Cold hands idea..

[MiserableOldFart]

I can't believe I never thought of this 30 years ago or more. I don't much mind the cold, except as it relates to my hands, and I'm pretty much of a baby when it comes to that. When on the tractor plowing snow, I can wear fat mittens with liners and sometimes even those chemical warmers in them, so I'm good. But when I need finger dexterity, it's another matter entirely.
The other day I was looking at electric gloves online and moaning about the prices, when the most obvious thing in the world occurred to me. I have old cast iron irons for doorstops here, and I have a small cooler. If I put a towel in the bottom of the cooler, pop the iron on the wood stove for a couple minutes - doesn't take long, drop it in the cooler and put a pair or two of plain leather or lightly lined gloves in there and close it up, I can have warm hands for hours!!!
I'm ashamed I never thought of it before, but at least I thought of it now. If you thought of it, why didn't you tell me? A hot water bottle would also work, but the iron is dry and will never leak, so I chose that route. If you don't have an iron, there are any number of other things you could use, even a stone as long as you don't heat it so hot it explodes..

 

[cqaigy2]

Man, just the thought of reaching in for a nice warm pair of gloves, uhmmm nice.

 

[5030]

Pocket Pool maybe?

 

[MiserableOldFart]

Pocket Pool maybe?

Overalls make it about impossible..

 

[pmsmechanic]

I have a second pair of mittens for when I'm blowing snow. When my hands get cold I just pop inside and put on a warm pair!. By the time my hands are cold again the originals are warmed back up again.

 

[strantor]

Overalls make it about impossible..

Oh, man you've got the wrong kind of coveralls. Get some of those oil field coveralls. They have access slits in the pockets. Officially, because they're meant to go over other clothes, so you can reach through the pocket access slit inside the pocket, into the pants pocket under the pocket, but we know what it's really there for.

Or you could just modify the ones you have...

 

[CobyRupert]

Wonder if it will be hard to get the irons to the right temperature where they don’t melt the cooler?

Why not put a metal holding rack or box on the exhaust manifold to hold your gloves?

 

[Oaktree]

Our woodstove has side grate extensions that are perfect for warming gloves (or defrosting food for that matter). As pmsmechanic noted, I'll keep a spare pair on them if I'm going to be out in cold weather for a long time, or doing something where they're likely to get wet.

As far as hand/finger dexterity unfortunately a lot of that's already gone regardless of temperature.

 

[Paddy]

I fight the same issue of cold fingers and toes. Mine turn white and I'm done until I get circulation again. Warm, not hot water helps. But I have found if I flick my hands down for several minuets, it forces the blood to my finger ends.

This never happens during hard work, just sitting on the tractor or even holding a cold steering wheel in my truck.


Raynaud's (ray-NOSE) disease causes some areas of the body — such as fingers and toes — to feel numb and cold in response to cold temperatures or stress. In Raynaud's disease, smaller arteries that supply blood to the skin narrow. This limits blood flow to affected areas, which is called vasospasm.

 

[MiserableOldFart]

Wonder if it will be hard to get the irons to the right temperature where they don’t melt the cooler?

Why not put a metal holding rack or box on the exhaust manifold to hold your gloves?

Not a problem. Towel on the bottom of the cooler protects it and only on the stove for maybe 2 minutes. Then put on top of the leather gloves for the first go round and the cooler is even better protected. Doesn't take a lot of heat inside to keep the cooler warm for hours. Hot water bottle would work too, as long as it's sealed tight. Soda bottle or such would do well. Very handy, especially when in the woods a distance from house.

 

[Dftodd]

Man, just the thought of reaching in for a nice warm pair of gloves, uhmmm nice.

I got a boot dryer for Christmas. It also works as a glove dryer.

