Firefighter Glove Drying & Shaping Forms — Parametric, Vanguard MK-1 / NFPA 1971 Sizes (Left & Right, XXS–XXXL)

Open-cage hand forms you drop into freshly washed **structural firefighting gloves** so they dry from the inside out, hold their molded shape, and stay easy to don next shift.

Sized to the **Vanguard Safety Wear MK-1 / NFPA 1971:2018** system, in **left and right** for **all 8 sizes**. Each print is **embossed with its size and hand** so they're easy to sort on a drying rack.

## Why cages instead of a solid hand - **Fingers + thumb are open cages at real finger diameter** — stacked hoops on longitudinal ribs with a rounded nose. They push each glove finger out to a round, hand-sized bore, so the glove dries *in shape* and your hand slides back in easily instead of fighting a finger that dried flat. - **Airflow on every side** — the windows between the hoops and ribs let air move along the core of each finger and carry moisture out. It holds the glove open *and* vents it at the same time. - **Domed palm cage** holds hand **thickness** as well as width, and stays open. - **Reinforced thumb root** — a solid thumb-knuckle node fed by three braces fanned along the thumb-side rail plus a tie into the palm dome. Triangulated, with no single layer line to snap. - **No hang ring** — just pull the form out by the palm frame.

## Sizing (how to pick) NFPA 1971:2018 uses two measurements, and so do these: - **Number** = index-finger length in mm (tip to base): 64 / 70 / 76 / 82 - **Letter** = hand breadth across the knuckles: **N** narrow ~82 mm, **W** wide ~90 mm, **XW** extra-wide ~98 mm

Measure your hand the same way, or just match the size stamped in your glove. **Between sizes → size up.**

| Code | Alpha | Index finger | Knuckle width | Footprint W×L×H (mm) | |------|-------|--------------|---------------|----------------------| | 64N | XXS | 64 mm | 82 mm | 130 × 148 × 29 | | 70N | XS | 70 mm | 82 mm | 135 × 161 × 30 | | 70W | S | 70 mm | 90 mm | 142 × 162 × 32 | | 76N | M | 76 mm | 82 mm | 139 × 174 × 31 | | 76W | L | 76 mm | 90 mm | 147 × 174 × 32 | | 82N | XL | 82 mm | 82 mm | 144 × 187 × 32 | | 82W | XXL | 82 mm | 90 mm | 152 × 187 × 33 | | 82XW | XXXL | 82 mm | 98 mm | 159 × 188 × 35 |

Files are named `GloveForm_MK1_<code>_<alpha>_<Right|Left>.stl`. Left vs right is also obvious from the thumb.

## Recommended print settings - **Material: PETG** is the sweet spot — tough, cheap, ~80 °C softening. ASA or PETG-CF are better for heat/UV; Nylon (PA/PA-CF) is toughest. **Avoid PLA** — it softens around 55–60 °C and will slowly sag if gloves are machine-dried warm or the form sits in a hot apparatus bay or vehicle. - **Orientation:** lay flat, **palm side up** (the cupped/dome side up). The embossed label is on the palm side, so it prints face-up and crisp. - **Supports:** on, *build plate only* (tree/organic preferred) — for the undersides of the finger cages and palm dome. Minor sag on the top of the cages is inside the glove and cosmetic. - Layer height 0.24–0.28 mm · 3 walls · 12–18% gyroid infill · 3 top/bottom · 5–8 mm brim. Roughly 5–9 h each.

**Tip:** print one in your size first and test-fit in a *damp* glove before running a whole set.

## Using them 1. Wash gloves per the manufacturer's guidance (mild detergent like Tide Gentle — **not** turnout-gear detergent on the leather). Gently squeeze out water. 2. Slide the matching form (correct hand + size) fully in while the glove is still damp/pliable. It should fill without stretching. 3. Stand it up or lay it somewhere with airflow — a fan or slightly warm air speeds it up. 4. Once the liner is dry, pull the form out by the palm frame.

## Note This is a **drying/shaping aid, not PPE.** It does not touch the glove or its NFPA 1971 certification — follow your department SOG and NFPA 1851 care program. The forms were generated parametrically; a remix-friendly script is welcome if you want a different fit, cadet-length fingers, or custom stamped text.