Found Dreaming

Do any of the members have issues with their hands when using greensand, every time I mold up by the end of the day the skin on my hands is starting to peel, I think it may be the clay that's drying my hands out

Mike

probably the clay, I use oil bonded sand with used motor oil and never had any problems, but then I used to wash carb parts in degreaser without any gloves on too.

try using some of the cheap vinyl gloves, I wear them from time to time, they usually only last thru one mold but they do keep the black off my hands.

Weather ever breaks I'm going to fire my stuff back up, have a couple patterns that I'm needed to fill with molten metal
DA

It's the bentonite in the sand that dries your hands out so much. I always used what's called (here in the states) is corn husker's lotion on my hands. Before pack'n up sand I applied a bit on my hands and rubbed it in real well. After pack'n up molds I'd wash my hands then apply another bit of that lotion on them and rub that in. Eventually, it seemed the more work I did the less it dried my skin to where it didn't bother me like that at all. Figured the abrasives of the sand was wear'n down hardened callouses and causing them to flake and peel. Eventually, I'm guess'n the hardened skin was removed and just "tough" skin remained after that. I only had to deal with that for the first six months of a lot of molding activity. If your green sand is a commercially made brand there's nothing in it that will harm your skin. Perhaps, also, my incorporation of corn flour into my sand mix (which gave the sand more bond and created more carbon fines after the pours) might have reduced the drying effect bentonite causes the skin. Don't know for sure, just say'n what helped my sand and deminished the drying effect of my skin, but also consider I washed, too, and applied lotion. Vasilene may help the skin, too.

Used a product Barrier Cream and today my hands were so much better after doing the same four flasks

Mike