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using latex gloves for building computer

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Viper2004

Viper2004

Member
​
Joined
May 22, 2004
Location
illinois
i was wondering if for 1. is it good to use latex gloves to handle and build your computer? 2. would using latex gloves get rid of all the static electricity that is on your hands? so you dont fry your mobo etc... and 3. what are ways that i could get rid of the static electricity on my hands before touching any computer compenents..please be spefic seeing as i am a first timer at this :-/
 
i dunno about that. havent you ever rubbed a baloon on your shirt and watch it stick to you? try it with a glove and see if it gets staticky. merely touching something metal will get rid of any static your body may be holding. i wonder if a metal watch would do it? you can also buy antistatic wrist straps from radio shack. theyre cheap.
 
heh thats right..baloons are just like latex gloves. so much for that idea..meh anyhow ive heard that just touching your psu will get rid of all static electricity on you, what i would like to know is if you hold your hand there for a few seconds or what...
 
better than that - just dont even try it. what i do is have the case/psu plugged in to the wall but SWITCHED OFF. keep one hand or rest your arm on the case and bob's your auntie you're grounded.

Dont go experimenting with rubber gloves lol.

oh and you dont need keep your hand on it uless you are wlaking about a lot. if you are standing/sitting still then just touch it every so often.

TBH the problems with static electricity and pc components isn't anywhere near as bad as people believe:)
 
I have built rougly 15 PCs. Out of the 15. I have taken SE caution on 5 of them. The rest of the 10 I did not do anything to protect them(mostly because they were just cheapo parts) and nothing at all happened or has happened to them before or after the put together process. When I am using expensive parts..I use a static strap and touch the case.
 
Buy a static discharge strap for your wrist. You can get them at pretty much any computer store. Wally world may even have them. Good luck on your build!
 
Touching metal won't do a thing. As James.Miller said, just ground yourself. It doesn't even have to be your computer case (I don't use it because it's not grounded while I work on it, its completely unplugged.) If you work in your basement, then it will be easy to ground yourself. Just touch a water pipe.

You could use an anti-static band, but I never do, and have never fried anything. Just don't work on carpet, or in something like wool clothing. However, for the added protction, I will start using anti-static bands as soon as they become wireless, the wires on them are just too intrusive and always in the way. :beer: :p
 
t_biggs said:
Just don't work on carpet, or in something like wool clothing.
Click to expand...

To be safe build your computer in the nude in the shower (no water running silly), and touch the faucet now and then for a grounding.
 
if the humidity is high, this shouldnt even be a problem I wouldnt think.

Id bet the gloves wont take on a charge. or you could wear cotton gloves, that wont hold or conduct any charge.
 
wireless bands DO exist:) the guys in the machine room at the electronics company i used to work for had wireless ankle-straps. They actually work aswell:thup:
 
Well one of my friends told me that all i had to do was touch my case. He didn't say anything about me needing to plug it in or anything. Now im not sure what to do... :confused:
 
dude, just touch something metal thats grounded. have you never been shocked when you touch a doorknob or something like that? its the same deal. static builds up in you until you touch something grounded/conductive and let the electrons flow from you to it.
 
grounded as in touching the floor? i know im sounding very paranoid, but its just that i dont like taking risks for anything happening to my new parts :(
 
I've read that you're not supposed to leave the AC cord plugged in with the power strip turned off because any direct earth connection is undesirable in case a defect allows high voltage to become exposed, and that's the reason anti-static wrist straps have a megaohm inline with their cables.

I've found that the easiest way to not zap stuff is by covering the whole table with pink (anti-static) bubble wrap and laying out everything on it before doing any work. Also work without long sleeves so your elbows will contact the bubble wrap frequently.
 
I've built a few PC's but found latex gloves aren't great for this. I would usually use nitrile or my bare hands. If its a new PC there's no dust so I tend to just use bare hands as you get a better feel for what your doing.

If I'm cleaning up an old PC I use nitrile gloves as they don't latch on to sharp edges like soldering.
 
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