Callouses/Work Hardening Hands

bexter12 · Post by **bexter12** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 8:57 am

Hi all,

This is probably going to sound like the sissiest, most girly question to you guys. We've had a similar discussion on the chainmaille board and I wanted to see how you guys deal with it.

I have spent at least an hour a day on a maille project for the last 7 months. I have earned well-placed and protective callouses on my hands (14 in all) that make that work easier.

Enter the hammer.

I spent a couple weekends ago hammering for several hours and managed to work up several new blisters. I figure those will eventually toughen up, but I did manage to rip one of my maille callouses off in the process and crack two others.

Do you let callouses develop or try and keep your hands from getting them (either by wearing gloves or lotion, etc.) ?

Or after you've been armouring for so long, you've forgotten what blisters feel like?

I'm curious.

bex

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Becky Lovins

[This message has been edited by bexter12 (edited 04-10-2002).]

Galileo · Post by **Galileo** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 9:05 am

I weave maille mostly, but I wear thin, cotton gloves. Seems to keep the callous/blister count at nearly zero.

G--

Warren · Post by **Warren** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 9:33 am

For your hands, I would suggest gloves to protect your skin. Now I may sound wimpy on this, but callouses that split or get worn off, can cause infections. (ignores the scoffing). Try holding a chisel betwee your fingers when you have an infected blister or a nasty hangnail

I did take a blacksmithing course once upon a time. I wore a pair of leather/kevlar gloves that you can get from your local surplus store. No callouses or blisters, but definately hotspots. The more you can cut the friction down, the better.

Another way to reduce your sores is to sand down the hammer handles, and oil with linseed oil, sand with wet dry about 300 grit the first two times slopping on coats inbetween and allowing it to soak in overnight. Then do it with 400 wet dry and a bit of oil. Sand and then polish the handle. This will harden the wood surface and polish it, reducing the amount of surfaces on the wood that cause the friction(you can do this if you have time)

Hope it helps, also I use a product called Barts Bees hand wax. Its a beeswax and herbal salve for chapped hands, made in raleigh NC.

Great stuff on tough mitts like mine.

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<A HREF="http://www.hosekileather.homestead.com" TARGET=_blank>

www.hosekileather.homestead.com

</A> "There was great wailing and gnashing of teeth"

[This message has been edited by Warren (edited 04-12-2002).]

Langdon · Post by **Langdon** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 9:37 am

I use a glove on my hand that holds the piece. It helps to protect from the shock. I don't usually wear a glove on my hammer hand. I feel that I loose too much control if I wear one.

Langdon

Russ Mitchell · Post by **Russ Mitchell** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 9:49 am

Iron Palm jow, available from practically any good kung fu shop (Nine Elder is a good recipe, and cheap) or magazine, is also very good for toughening your hands, without putting too much callous on them. Haven't gotten a blister in eons.

Otherwise, if you're desperate for a quick fix, you can always put vinegar on the spot you need calloused....

Thorfinna · Post by **Thorfinna** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 10:24 am

Hi, Bex...

I found myself in a similar situation - I had callouses from other work before I started armoring, too, but found the blisters came up pretty easily hammering, cutting with a beverly shear, and after hours of leather cutting. One of the first things I had to do was to get rid of extraneous jewelry - I wear my wedding ring, but no other rings, since they tended to make more blisters faster wherever they contacted the fingers around them. I wear leather gloves for a lot of the stuff I do, ladies' sized and made of goatskin or regular cow leather that I buy at our local feed and ranch store. In fact, I wear them so much that my husband teases me about them (he has callouses on his callouses from years of sheet metal work and rarely wears gloves except for hot work or welding), but they do keep me from slicing myself up on metal edges or getting open oozing blisters and not being able to hold a hammer. When I first start to feel a blister, I slap a bandaid on it, preferably before it bursts, then on go the gloves again. If it's really uncomfortable to keep hammering (or whatever), then I'll fold up a 2x2 square of gauze and bandaid it on the spot to give a little cushion so I can keep working.

It's been my experience - doing this full time for almost two years now - that the new callouses will come in time (as yours did with maille making), even with gloves on, but it doesn't hurt to protect those 'old' callouses in the meantime. I also make it a point to use a calendula-based hand lotion after I wash up at the end of the day, since it helps with healing those inevitable cuts and nicks and blisters, and my hands don't end up looking like I armor all day!

