what do you use to remove your tubes?

While there is no harm in keep oils from your hand off of the tube, it is hardly necessary. The tubes do not suffer from the same failure mode as halogen, metal halide, etc. bulbs.

When oils from your hand get on the bulb, the high temperature carbonizes the oils and this forms a dark spot on the bulb. That dark spot will then absorb light from the bulb, instead of passing the light through, which heats that particular spot more than the rest of the bulb. That temperature differential causes the bulb to explode. Your tubes never get hot enough, nor do they put out the huge amounts of energy that could cause that kind of hot spotting from what is on the glass.

Wow!! I didn't know this question could be as debatable as cryogenically treated tubes, bi-wire, and putting your CD's in the freezer. We'll have to ask A'gon to add a 'Myth's' section on the forum.

Don,there are no myths in audiophiledom,only hard scientific facts.If you read something here you can take it as a gospel fact.I am sure no one will try to steer you wrong on these forums,except those nuts above trying to push the hand lotion notion,what a crock of crap.BTW,I am running a Christmas special on my Tube Glove/Demagnetizer combo.Only $1500 for both with free shipping.In the words of the great Pete Townshend...I call that a bargain,the best I ever had.Have a nice day.

If you worry, wipe down with some Iso alcohol after install. don't drip or soak it. damp lint free cloth will be ok. Handle with latex or vinyl clean-room style gloves. Make sure any vapors have evaporated before starting equipment.

Finger oils are generally bad for thin glass envelops, hotter=worser.

I've changed hundreds of hi pressure mercury vapor lamps in semiconductor processing equipment by this means.

Worrying about how to remove the tubes seems kind of silly after seeing how they are made and packed :)

http://www.mullardtubes.com/Video.aspx

That said either use cotton gloves or some cat grooming gloves with little rubber dots. If nothing else, want to be careful not removing the logo from the tube.

Myles