Topic: Tube care?

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

When swapping tubes:

it is safe to touch the glass or is it better to use some cloth or gloves?

should the tubes be completely cold before handling them?



I've been acting on the side of caution, but maybe I don't need to.
 

[ducati]

I usually use a paper towel to handle tubes.  I think it's OK to touch them as long as your hands are clean, I grabbed tubes by the hand for years without any issues.  Some folks say you can create hotspots due to oil in your fingers; these aren't fiery hot like halogen bulbs, so I think that's a bit overstated, but for the last few years I have been using paper towels anyway

One thing to note is that for power tubes, you should always grasp/push by the base as grabbing the envelop can loosen the base over time.

It's perfectly fine to remove a tube when it's hot.  It might not feel too good on your fingers, tho.   

[BobW]

Don't freeze them.  "Cryro" tubes is just an insane idea.
cotton gloves aren't a bad idea, and I would wait until cool before handling, unless I had to.

Store them packed in padding, I like real cotton as it doesn't mess up the lettering like plastic does.

A lot of tubes can handle a fair amount of stress, but why push them if you don't need to.

[Frank M]

Some folks say you can create hotspots due to oil in your fingers; these aren't fiery hot like halogen bulbs, so I think that's a bit overstated

I'll second that.  Not only do halogen lamps operate at much higher temperatures, they're also under high pressure (unlike VACUUM tubes, obviously).  A tube isn't likely to fail in the same dramatic mode.  They only reason I clean them off is so they look nice.