cracked fingers

[thecapgunkid]

I had this problem all the time when working with wet leather to make shoes or saddles.  Curiously enough, it hasn't happened with wood and I dunno why.

The products advised in this thread, particularly with lanolin, will certainly help.
However, my doctor surprised me when I asked him about it during a Flu visit and he told me sometimes it can be viral.  Viral...never would have thought about it on my own.
There's even a name for the condition, but most of us in this crowd tend to not go to Doctors unless we have to. 

In the end, when working, I found that one of the best solutions was letting my fingernails grow about a 16th of an inch longer actually helped...mine was strictly on my thumbs, though.

It all boils down to paying attention to your hands and not taking anything for granted.   Crazy Glue doesn't list skin as an applicable candidate, and there is probably a reason for that.

[Bob Roller]

Bag Balm should do it.
http://www.bagbalm.com/

Tried it.  Do not like Bag Balm. I tried substituting it for lanolin (lost my jar). I find it greasy and don't get near the relief that I'm used to, and have to reapply more often.

I MUCH prefer pure lanonlin.  Lanolin is my cold and dry weather skin solution, for years. A little dab will do you. Zero petrol or chemicals, just the soft wax of the wool.  Some say that some brands smell "strong".  Maybe they do, never been a problem for me. Pure Lanolin.

Here's the brand I've been using. Smells like lanolin to me. A bit like the vet's office, because lanolin is the base of many ointments and such. I really think it's great-far superior to Bag Balm.

Also, Lanolin has been around since the domestication of sheep. It was used to protect metals at sea when sails powered the fleets. A very long history goes with lanolin. And some folks 'round here are into that sort of thing. 

appears to be available everywhere:



Nevermind the little "drop" on the label, it's a solid hunk of goodness just a little bit thicker than your average petroleum jelly, until it's warmed by your hands.

Makes a good addition to bullet lube as well.
Might work as is with patched round balls.

Bob Roller

[Flint62Smoothie]

When I was still machining, practically all of us has a well used tub of Bag Balm and tube of Krazy glue in our oak Gerstner tool chests ... or in their metal Kennday ones for the young’ins!

[WadePatton]

...
Nevermind the little "drop" on the label, it's a solid hunk of goodness just a little bit thicker than your average petroleum jelly, until it's warmed by your hands.

Makes a good addition to bullet lube as well.
Might work as is with patched round balls.

Bob Roller

And if it protected seagoing metal from salt water/spray/air, it might also be quite capable of protecting steel in less harsh environments. That was a little "implied" notion that apparently never got through to this century.

I like tallow and grease and wax too, but lanolin is food safe, non-toxic, non-petroleum, and without perfume, colors, or additives.  It dates back to well, they don't have good records, but guess that selection for "woolliness" of sheep started about 6000BC according to the Wiki. 

I'm sure some was around in "our time of concern" even if it was known by another name, like: Wool Fat, Wool Wax, Wool Grease, or similar.  But even if it wasn't (wool was a hot commodity in England and subject to the Navigation Acts of 1699), I prefer it to all the other remedies for cracked working hands I've seen mentioned in this thread, and it's multi-functional as Bob notes. 

Also, something I only recently learned about lanolin, is that you can make an emulsification from it and replenish the water and dirt repellency of your wool clothing.  I've yet to try this, but there are lots of gals doing it on youtube.

1510:

[Bob Roller]

Is that picture the origin of "When the men are men and the sheep are nervous?

Bob Roller

[WadePatton]

Is that picture the origin of "When the men are men and the sheep are nervous?

Bob Roller

Might be. Wonder who the idle man, all busy leaning on his forked stick is?

[Joe Stein]

Is that picture the origin of "When the men are men and the sheep are nervous?

Bob Roller

Might be. Wonder who the idle man, all busy leaning on his forked stick is?

They must be Government workers, hence the idler leaning on his stick.

[Gunnermike]

 Wonder who the idle man, all busy leaning on his forked stick is?
[/quote]

They must be Government workers, hence the idler leaning on his stick. [/quote]

Darn! Beat me to it!

Actually, the guy leaning on the stick is the great-great-great grandfather of all maintenance workers for Caltrans (California Department of Transportation).  Alas, many of them have been let go when somebody fashioned a kickstand that attaches to the lower part of the shovel handle, so now it stands up by itself! 
Those workers remaining just check tire pressure on their trucks to look busy.