Hi guys,

During the winter months I find my oilskin bike gear heaps warmer than my leathers. To keep my hands warm and my gloves dry in the frosty Canberra winter mornings  I have got a pair of rain-off gloves to go over my winter gloves but they are really bulky and look a tad uncool. So this morning I thought I would have a go at making some oilskin over mitts that fitted better. Since I am still trying to refine the glove I have only made one so far and have not tried it in the cold or rain. The first attempt is not too bad. It fits well and I can easily use all the levers and switches with them on however they get wax all over the grips, switches and levers and the visor.

So I am now I  am faced with the options:

• Add rubber to the palm to prevent the oilskin wax getting all over the controls.
• Add suede on the index finger for wiping rain from the visor
• Add a lining to it to stop the wax getting all over my winter gloves.
• Just use a different fabric.
• don't even try to make oilskin over mitts.
• Just use them as is and clean the bike more often.
• or tailor the rain-off gloves to fit better.

Should I refine the design or not bother?

 

I got myself a pair of GorTex gloves, seem to work ok, haven't tried them in pouring rain yet, they
are very warm probably just what you need in Canberra.

Well said, George!

Don't try and you wont fail.

Homer Simpson.

Thanks for the encouragement guys. I have dug out some matt black rubberised fabric that I can use for the lining and palm. Might even try a pair completely out of that too.
I'll give it another go shortly and post some photos later.

Sounds Good, will they be mittens stand alone or will they cover your gloves?

you might have luck with oil skins, but i found they were not warm. a guy who has Retired, made my leather Jacket, best i've had, i put water proof wax? or what ever it is ( got off a guy who repairs leathers, think called quick fix ) well my leather jacket keeps me warm if not i put thermals under it i wear mittons bugger what they look like i'm a rider.

let me know how it turns out.

They will go over my leather gloves.
I plan on making a pair this weekend.
I'll post some photos and let you know how they went.

Ended up buying a pattern from http://www.rockywoods.com/Patterns/Controlled-Exposure-Sewing-Patterns/Controlled-Exposure-Shell-Overmitts-Gloves-Pattern

Here is a photo of the one I made today.

 

 I left off the straps so far since I was not sure if I needed to make them bigger.

They fit awewsome and are really comfty. Looking forward  to trying them out tomorrow.

 

I must say that these look just like a pair of store bought ones.

I still use oil skin mitts over my summer gloves in the cold weather or rain on long rides in preference to bulky winter gloves. I can't recall where I bought them all of those years ago but I think that you're onto a winner.

I also use light cotton gloves to add a layer for insulation. This works well without being too bulky.

Now that it's been awhile, how have you gone with the end product?

Hi Krackers60,
Thanks for letting us know about your ones and the nice comments.
The ones I made felt really good to use but got wax everywhere.
I want to try with a slightly different waterproof breathable canvas to see what they feel like.
Do you know if there is a way to make oil skin mittens less waxy?
Sprocket

Hi Krackers60,
Thanks for letting us know about your ones and the nice comments.
The ones I made felt really good to use but got wax everywhere.
I want to try with a slightly different waterproof breathable canvas to see what they feel like.
Do you know if there is a way to make oil skin mittens less waxy?
Sprocket

I got a pair of Zarkies heated gloves to ride from Murrumbateman to Tuggers - with the heated grips on as well, very toasty!! It hasn't rained on me yet with those gloves on, but considering the material they are made of, it shouldn't be an issue.

A lot cleaner than oilskin too....I don't have to clean wax off my controls every time I ride.