Regards,

Thorfinna

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Thorfinna im botemedel
Armourworks
(formerly Armory of Westlig Stjerne/Alemain Rivet Munitions Armory)
www.armourworks.com

Reinhard von Lowenhaupt · Wed Apr 10, 2002 7:34 pm

Pigskin gloves work quite well. (can be found at any welding supplier as TIG gloves). Unfortunately they wear out fairly quickly, but not as quickly as deerskin. These gloves are thin enough to allow you to 'feel' through them fairly easy.

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Per Mortem Vinco.

Stoffel · Post by **Stoffel** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 8:08 pm

I usually dont worry about it. I do so much work with my hands that my whole hands are lightly caloused, rather than just spots. I only bother to wear gloves on the hand I am holding metal with while shaping, or if I'm doing hot work.

losthelm · Post by **losthelm** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 8:14 pm

work at building up the callouses slowly.
I use badger balm mostly available at eastern mountain sports, gallians and most other places that sell rock climbing gear.
tig gloves run about 10 dolars a pair with about as much feeling as fencing gloves once you break them in. should last a bit but I manage to wear them out after about ten weeks of welding. they would have lasted longer but I keep pulling stiches.

Otto · Post by **Otto** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 9:20 pm

I'm pretty sure my hands have toughened some over the years... but I almost always wear leather gloves, the kind with a soft leather "hand" and a tough canvas cuff (long cuff if I can find them)

mordreth · Post by **mordreth** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 10:05 pm

I rub neetsfoot oil into my hands every few weeks, it seems to keep the callus supple and healthy. I can't remember the last split/lifted callus
My other beauty tip is always make sure your body hair is shampooed, and neatly brushed

[This message has been edited by mordreth (edited 04-10-2002).]

bexter12 · Post by **bexter12** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 10:23 pm

Gosh, most folks on the chainmaille board don't like to let callouses develop, so that's a big difference between here and there.

I have been wearing a glove on the hand that holds the piece, but not in my hammer hand. I've tried and I feel like I lose a little control, plus my hand cramps up for some reason when I've got gloves on.

Mordreth: I liked the neetsfoot oil idea, I want the callouses, but don't want them ripping off again. Where do you find that?

Russ: Thanks for the tip about vinegar. I didn't know that.

Warren: I never thought about modifying the hammer's handle like that. The hammer that Clang sent me has been sanded and soaked in oil, but my others haven't.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Keep it coming!

bex

Ted Banning · Post by **Ted Banning** » Thu Apr 11, 2002 1:06 am

The only problems with calouses I have are the ones on the fingertips of my left hand that I developed for guitar. I get so pissed when they abrade off. Same thing for the nails on my right hand...oh so useful for playing, so inconvenient for working. Is there a metaphor in there somewhere ? Kind of a "Lillies of the Valley" situation?

Warren · Post by **Warren** » Thu Apr 11, 2002 1:14 am

Bex, I have 17 hammers/mauls for leather and some small metal working stuff. Mostly for peening etc. All have been redone as it helps ease the pain. Also, if you like, go by some leather steering wheel covers cut em short and lace them on your hammer handles or just wrap a thin sheet of leather around the handle and stitch it tight. Then tap the stitches flat similar to a sword grip. This should cut down on the blisters as well. As the leather wears, it will polish out and your hands will love you a lot.

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<A HREF="http://www.hosekileather.homestead.com" TARGET=_blank>

www.hosekileather.homestead.com

</A> "There was great wailing and gnashing of teeth"

[This message has been edited by Warren (edited 04-11-2002).]

Sasha · Post by **Sasha** » Thu Apr 11, 2002 2:58 am

That suggestion about cutting short steering wheel covers is a nifty one. I wonder if I should just use sheepskin ones. That way I can have hammer and sheep at the same time!....errr...never mind.

Personally I do not wear gloves much and would have gone the way of the all over callus, except that Margaret lets me politely know what grit level my hands have attained ("I'm sorry dear, can you do something about the 80grit palms?")...as a result I tend to use a hand moisteriser a fair bit after the workshop.
The result is that I now have no reall definable calus....but I do not get blisters either. And my hands are not overly sensitive.

Got to love the sorbelene, aloe, avacado gunk.

And it makes me hungry for salad too.

Sasha

Warren · Post by **Warren** » Thu Apr 11, 2002 10:23 am

LMAO Sasha, that's rich. (not the sheep bit) the other. Udder cream is also great for the hands. Walmart sells it. Black and white tube, also known as bag balm. You figure it out.