I got my sneakers soaked during a torrential down pour. Stuck them on the dryer when I got home. Checked them a couple hours later. Sneakers were dry and cozy warm

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Ginko Biloba!!! Increases blood flow to the extremities. Lots of mixed info on the interwebs. But I think it works. I was takoing it religiously for months and I noticed my hands and feet staying comfortable on colder days. Worth a shot!
It has an added benefit (allegedly) of helping brain function as we age.

I have one of those Zippo hand warmers, light it up and throw it in your pocket. Works quite well.

I have heard putting a little cayenne pepper in your socks/gloves helps to keep your feet/hands warm.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I fight the same issue of cold fingers and toes. Mine turn white and I'm done until I get circulation again. Warm, not hot water helps. But I have found if I flick my hands down for several minuets, it forces the blood to my finger ends.

This never happens during hard work, just sitting on the tractor or even holding a cold steering wheel in my truck.


Raynaud's (ray-NOSE) disease causes some areas of the body — such as fingers and toes — to feel numb and cold in response to cold temperatures or stress. In Raynaud's disease, smaller arteries that supply blood to the skin narrow. This limits blood flow to affected areas, which is called vasospasm.

I have had Raynaud's forever, my Dr. Grandfather diagnosed it and I took Nicobid, nicotinic acid (from memory 60+ years ago).
Now when I come in the house I just hug my wife...hands under her shirt just to watch her hit the ceiling.

 

[JohnDeereJoey]

I keep a spare pair of gloves instead my coat, bibs... Body heat keeps them warm for when they are needed.

If working on something that requires the removal of my glove(s), I do them same thing. I never leave a glove out in the cold.

 

[civilian]

I have 2 boot dryers. They both get used if gloves are also wet when I come in. Boots always go on them for a few timer hours when I take them off. Feet sweat too much to just leave the boots dry out naturally. Sure is nice putting boots on after lunch to go back outside. (and yes, I sometimes get to hug the wife if I sneek up on her.) Jon

 

[jyoutz]

Ginko Biloba!!! Increases blood flow to the extremities. Lots of mixed info on the interwebs. But I think it works. I was takoing it religiously for months and I noticed my hands and feet staying comfortable on colder days. Worth a shot!
It has an added benefit (allegedly) of helping brain function as we age.

I have one of those Zippo hand warmers, light it up and throw it in your pocket. Works quite well.

I have heard putting a little cayenne pepper in your socks/gloves helps to keep your feet/hands warm.

Cayenne will warm other things too if you touch your eyes or have to relieve yourself.

 

[oosik]

I have several different pairs of gloves. For summer - heavy duty thick leather. - I do a whole lot of work with barbed wire in the summer. For winter - from thin leather fingered gloves to thermally insulated mittens. All depends upon what I plan on doing outside.

There is one feature that I wish I had on my tractor. Heated steering wheel. It's a feature that I truly appreciate on the Taco Wagon. I can wear thin leather gloves or no gloves and my hands will remain warm.

If I'm going to plow snow - it means I will be out on the tractor for three and a half to four hours. I will be wearing the thermally insulated mittens. I do not like cold hands. I've had more than my share of cold hands - riding snow mobiles while we lived in Alaska.

 

[mikester]

I have to admit that I finally enjoy clearing snow in my heated cab wearing my jammies. I finally decided I don't like being cold, wet, and eating snow enough to save a little money on a cab.

There is a negative to a heated cab. When I break a shear bolt I have to put my coat, hat and gloves on to stand in the snow and cold and fix it.

 

[bdhsfz6]

This was already mentioned earlier in the thread. Before I got a cabbed tractor, I used to tuck an extra pair of work cloves between the muffler guard & tractor frame. You have to dismount the tractor to get them but I'm on and off all the time anyway.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Wonder if it will be hard to get the irons to the right temperature where they don’t melt the cooler?

Why not put a metal holding rack or box on the exhaust manifold to hold your gloves?

Coolers are pretty heat resistant. I sometimes grill chicken, line the cooler with foil, and load straight off the grill into the cooler. It keeps the food hot long enough to get to summer parties.