deepblue Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I was always taught NEVER to touch tubes with your skin. Always use a cloth or latex gloves. The oils from your skin will cause hot spots when the tubes heat up, reducing their lifespan. I was watching a tech yesterday change tubes on an old Marshall. He said hes been doing it for years and has always used his hands, and that thats an old myth. What do you guys think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXE® Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I wouldn't go from an oil change to a tube swap. But clean hands is a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I change them with my hands... (clean, as AXE said). -Never eat apple pie with your hands and then change tubes. -Don't ever change them with wet hands. -Don't even think about changing them with your feet, they can fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemoon Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I go sans glove. never had a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepblue Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 Even scrubbed hands have oils on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I don't see how it could be a problem; like lightbulbs, vacuum tubes are made of glass and glass is pretty tough stuff (it's used to hold sulfuric acid). At any rate, considering the life span of a power tube, I doubt it would make much of a difference anyway. But, if it makes you feel more confident in your tubes, it couldn't hurt to change them with a pair of clean gloves. Here's a web site that'll sell you a pair of cotton tube changing gloves for $12 including shipping for the very reason you're asking about. They'll also sell you 3 1/2 feet of speaker cable for $1,556. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basshole Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Never touch the tubes while they're on, I found out the hard way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXE® Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Even scrubbed hands have oils on them. And will not permeate glass . Like the guitar itself "not Tiffany crystal . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fartz Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 What do you guys think? It's being hypersensitive to think that your tubes will get damaged from touching them. The people who think this are the same people who think your neck will break if you take all the strings off when changing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRom Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 No gloves, bare hands, no problems ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSG_Standard Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 My dad, who has worked with tubes since they were invented, says that the oil from your skin CAN cause hotspots on the tube...it's not that the oil permeates the glass...I use my bare hands, but I wipe the tubes off with a towel after I've touched them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepblue Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 My dad, who has worked with tubes since they were invented, says that the oil from your skin CAN cause hotspots on the tube...it's not that the oil permeates the glass...I use my bare hands, but I wipe the tubes off with a towel after I've touched them I tend to believe that as well. As we all know here tubes are pricey. Any little thing we can do to make them last longer should be done. As far as you guys saying youve had no problems using bare hands...how would you know? Tubes can crap out at any time. Would you be able to tell if it was from a tired tube, or from something else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXE® Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 how would you know? I know everything. Just ask me ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 .how would you know? Tubes can crap out at any time. Using that same logic, how would you know if they lasted any longer by not using your hands? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXE® Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I'm still giggling at the phrase "tube touching". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 If you do use your hands wipe them down with alcohol after. This twill take off all left over oils and crap... Takes like 2 seconds to do and may extend the life of the tube.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mick Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 if you do a google image search for tube touching there isn't anything funny to post on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I was always taught NEVER to touch tubes with your skin. Always use a cloth or latex gloves.The oils from your skin will cause hot spots when the tubes heat up' date=' reducing their lifespan. I was watching a tech yesterday change tubes on an old Marshall. He said hes been doing it for years and has always used his hands, and that thats an old myth. What do you guys think?[/quote'] I think grasping a hot tube with bare hands could cause it to pop. I do know that halogen lamps will fail rather quickly if fingerprints or other oil gets on the glass, for the reasons you cite. The oil heats up and litterally burns a hole in the glass. COuld take a couple days to a week. Not sure if vacuum tubes get that hot. But... Couldn't hurt to wash it down with alcohol, to get whomever's prints are on them when you acquired it, dry it, then handle with cloth gloves. I'm thinking latex gloves might leave a residue behind. Not sure if it would heat up. Use a cloth gloves or a dry swatch of cloth (handkercheif) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSG_Standard Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 if you do a google image search for tube touching there isn't anything funny to post on here. LOL! I googled too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJustice Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 As far as you guys saying youve had no problems using bare hands...how would you know? Tubes can crap out at any time. Would you be able to tell if it was from a tired tube' date=' or from something else?[/quote']Regarding the "tube-touching" issue, either the glass of your tube cracks or it doesn't. There is no internal degradation caused by grime on the outside of the tube. I've heard stories in my radio-ham days of power tubes cracking - some tubes were driven so hard, with full power dissipation on/off when transmitting cw (morse), that the thermal stresses must have been quite extreme. Perhaps a spot of dirt could affect where it first cracked in these cases? Never seen it, nor heard any first hand accounts. DJ -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepblue Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 Using that same logic, how would you know if they lasted any longer by not using your hands? I feel you are introducing a foreign substance to the glass that conducts heat at a different rate then the ultra thin glass of the vacuum tube......that cant be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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