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<A HREF="http://www.hosekileather.homestead.com" TARGET=_blank>

www.hosekileather.homestead.com

</A> "There was great wailing and gnashing of teeth"

Tom Justus · Post by **Tom Justus** » Thu Apr 11, 2002 10:36 am

Calluses are not necessarily a good thing. As I get older, I have been more concerned with making my body last as long as possible. I would like to do this work well into my sixties (should I live so long) and donâ€™t see any reason why I canâ€™t.

Rupert Fiengold in his book on silversmithing talks about shaping hammer handles so that they fit the hand better. This reduces the wear and tear on your skin quite a bit. I use hand lotion in the evenings after clean up from work. I wear gloves when cutting, polishing, and grinding (very light goatskin). I wear a heaver welding glove on my off hand when hot working. I have never been comfortable with a glove on my hand while hammering (oh well).

I do have calluses on my fingertips from playing the fiddle, but that seems unavoidable.

Best Wishes, Tom Justus

Mad Matt · Post by **Mad Matt** » Thu Apr 11, 2002 10:40 am

I wear a thick cowhide welding glove on my left hand when I dish and that's about it.

I think that the chainmaille board guys don't like the callouses because of the mastubatory jokes it opens them up for. Since the calouses are generally only on the dominant hand.

Plate stuff tends to get you callouses on both. Although the ones on my dominant hand are a little tougher.

Sasha you're missing out. My dad does woodworking as a hobby. For a living he works in construction. So for his woodworking hobby he saves on sandpaper by sanding stuff with his hands.

I've gotten the "OW what did you just scratch me with" lots of times from the wife.

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The budding mid 14th century German Transitional guy.
Mad Matt's Armory

Warren · Post by **Warren** » Fri Apr 12, 2002 10:09 am

Bex, sorry, the salve is called Bart's Bees Hand Salve.

My error.

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<A HREF="http://www.hosekileather.homestead.com" TARGET=_blank>

www.hosekileather.homestead.com

</A> "There was great wailing and gnashing of teeth"

rmermuys · Post by **rmermuys** » Fri Apr 12, 2002 3:43 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by bexter12:

Mordreth: I liked the neetsfoot oil idea, I want the callouses, but don't want them ripping off again. Where do you find that?

bex[/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Neetsfoot oil can be bought at Wal-Mart. Don't know if you're supposed to use it with your skin. It's usually used for leather and footwear.

-Randy

mordreth · Post by **mordreth** » Fri Apr 12, 2002 4:50 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by rmermuys:
 Neetsfoot oil can be bought at Wal-Mart. Don't know if you're supposed to use it with your skin. It's usually used for leather and footwear.

-Randy<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
*****************************************
Never said you were supposed to use it on your skin, I tend to oil the hell out of straps before attaching them to pieces, and a few years ago noticed that the callus' seemed very healthy after the great pensic push (mid july to early Aug) and were drying up and cracking in Sept.
I was doing some maintenence on my harness, and noticed while oiling the leathers that the callus in my hand seemed to be drinking the stuff in, and the next day they were back to supple, I've used it ever sense
BTW - I'm not sure who posted "Bag Balm"(?)- It's a dairy farmers product (originally) to sooth chapped and split udders.

Thorfinna · Post by **Thorfinna** » Fri Apr 12, 2002 8:38 pm

Bag Balm works great for new moms of the human variety, too! It's been around for years and years - available in feed/ranch stores and lately, at WalMart! Great stuff and no 'perfumey' smell for those guys who hate it. Another really good hand-conditioning product is Corn Husker's Lotion - also been around forever - also no perfumey smell - also available at WalMart (at least around here) and at other drugstore-type places. Doesn't feel greasy or sticky - just soaks in.

Thorfinna

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Thorfinna im botemedel
Armourworks
(formerly Armory of Westlig Stjerne/Alemain Rivet Munitions Armory)
www.armourworks.com

Patrick Sain · Post by **Patrick Sain** » Fri Apr 12, 2002 9:39 pm

The maille callouses are not a bother and when I shift to the 14 and 12 gauge plate I put on gloves. Too many chances of hot, sharp, and potentially pointy bits of metal when Steve and I start dancing about the workshop. Oh, and cold too. -10 to -20 or 30 degree sheets of metal were not fun to deal with before the woodstove got going good.

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Pardon me, Roy. Is that the cat that chewed your new shoes?

Armored Dillo Highway