The ultimative lube question / survey

[ffffgdave@yahoo.com]

i use super glue gel on hand cracks.. its not pliable, but fills the hole and stops the pain. . doesnt seem to heel for awhile for several applicatins but i have deep thick cracks.. dave

[don marable]

I love Kenny's remark about Bag Balm working on hands too.

You are into a subject that I don't know much about. Here in Longview, Texas the average humidity is above 50 percent and many days it is above 80 percent. That combined with temperatures that seldom stay below freezing for more than a few hours renders cracked hands a rarity. When I worked in West Texas and New Mexico, (I normally only worked a few days at a time) I found Bag Balm and Corn Huskers lotion to work well. My father-in-law was in the dairy business and used Bag Balm on a daily basis, and his hands were always soft. The envy of most women.

Don

[buffalocannon]

I don't think one can beat SPG for most shooting in most areas. When it is really dry where I live (many days we have humidity in the SINGLE digits), I make my own lube from beeswax and LubeGard blended together in a double boiler. I'm not exactly sure of the proportions. I add the LubeGard until the mixture comes out with approximately the consistency of petroleum jelly or maybe toothpaste. I believe LubeGard is one of the closest things to sperm whale oil we have out there. Plus, it doesn't start to stink like the real thing does after awhile. After I soften the beeswax, I pour it off and wipe the residue from the bottom of the pan before adding the LubeGard. I used to use anhydrous lanolin in the mix but after experimenting a little, I found that it was just an expensive and unnecessary additive. I believe the LubeGard does the work - the beeswax is just the vehicle.

Oh - the best things I have found for hands and cracked feet, and I'm not sure why, are products like Vick's Vapo-Rub or the similar things you rub on children's chests when they have a stuffy cold or such.

[Ray Newman]

Colleagues, if you’re troubled by a persistent cracking of your hands that doesn’t heal up properly &/or bleeds, I suggest you turn to your physician.

I have a friend who suffers(ed) from this malady & he asked his Saw Bones ‘bout it. The Doc gave him a prescription. While it helped, it didn’t completely cure the problem. Gary’s physician then sent him to a dermatologist. The dermatologist did a test & it seemed that had some type of fungus & he prescribed the proper hand cream. When he doesn’t use it, the symptoms return.

Since I suffer from cracked hands--esp. the thumbs-- all year long, I took a page from Gary’s book & asked my primary care doctor about it. She referred me to a dermatologist. Since I wear gloves a great deal & my hands pick up a n inordinate amt. of dirt pushing my chair around, the dermatologist prescribed two hand creams for me. One is greasy & should applied after taking a shower, bath, or soaking the hands in hot water for a several minutes so it's readily absorbed. I apply this cream religiously 2Xa day & my symptoms have gone away. He also prescribed another cream to apply when I’m doing any work in the shop or out in the yard. It forms a film over the skin & is water soluble. It goes w/o saying that if I don’t apply these creams, my hands deteriorate & crack open w/ bleeding.

[Longhunter79]

Zims Crack cream......It is for cracks on your hands not plumer pants....

Put it on your cracks and if real bad pull the crack togeather and hold it with just the stickey part of a band aid. I live in Minnesota and get cracks in the winter all the time . This stuff works.

All ready posted about my bullit lube.....So UFDA

Jon

[Lead Pot]

Guys I'm a plumber, well a retired plumber. seems like a water service or water main just always breaks on the coldest day of the year. Many times when I get the hole open the steam rolls so bad you cant see the muddy water. some times way below zero. I'm in that muddy water with out gloves because I'm working under the water which feels warm ,and you lay the pipe wrench up on the bank and reach for it again when you need it, and it freezes to your hand and fingers were you cant let loose of it till you stick it under the water and let it thaw. Now let me tell you bag balm or anyting else just dont do any good. my hand just crack and bleed.
But that stuff is the best.

Kurt

[IronSight]

Been trying to hold back a post but cant take it any longer.
Lead pot as usual is right. Now i'm not a plumer by trade but i've worn a pummers 'hat' among many other 'hats'. I'll second that working with water or solvents in dry windy freezing conditions will take a toll on exposed skin primarily by drying it out. But its not only limited to water. Tinkering with tractors, autos, snowblowers, etc, in same temperature conditions will also take a toll on skin especially when trying to warsh the grease off the hands and forgetting to apply the Udder Balm or in my case Vaseline Water Resistant goop afterwards. Now the Udder Balms, etc. work if they are used religiously but in my case?
I try to wear gloves but at some point they come off when i gotta start that 4-40 screw and they typically stay off for the duration. I know, its my fault but can't stand wearing gloves when doing intricate work. There's some truth to the old saying 'can't teach an old dog new tricks'.
Once the cracks appear, the only remedy i found that works is the liquid bandage route. By the way this stuff goes under different names depending on the mfgr. Skin Shield is another one.

Don't know about others, but at least in my case its no fungus, but old man winter plain and simple.

[Trigger Dr]

Ironsight,
I have to agree with you... My Dad always told me "you can't even spit clean when you're wearing gloves" I found that to be very true for me also.
Jim