cracked fingertips

slowlearner

I've got the usual callouses from years of playing but lately I've been experiencing splitting at the corners, where the nail meets the finger tip. It gets bad enough that some days it's too painful to play. I'm the chief cook & bottle washer in our household and consequently wash my hands a lot and as a woodworker I do a lot of sanding and that dust seems to be implicated. A lifestyle change isn't an option so does anyone have any ointments or lotions they would recommend.

slowlearner

I know rubber gloves seem like the obvious answer but I've found it's the back and forth between the food prep and the sink that entails the most washing. I do use the thin blue gloves when using finishes in the shop but your fingertips will tell you more than your eyes when your trying to tell if a joint is perfect or the surface is ready for finish.

Bob Holo

Don't know what will work for you, but...

Last thing I do before going to bed is put this stuff on:
http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/page ... 51&p=65160

If anything looks like it's split enough to get infected, I wash, air dry, disinfect with Everclear, and then superglue it shut or if it's severe - bandaid & take it easy for a while.

But hand-cream is the tip of the iceberg. If your fingers are cracking and splitting much easier than you think they should be... it might be too much handwashing & working... but it might be the beginnings of contact dermatitis or a general systemic increase in sensitivity. If so - tackle it head-on ASAP. Note which wood causes it and stop using it for a starter... sorry... but that's the way it rolls... and wear a mask. The important part is to not let it get severe because it can affect you permanently if you do. Make the lifestyle change before it makes it for you.... and thanks to Jeff Traugott, Mike Doolin, Todd Mylet & Jim Olson for helping me see that light. Invest in your dust abatement solutions. Best shop investment(s) you'll ever make. Cyclonic dust collection with side HEPA filters, Overhead dust filtration (I use a JDS) Hepa sanding vacuums (Mirka Ceros system is what I use) Good dust masks - I use 3m 8511 N95, If you use a finish that contains volatile hydrocarbons (benzine, xylene etc AKA... Nitro lacquer), use a good paint hood that protects your eyes and your nose - both absorb fumes. Use a 3m 6000-series full face at a minimum - belt worn and/or positive airflow systems are even better. 3m and SATA make great rigs - $700 to $2,000 and worth every penny. If you're using anything that uses curing additives, read the manufacturer's safety sheet and see if it recommends a fresh-air system - if it does, find another finish - they're not appropriate for small shops no matter what the manufacturer says. Also, if you sand a lot, realize that sandpaper sloughs into micro-fine particles sub 10micron which are the ones your body cannot reject and which stay in the air for hours - days - weeks if moving air is present; hence dust collection at the sander, on your face, and in the air circulation system. Also, use your planes, chisels & scrapers & burnishers more & your sander less... not only will you find it more rewarding, but as your technique grows - the quality of your work will too.

Woodwork is a marriage of art & science. Producing your work is the art part & making sure you keep 10 fingers, 10 toes & 2 lungs while you do it is the science part.

Craig's a boat-builder too - He probably has a lot of experience with air quality & safety equipment. Hit him up for advice too.

jonpowl

I have the same problem in the winter, probably related to playing tennis when the weather is cooler. I use neosporin over night, a hand cream by Neutrogena (Norwegian Formula) and during the day, frequently put chap stick or any similar lip balm on the cracked area. You have to get the area early before it gets too sore.

slowlearner

Bob,
Thanks for the recommendation of the hand cream. I'm going to order some. As for the shop, I've got dust collection on all the big machines and my Festool Orbital with its vacuum does a great job keeping the air clean. But for much of the finishing I use a 8th of a sheet of sandpaper folded into thirds and use fingers and thumbs to get into the corners and tight spots. For instance, frame and panel construction. Not a lot of dust with 220, 320, 400 grit. I do use planes & scrapers a lot but for some things, between finish coats, hand sanding with fine sandpaper is the only trick that works. I think part of the problem is that as we age our skin becomes less elastic and prone to splitting. I'll be eligible for reduced rates on the ferry next year so it's only going to get worse!

fogbern

"New Skin Liquid Bandage" available at most drug stores.

Bob Holo

slowlearner wrote:

Bob,
Thanks for the recommendation of the hand cream. I'm going to order some. As for the shop, I've got dust collection on all the big machines and my Festool Orbital with its vacuum does a great job keeping the air clean. But for much of the finishing I use a 8th of a sheet of sandpaper folded into thirds and use fingers and thumbs to get into the corners and tight spots. For instance, frame and panel construction. Not a lot of dust with 220, 320, 400 grit. I do use planes & scrapers a lot but for some things, between finish coats, hand sanding with fine sandpaper is the only trick that works. I think part of the problem is that as we age our skin becomes less elastic and prone to splitting. I'll be eligible for reduced rates on the ferry next year so it's only going to get worse!

That's good to hear. When I started woodworking in earnest, I wasn't really aware of the sensitivity / air quality issues. Sounds like you're way ahead of the curve and have been doing this a while. In my first couple of years, I just used what I thought was common sense and I started to have a lot of allergic hypersensitivity issues and for a while thought I was getting asthma. I called up some friends and acquaintances who had been doing luthiery for decades and they put me on the right track with a swift kick. A couple thousand dollars of equipment and a moderate shop remodel later... and I was back to breathing well and good skin, but yes, I'm a decade away from ferry discounts, so though my skin isn't what it once was, it's still robust enough for fairly hard physical use. The Neutrogena Jon mentioned is great too. I like the Working Hands because it is water soluble and soaks in so completely. Neutrogena is a step up from that, and if things get bad - find a farmer's supply store and get bag balm. Put it on - put on cotton gloves - go to sleep - wake up with 19 year old skin. I don't use it often as it contains lanolin & that can get to you after a while, but for short stretches, it's great.

Charles Meadows

Those cracks are sometimes small warts. Warts are viral and spread easily - like via mail clippers.

Michael Bauer

Charlie, the post office uses mail clippers??? I thought they used planes now.

blindjimmy

I have had great success useing blistex, the stuff for lips . it always works on my cracked finger skin.

Bones

Dry hands???

Use lotion right before you go to bed at night. Also, during the day if you can have lotion on your hands (but not before you handle your guitar)...

Good luck