stroke

hi my name is Tony. im 42yrs old. i had my stroke 2 yrs ago. they called it a massive stroke. my voice isnt what it once was. i have a bad limp though i get around alrite. my right arm is the problem. it has alittle movement in the the arm but a weak hand grip and it doesnt open. but its getting stronger as i use it when i can. i would like to start woodworking and welcome any advice you guys have. i bought a thicknesser a scroll saw and a rip saw and a cordless drill. i also have a cordless Dremel. i would like to make coffee tables with an inlaid top. what best for a beginner? wood or shell? is there a template they use for inlay? is a Dremel good? or a router better? i hope iv asked the right question i look forward to your reply. i live in Donnybrook W.A. Thanks, Tony

G'day and welcome Tony.
I suffered my stroke at 46 (Nov 2006). It was considered massive but fortunately I was treated very quickly. (I was pretty close to a hospital). 5 weeks hospital, 7 months rehab. I still have some right sided weakness, can walk without a limp if I really really concentrate but usually just limp and even use walking stick in crowded places. I can lift to waist height easily, half very good grip power but can't push above my head. I was and still am right handed. I refuse to even use a screwdriver or hold a coffee cup with my left unless I can also use the right (no offense to the lefties among us but it's a case of "I want what used to be normal to be normal again and I'm not giving up another thing").

Various people - medicos and friends - advised me changes/recovery would faster at first then slower over the year and I would notice the changes in fits and bursts. So far they've been spot on. I still notice something had changed for the better when 6 months ago it might have been dodgy. Having said that, I was affected by a frozen right shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) early on through no using of my right side enough and more recently left should issues due to over use.

I had always been exposed to various forms of wood and metal work, owned the usual handyman things, fixed the locks, changed hinges etc but never used my hands creatively and worked in IT management in a hands-on environment. I started woodturning about a year after my stroke, did a few restores on cabinets, made a few side tables but now almost exclusively turn things - and have even made a tiny amount of $ from turning.

In my case I quickly found power tools were a necessity for me but about 18months ago I decided to start trying handtools. That lasted all of a few months because I just fatigue so quickly when sawing or planing. So I can't help with advice on your specific question. There will be a forum that cover your interests, you can be sure of that. Maybe go to the intro section G'day mate - THE WELCOME WAGON -Introduce yourself you might get a higher exposure there and someone will point you to the best place for your questions.

While post-stroke things are never quite the same, it does get better over time.

PM me if you ever want to share war stories or just want to chat.
Doug

Thanks Doug!

Hi Tony is the cordless dremel suitable for small routing work (check specs) if so you may find the size of it suitable for your lay work also being light would be easy to hold one handed compared to a router. As things improve (hopefully) then you could progress to a router.
Whatever happens keep at the woodwork as I find it very therapeutic as I have (if you want to call it fortunately ) only had a mini stroke and 3 heart attacks. Only do as much as you feel comfortable doing then have a rest, little and often is better than knocking yourself out. Take care and enjoy the hobby

Tony - the Dremel (especially the cordless one) is great for fine inlay work, stringing, etc.

I use one of these tools with mine:

STEWMAC.COM : Precision Router Base

Stewmac have other accessories for various specialised inlay work as well, and sell a variety of baby router bits to fit the Dremel chuck. Freight from the US is relatively cheap, as all these items are fairly small and light. Check out the video on the page I linked to see one in use. Once you have the bit depth set and locked (which can be done very accurately), it is quite easy to move the jig over the timber. It is useful to have air attached so that you can see what you are doing - I just bleed air slowly from a compressor, but a little fishtank air pump would probably be fine for the job. Obviously, don't get the mini air pump from Stewmac, as this will be 110V.

Cheers

Thanks guys youv been very helpful!