Thread: Keeping on turning as the body starts to fail: share your tips

Dammit Ern,your not that much older than me,.Is this what I have to look forward to?

Cheers
gidgee 1

Proper floor coverings, cover the concrete with the rubber interlocking mats from Bunnings. In most areas of the workshop I've got a double layer of these mats and an Anti fatigue mat in front of the lathe as well. Stops all those pains and aches at the end of the day.

Effective dust collectors and air cleaners making the air a pleasure to breathe.

Finally proper insulation making it more comfortable.


Peter.

Yeah, good tips Peter. Thanks.

gidgee, the crap comes in at diff ages and it's good to read btwn your lines that you're still fit. My probs come from a life-long sit down job plus some high-risk recreations.

I most definitely support tip #6

I do tai chi to help balance everything. Makes the legs and back stronger. Helps with the "lathe tango". Helps my oestio arthrisis in my neck, cos it fosters good posture. If I don't do it for a couple of weeks I really start to feel the aches and pains again, and returning to class is a little on the painful side. Which it will be this week cos I have been sick for 2 weeks with a flu type thing. But small pain during class means less pain from working! I feel like work now makes me stronger rather than wearing me out.

Good lighting and most probably more than you think. My workshop ceiling is a forest of light and I don't think it is too bright.

Benches that are a bit higher than what everyone reckons they should be.

Clean up as you go and save the trip hazards. If you are retired then you have the time to work in clean surroundings.

Labels on drawers, saves wearing out what little memory I have left.

Alcohol is a depressant, not good if you are already feeling down.

You've got 5 years on me but I recognise myself in serial 7 already!

Lots of light - Yep. I have 18w fluros at approx 1.2 m spacing, with each pair separately switched and a spot on the lathe.

I have a special pair of glasses with the best focus point set to the range I normally work at. A little further than reading glasses. They are also large and double as low risk safety glasses.

Learn to use either hand. That way you can swap the stresses to the other side of your body when you are getting sore.

I'm only 36, but god willing I'll get there

My biggest tip comes from trying to lose a finger in the lathe.... Slow down, take it easy - no silly shortcuts. No job on the lathe is so important that it has to be rushed.

Oh yeah, and +1 to lots of light and clean fresh air

Cheers,
Dave

I have to get one of those large magnafying glass thingy's with a light in it as my glasses are strong but I can't focus on any thing close up any more.
Miss that as I want to do some finer things on my turnings, pens & boxes bit cant see them at all so I don't even try anymore
I have extra lamps over my lathe & over my work bench my lathe lamp also swivels over to my drill press
regards Michael

All of the above and:

A clock on the wall above the lathe so you see how much time has elapsed. Do something different for a while every 30 minutes or so.

Do intense work (roughing, hollowing) in small increments; 15 - 30 minutes, then do something else for a while.

Big fat tool handles so hands don't cramp. If bothered by vibration, wrap with 1/8 to 1/4 closed cell foam. Bicycle handlebar tape over the foam would be ideal, but I haven't found any lately in discount stores. I may have to resort to bike shops, where locally they think everything is gold plated.

If you do big bowls or sized spindles, have big heavy tools to absorb the shock. For hollowing big bowls; a 3/4 inch bowl gouge with a 24 to 36 inch long 1 inch iron pipe handle, filled with lead shot and wrapped with dense closed cell foam and bicycle tape.

Do some physical exercise to keep the whole body involved. I heat with wood, so I am getting, cutting, splitting, all year round. The nice bits are saved for bowls, the rest is burned. Just walking and looking through the neighborhood is good for you.

I'm 71. All you young guys crying about aches and pains, sheesh. If you are busy and not overdoing, you don't feel most of the aches and pains.

Big fat tool handles so hands don't cramp. If bothered by vibration, wrap with 1/8 to 1/4 closed cell foam. Bicycle handlebar tape over the foam would be ideal, but I haven't found any lately in discount stores. I may have to resort to bike shops, where locally they think everything is gold plated.

Yep that the way I make mine

Osteo etc, well I look at various natural remedies to manage the symtoms. I dont have much in that way. But I use liberal amounts of vitamins, orange and bush honey for the osteo. Generally keep active and like to keep the weight down and attempt at remain as flexible as I can, with out breaking a leg etc

Hollowing rigs are good to keep to forces down to a minimum. I have several types for various situations.

Used to do pilates, should get back into it, slacking off again

Labels on drawers, saves wearing out what little memory I have left.

yeah you get more organised as the you get older. Never could figure it out when I was a young fella, now its obvious

Learn to use either hand. That way you can swap the stresses to the other side of your body when you are getting sore.

Absolutely, I turn with both hands and make a habit of being as ambidextrous as possible. does wonders for flexability and it also works both sides of the brain.

Effective dust collectors and air cleaners making the air a pleasure to breathe.
Finally proper insulation making it more comfortable.

Yep in this shed I will have a far greater setup for dust and comfort. LOML wonders if I am planning to take up residence out there .

All in all most of my mods are to do with comfort and making every thing easy, laid backed as possible. Have no wish to sweat the little stuff, just go with the flow.

Originally Posted by Paul39

Bicycle handlebar tape over the foam would be ideal, but I haven't found any lately in discount stores. I may have to resort to bike shops, where locally they think everything is gold plated.

Having recently gotten into cycling as (yet) another hobby, I whole heartedly agree with the gold plated statement. At times the local bike store is well worth paying for (getting fitted to the correct new bike ) and at other times a complete rort (basically any accessory )

Try Cell Bikes Cheap prices, excellent service and good delivery. I usually pay about $5 delivery, but I am local in Sydney. They have heaps of handle bar tape from about $5 to $20-odd. Oh, watch their RRP. Not always 'real world RRP'

I bought a rechargeable bike light from them (seriously bright one too) that connects to the handlebar via an o-ring. I managed to lose one (2 come in the pack), and I emailed to ask if I could buy another. An hour later I got an email saying 2 new o-rings were in the post, free of charge.

Cheers,
Dave

I use an articulated deep hollowing system to save my back and have a big industrial pedestal fan blowing air from behind. This keeps me cool from the humid weather we have up here and blows the dust straight out of my shed.
Oh yeah, I tie my wood pile rack ladder to the rack after I fell down when it slipped. That concrete floor is hard so my legs, arm and head found out!