspired Practical Cleaning Tool

Remember those science-fiction films, where scientists in white lab coats stood behind a glass wall, stuck their hands into sleeved gloves built into it and safely worked on radioactive gizmos on the other side? That’s what Bikin’ Bob Snelling’s ingenious
GloveBucket lets cyclists do – minus the radioactivity business.

The GloveBucket is an industrial-strength square 5-gallon plastic bucket with heavy-duty sleeved rubber gloves built in. Gloves run Medium, Large, X-Large and XX-Large. The GloveBucket has a clear, sealing lid. Four O-rings on the bucket hold it securely
in place. And there’s a sturdy carrying handle and a helpful owner’s manual.

A solvent tank for your home bike shop

I’ve been eagerly waiting to tell you about this clever home solvent tank since Bob kindly showed me photos of the prototypes weeks ago. I had a special interest, because I was a full-time bicycle mechanic for 17 years and never wore any protection while
cleaning parts.

We used solvent tanks. At first, in 1970, we cleaned with gasoline, then kerosene. At later shops, we had Safety-Kleen solvent tanks and their cleaner. Small parts went in strainer-like baskets and were dunked in the tank. Bigger components were just
dropped into the tank to soak. We would scrape or brush the parts clean. We believed the solvent was harmless so it never occurred to most of us to wear the gloves that usually got lost or tossed eventually.

Protects your hands and eyes

Consequently, my hands spent many hours immersed in various types of solvents and exposed to cleaners, lubes and other common bicycle chemicals, like penetrants and adhesives. Today, my skin is highly sensitive, and even a little exposure causes irritation.
Luckily, excellent protective rubber and mechanics’ gloves are now available from many sources, such as Park Tool and even Costco.

But the GloveBucket is much more than just hand protection. It provides splash and even some fume protection because it’s a container with a see-through plastic lid. So you can brush and scrape and spray and the whole mess stays inside the bucket. You
can even hold and manipulate a nozzle-type spray can inside the GloveBucket to use an aerosol spray to blast parts clean.

Lets you clean and inspect

What I really like is that you can get close to what you’re cleaning and see what you’re doing. The bucket is small enough to be held in your lap and the clear lid lets you hold the part you’re cleaning close to your eyes, letting you clean and inspect
it carefully. You don’t have to keep taking it out to inspect it closely.

When you’re done, the GloveBucket can be closed for storage. This lets you put your cleaning “tank” away with any remaining solvent still in it for future use. And it has a tough handle if you wanted to hang it on a hook.

My only wish is that the GloveBucket was slightly larger so that you could more easily manipulate bigger parts like modern cranksets with integrated spindles. THere’s plenty of room for smaller components. (Bob tells me that a larger size is under consideration.)

Add-ons

Optional accessories include a $10.95 stiff-bristled brush sized for scrubbing parts inside the GloveBucket and a $9.95 plastic squeeze bottle for squirting solvent on parts to help clean them. Plus, should you wear out or damage any part of the GloveBucket,
you can replace it.

I think the GloveBucket is the ideal addition to a home bicycle shop, and its convenient size means it can easily travel to cycling events for cleaning on the road, too. I believe you’llappreciate owning and using this great new tool as much as I do.

August 2012

Jim Langley

Jim Langley is RBR’s Technical Editor. He has been a pro mechanic and cycling writer for more than 40 years. He’s the author of Your Home Bicycle Workshop in the RBR eBookstore. Check out his “cycling aficionado” website at http://www.jimlangley.net, his Q&A blog and updates at Twitter. Jim’s streak of consecutive cycling days has reached more than 8,000. Click to read Jim’s full bio.