Thread: Any fellow Wheelchair woodworkers here?

I'll tag Ray (wheelinround) in this.

Not sure where you are located but if you can contact Terry Gleeson in Dural.He teaches and is wheel chair bound as well.
So he will have a fair idea what you are needing.

cheers....Roy

Originally Posted by Pat

I'll tag Ray (wheelinround) in this.

Thanks Pat, it's been a long while since visiting let alone posting.

Matt I see you are in Sydney where? What in particular woodwork? Turning? or something more or less?

I see Roy has pointed out someone which will be good if you can get there.

Peter Calabria of Artisan on The Hill also taught wheelchair users woodturning he often demo's at trend Timbers he is based at Tinonee up near Taree though beautiful spot.

As for me and my workshop well its a missmash of wood n metal machines. I use to turn and use BS etc from a draughtsman stool I last year through NDIS got an iLevel powered chair which is as much space use as a manual chair and has the ability to raise 12 to 14" bring me to stand height+. I can whip around in its own space raise and lower to pick things up or out things on shelves. Tear down the back yard and back. It does have some draw backs to often not fast enough (oh for 250CC+).

Of course everything depends on your ability your skills and your equipment. Therefore setting up depends on you, NOT an OT, NOT a Physio. You have to use and be comfortable with what machines are at your disposal.

I work out of a chair. Everything is on wheels with brakes. Benches are adjustable for height and lathe stands are lowered and tilted. Some machines are too high and for these I use a drafting chair. I am not chair bound so changing from one chair to the other is not a problem. Each of the chairs have their advantages- A wheel chair works well at a bench where you can get your legs in under. A drafting chair makes higher machines reachable and also the ability to swivel in your seat without having to move the chair.
I am currently setting up my Lucas mill to operate from a chair.
My wife is a Physio and her friend is an Occupational Therapist. They were a great help when I was setting up the workshop.

Many years ago, I was working in an office and a guy in a wheel chair got hired. He quickly fitted in professionally and socially; all was well. Then someone noticed that as "Fred" moved around the office he rarely went in a straight line. His wheelchair would not fit between desks, pot plants were in the way, pillars were in the wrong place, phone and computer cords everywhere .....

We moved desks, but it was a futile exercise. Usually we made things worse - one step forward, two steps backwards. Phone/computer cords were a limitting factor, as was overhead lighting. So the boss hired an OT to assist; a very competent OT.

OT had quiet discussions with boss and "Fred", and then with entire staff explaining what he could do and how he would approach the matter. He mentioned that there were government subsidies available to pay for half of any remedial work, and that Telstra had to move telephone lines for free if they impeded disabled access. He also rang Personnel in HQ without warning state boss; someone in HQ pannicked and thought the wrath of God was about to descend and suddenly we had a very large special purpose budget. And Govt matched it!

A lot of ancient screens and cubicles were removed, replaced with planter troughs on wheels and mobile screens, desks were moved to a 'work function' grouping, unimpeded by fixed screens, etc, most chairs were replaced by adjustable height 5-wheelers, the phone system was substantially updated and phones moved to the new desk positions, etc. It made things much easier for "Fred".

The bonus was that it made thing much easier for the fully mobile staff members, as well. A genuine win-win situation, paid for by HQ and the govt.

Hi Matt,

im a parapeglic and also wheelchair bound, I was a cabinetmaker by trade before my accident, so I had a good understanding of using tools and machinery. It took a while to adapt and learn new techniques that would work.

I’ve set my workshop up with rolling tables, that I can get under, same with benches.

I modified a duct lifter with a 240 volt hoist, I used that to stack timber on the timber racks I made, as well as moving stuff off the ground on to my workbench.

I rip down sheet panels with a track saw, before using the sliding table saw.

I spend more time working out how I’m going to do something that what it takes to complete the task, it’ll vary on your own situation.

I really like what Bryn posted and his attitude to life. Everything he has said applies equally well to able bodied workers. Clever design makes things easier and better.

As a wheelchair bound friend says - disability is a state of mind; I just have some minor mobility issues which are exacerbated by the bloody Council putting kerbs in the wrong places ....

Originally Posted by bryn23

....I spend more time working out how I’m going to do something that what it takes to complete the task, it’ll vary on your own situation.

Me, too. And it took me 40 years to realise this.

Planning or designing how to do something is equally important to designing the object. It greatly reduces mistakes, it greatly reduces those stoppages - what do I do next or how do I do the next step, etc. A friend actually draws cartoon strips of how he will make and assemble things - if I cannot draw it, I cannot make it. I don't as I lack his freehand drawing skills, but I do draw flowcharts for difficult jobs. These almost always result in me changing the work order of that multitude of small but essential tasks - (eg cutting mortices and tennons while timber is still square.) I am convinced that the time spent planning actually reduces the overall build time and it certainly improves quality.