Finger stack thumb cuticle decimation: normal?

Hi:

I've built an adjustable mini "crack machine" to work on finger stacks. They're hard enough as it is, but I'm noticing that when I really engage the jam the pressure of my index finger is rolling back the cuticle on my thumb in a really painful way. It does this even if I tape my thumb over the nail, which isn't something I'd really want to do in the real world anyhow.

Am I doing the jam wrong, or is this just the price of admission to the wonderful world of fingerstacking?

Put some Tincture of Benzoin on it. That will toughen that cuticle up.
Medical uses

Tincture of benzoin has two main medical uses: as a treatment for damaged skin in the "Compound" form, and as an inhalant in the non-Compound form.

Benjamin Chapman wrote:Put some Tincture of Benzoin on it. That will toughen that cuticle up. Medical uses Tincture of benzoin has two main medical uses: as a treatment for damaged skin in the "Compound" form, and as an inhalant in the non-Compound form.

Is that something you do ongoing to build it up, or just when you're climbing? I've only used it to help tape stick in the past.

Yes, the tincture is a useful tool for tape prep, but the tincture is valuable for toughing the skin and as an antiseptic (multiday climbing/walls). I've used it as needed for climbing as well as on a daily basis for crew (rowing).
You can fix just about anything with duct tape, baling wire, barge cement, or tincture of benzoin.

Any friction at all in the crack? Or just wood? How much does it flex? The crack flexing is most likely whats causing it in my experience.

Darren Mabe wrote:Any friction at all in the crack? Or just wood? How much does it flex? The crack flexing is most likely whats causing it in my experience.

I've tried both bare wood (slick!) and lined with cloth tape (literally sticky) with similar results. Potentially there is still a small amount of flexibility, I'll work on fixing that, good thought.

Darren Mabe wrote:Any friction at all in the crack? Or just wood? How much does it flex? The crack flexing is most likely whats causing it in my experience.

Darren, just to clarify are you saying that the flex is causing me to compensate with an excessive amount of force, ie more than I'd need to do the jam on actual rock?

Pretty much. Its less of a static jam when the wooden crack flexes