I’m sure allot of you male woodworkers know this problem….cracked hands. I don’t know if anyone else has a blog on this, but if anyone has some good ideas on help for this, I’m listening…...here’s the problem, after years of working with toxic chemicals, like mek, silicone and denatured alcohol….common to the glass trade, my hands crack every years, especially in the winter. If I have to wear latex gloves, it just gets worse….but i can’t handle wood with some oily junk on my hands…...got any ideas.
The reason I said male woodworkers, is I’m sure the ladies never let their hands get to this state in the first place. Ladies, if you have any good ideas, you’ll find, you get to help, not just me but many of us guys.
If your young to woodworking, start taking care of your hands now, don’t let them get as bad as mine.
Can you imagine your lady caressing you with dried out, cracked hands…....they feel the same way…......yoda
| Blog entry by woodyoda | posted 1567 days ago | 803 reads | 0 times favorited | 16 comments | ![]() |
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16 comments so far
Splinters
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188 posts in 2349 days
#1 posted 1567 days ago
My wife got me this product for this past Christmas and it is great! I am getting ready to order the big size container soon.
-- Splinters - Living and Loving life in the Rockies - http://www.splinterswoodworks.com/ - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5220040
lazyfiremaninTN
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528 posts in 2119 days
#2 posted 1567 days ago
Try Nitrel gloves. They are easier on your hands.
-- Adrian ..... The 11th Commandment...."Thou Shalt Not Buy A Wobble Dado"
John Gray
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2366 posts in 2051 days
#3 posted 1567 days ago
Bag Balm really works for me….as suggested by my Aunt Rose. ;-) You can find Bag Balm at any drug store or department.
-- Only the Shadow knows....................
lew
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8971 posts in 1921 days
#4 posted 1567 days ago
Here is a topic that has some suggestions;
http://lumberjocks.com/topics/2372
I have found O’Keeffe’s Working Hands works really well.
-- Lew- Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!
woodyoda
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117 posts in 1623 days
#5 posted 1567 days ago
I’ve tried bag balm, with no real help. I thought about the nitrel gloves, but I have a whole box of latex…...wouldn’t be the first time I spent money on something I can’t use. lew, thanks for the link, one of those articles said make sure your hydrated, I drink about 8 bottles of water a day, so I doubt that’s the problem.
personally, I think that some of the products we use in daily life, train the body to stop producing natural oils in our hands, our bodies are such creatures of habit…...........yoda
SCOTSMAN
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4305 posts in 1751 days
#6 posted 1567 days ago
cold cream or hand cream will sort this out babys bottom cream is best.Alistair
-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease
Betsy
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2826 posts in 2062 days
#7 posted 1567 days ago
Drink more water – amazing how many of us forget that. But beside that – I use bag balm and it works great. And yes us female woodworkers get cracks in their hands too and they hurt! :-)
-- Like a bad penny, I keep coming back!
Jimthecarver
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1049 posts in 1951 days
#8 posted 1567 days ago
I use bag balm, Before bed I coat them up and put the nitrel gloves on. I pull them off in the morning wash my hands and I’m good to go for the day.
It works very well for me.
-- Can't never could do anything, to try is to advance.
Scott Bryan
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27262 posts in 1988 days
#9 posted 1567 days ago
I have had this problem for years. Especially in the winter and whenever I would handle wood, which would just draw all the oil out of my fingers leaving me with painful cracking. Since my feet also cracked my wife got this product. I use it after I shower and my feet and hands have not cracked in at least 2 years.
-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine
sIKE
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1268 posts in 1920 days
#10 posted 1567 days ago
Doctors and Nurses have some of the same problems, they have to wash their hands constantly and it results in dry cracked hands. They use a product called “Kerodex 71” you can get it at your pharmacy as it is OTC but they normally do not keep it on hand so it has to be ordered. Hope this helps.
-- //FC - Round Rock, TX - "Experience is what you get just after you need it"
jeffthewoodwacker
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603 posts in 1970 days
#11 posted 1567 days ago
I have always used either bag balm or crack no more. Both work very well.
-- Those that say it can't be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.
trifern
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8131 posts in 1933 days
#12 posted 1567 days ago
My doctor recommended Gloves in a Bottle. He was right, it works great. My wife purchsed it from the local uniform store.
-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.
Ampeater
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364 posts in 1913 days
#13 posted 1566 days ago
Try this stuff. One of the guys in our woodworking group (Western Ohio Woodworkers) sells this at our meetings.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000U79TUK
Check out the reviews.
-- "A goal without a plan is a wish."
RoccoPeterbilt
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15 posts in 1612 days
#14 posted 1565 days ago
I’m amazed at how well a little mineral oil can work. I never wear gloves and if I have to clean up some poly or stain with Mineral Spirits I always wash the spirits off with some soap and then quickly put some mineral oil on before they dry. You can whip any excess off after a minute or so and there is surprisingly little residue. The other bonus is that I always have tons around the shop for finishing cutting boards and coasters.
-- Junk is junk, at any cost.
BeachedBones
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201 posts in 1568 days
#15 posted 1559 days ago
One simple trick for all kinds of sores, cuts, rashes, itches etc. Wash and soak your hands in milk. I used to do that when I was working with bleach a lot. Milk has a bunch of things in it designed to heal and coat sensitive skin as you would find in a young digestive tract.
-- You know.... I think that old wood needs to be furniture.
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