I am interested in hearing about lessons learned from the chair. I recently moved and met a new friend, who is now in a wheelchair. Whenever he hears me outside working, he wheels himself down to see me and chat. I am sure once I get the shop reasonably set up he would like to help. I re-roofed the shed and he picked up all the shingles for me. He used my recycling container, filling it while sitting in his chair and dragging it to the dumpster. When I was unloading my small wood stash, he talked intelligently about the differing properties of the various boards I was unloading, properly identifying the lumber by species. Therefore, I am sure he will appreciate some shop time and will do OK at it.
Please let me know what you learned about working from the chair. Thanks.
I tried not believing. That did not work, so now I just believe
There are a lot of things I can do from the chair that didn't take any changes to the shop. Sanding, test fitting of parts, sharpening of chisels and plane irons just to name a few. As I stated in other posts, I am blessed that I am still able to stand for short periods, so I can use the table saw, band saw, etc. I had to learn patience... learn to do jobs in stages so that I could continue to work in the shop. The big advantage the chair gives me is mobility in the shop.
If I had to use the walker, the strain on my shoulders would have me down for the count in just a few hours. I'd be done for the day. If I used the cane... fugeddaboudit. I can zip over to the tool box for the tool I need, over to the cabinet on the other side of the shop for a couple glue brushes, or roll over to the fridge for a bottle of water. The key to working out of the chair is bench height, setting the chair brake for leverage... damhikt... and taking your time. A weekend project takes me much longer, but I don't let that stop me.
I am out of the recliner and back in the shop.... I don't see the chair as an obstacle but another tool in the shop I have to "learn to use." When I try and work without it... I pay dearly.. so I'm still learning. Lol.
Jim in Okie You can tell a lot about the character of a man - By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
05-24-2017, 05:44 PM (This post was last modified: 05-24-2017, 05:59 PM by Arlin Eastman.)
Jim
If you remember I did woodworking for almost 7 years in a wheelchair and it had taken a lot of figuring out how to do things in a wheelchair. It was hard to saw and use a plane correctly without the wheelchair moving and that is when I pulled the plane towards me instead of pushing it and short strokes on the saw instead of the long ones people do.
Also had to learn how to use both hands to do turning with and using hand tools since it was such a bear to move the chair all the time.
Today I think it made me a better turner and woodworker for learning how to use both hands. That is why I like to teach the other disabled vets without an arm or let and even taught a blind guy how to turn.
I know if "I" could do it with the brain damage I had and still have anyone can learn.
As of this time I am not teaching vets to turn. Also please do not send any items to me without prior notification. Thank You Everyone.
It is always the right time, to do the right thing.
In a fund raising speech for our charity, with vets in chairs in the audience, I used this statement to get an important point across.
"There is a big difference in those who consider themselves handicapped, and those who look upon themselves as physically challenged. The handicapped individual has basically given up, or at least given in. They are getting by. The physically challenged individual sees there issue as an obstacle to be overcome, a goal to be achieved. If the solution suddenly no longer works, they attack the problem from the flank, regroup, call in reinforcements... but they never give up. BIG difference."
Always got applause, especially from my guys in the chairs.
Same idea applies here. As I discover an obstacle, I will try my best to find ways to attack it. MARINES... attack is what we do. Lol.
I expect to be woodworking, shooting, reloading, kayak fishing, and fly tying for years to come... if I have any say.
(I couldn't get to the pistol range here on the farm due to mobility issues. Polaris had a big sale.. now I have mobility.... and Miss T can use the Ranger 500 to haul stuff to the coops)
I can also use it to haul wood from the old boathouse to the wood shop. Adapt/overcome.
Jim in Okie You can tell a lot about the character of a man - By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Understand and agree with your comments, but don't have a problem with anyone calling me handicapped, disabled or even gimped ;-)
Here's an example of a work station built for use from a wheelchair, the design is more thoughtful than it would first appear. The open space between the countertop and the work platform allows me to store and access project stock from the wheelchair.
Also the overhang is deep enough for me to get my legs all the way under and be able to look down on the work.
I understand, and admire, your attitude.
For many of my vets coming back, comments directed at their physical condition didn't bother them...
One of the younger guys had purchased a seatback cover that said... "This is how I roll." It had a big smiley face centered on it. The one showing a lot of teeth.
It's all about positive attitude, there were two of our vets that were really the light of the group. They showed up at every event charged and ready to go, blasted out of their vans and charged thru the day full bore. I miss working with the charity, but the docs orders... I still talk to a number of the guys...
Jim in Okie You can tell a lot about the character of a man - By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Here in Finland we had lots of more or less disabled war veterans who came up with clever ways to get by. There was a shortage of surviving men and lots of war damage to rebuild after the war ended in 1944 so anyone who was healthy enough to do something got a job and got going and as there was a shortage of almost everything for a full decade after the war many veterans became amazingly skilled jacks of all trades who could make anything out of nothing.
When I was a kid most of them were already retired but it is amazing to see what many of them had achieved while making the best of their damaged bodies and traumatized minds.
I have heard about an one armed man who run his small farm and did some logging in winter. He had invented a sort of harness that held the left hand handle of his chansaw.
I have heard about a blind man who was very skilled with dynamite and blew up rocks for a profit.
I salute everyone who carries on that tradition. Wherever you are in the world.
Part timer living on the western coast of Finland. Not a native speaker of English
(05-25-2017, 03:22 PM)TGW Wrote: ...
I have heard about an one armed man who run his small farm and did some logging in winter.
...
My Grandad was one of those. Ran a family farm, was road supervisor and spent his fair share of time in the woods.
I spent time on one end of a two man crosscut with my Grandad. I watched him drive nails, by wrapping his fingers around the hammer head with the nail protruding between his fingers. The first wack set the nail. Next he would flip the hammer and catch the handle to drive the nail home.
He drove stick shift dump trucks with no power steering. He would reach his left arm through the steering wheel, grab the shifter, double clutch and shift without missing a beat! The nanny state would not allow that today.
I tried not believing. That did not work, so now I just believe
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