Long gone are the days when hockey gloves were made solely out of leather. These days, synthetic materials like polyamide and vinyl are commonplace in most hockey gloves.
You may be wondering what is reppeling and how can you reppal your gloves. To quote Wikipedia, reppeling is “the process of forming a new skin on an animal or a person’s hand after an extended period of wear”.
Ouch! That’s gotta hurt. But fear not – this is a relatively easy process that can be done at home with a little bit of elbow grease (and maybe a little bit of help from friends).
Table of Contents
The Necessary Tools
To start, you’ll need to gather all the necessary tools. It’s a good idea to buy the best materials for this project so that you can ensure the best results.
There are various items you’ll need to get started, so make sure you have everything before you begin. The list below will provide you with everything you need to know:
- A heat gun
- Scissors
- Sander
- Nail polish (optional)
- Rubber gloves (you can buy pre-treated ones online if you don’t have any)
- Hockey tape (3M Scotchkote brand is ideal because it sticks to almost anything)
- Nylon brush
- Varnish (optional)
- Latex gloves (you can buy presoak ones online if you don’t have any)
The Final Details
Once you have all the necessary tools, it’s time to start reppaling. Follow these instructions carefully so that you don’t end up with a complete mess on your hands:
1. With your hands resting on a surface that is safe enough for handling nails (like the floor), get the heat gun out and set the temperature to 315 degrees F. This is important because the heat has to be just right so that you don’t end up with a burnt hand while trying to peel off the glove.
2. Cut a small hole in each fingertip with the scissors so that you can stick your fingernails through (this will prevent any irritation while you work). Make sure that you are wearing the right gloves for this project, as leather ones will make it much more difficult to sandpaper your hands.
3. Once all the nails are ready, take a moment to paint them with a thin coat of nail polish (optional). This will make it easier for you to peel off the glove when the time comes.
4. Hold your hands with the latex or scotchkote-prepared gloves in place and begin sanding down the back of your hands with the sander. This is different from regular sanding because you’ll be taking off layers of skin while avoiding sensitive areas like the knuckles.
5. After you’ve removed enough layers of skin, switch to the other hand and begin the process again. Continue until both hands feel smooth.
6. Once you’ve completed sanding, take off the latex gloves and repeat steps 2 through 4 with the nitrile gloves. When you’re done, you can rub your hands to remove any extra residue left by the gloves.
7. After removing the gloves, go over your hands with the nylon brush to ensure that all the residue is removed. Don’t forget to protect your nails from being cut by the brush.
8. If you’re feeling extra creative, you can varnish your hands to make them look like a work of art! While there are various brands of varnish, many people use satin polyurethane for this project. Just make sure that the varnish you choose has a matte finish so that it doesn’t interfere with the final product.
The Benefits
By reppaling your gloves, you’ll extend the life of these helpful items. Using heat to repair leather is nothing new (think about tanning leather products like passports and car seats) but most people don’t have the time to do this themselves. With the help of a service like Repalming, you can have your gloves repainted or varnished in a matter of days rather than weeks or months. Plus, if you have children or pets, this is a safe and simple way to give them a sense of creativity while not having to worry about the potential mess that could arise from their wild imagination!