Back and doing everything...

[hbmcc]

Thanks for the advice, John. I think all here have a consensus of remarks: Follow drs. rules. But mine told me to remove the sling when he saw me a couple days ago, and do non-resist rotations. I'm still not sure where the crazy thing should rest. Swelling may dictate that in a couple days. 

I am so glad to have made the move after procrastinating for 15 years. So far there has been less pain than I expected. Nothing compared to the unknown of reaching for something in daily routine.

Number One Guidance for Shoulder Recovery:
It's OK to pound wood with a hammer using vertical strokes pivoting at the elbow. However, picking up the hammer may be a problem. It's not OK swinging the hammer horizontally. Voices at all points of the arm and body will announce otherwise. Listen to Body. FMMV.

[hbmcc]

It has been two weeks since surgery. But, there is no change in physical capability since being able to do limited arm motion. The balloon (swelling) my arm turned into has mostly receded. I am still a weeny and take a gabapentin most nights.

I have a quantity of vertical grain (vg.) Doug fir, E-grade, a grade I have not heard of before buying it in the last few years. The wood is like fine visual grades, but has glaring inclusions--pitch, knots and holes, or splits in closer proximity than acceptable for the higher grade. I will use it for the main case. 

I am not a fan of exposed joints, i.e, full dovetails, big box joints, so concealed connections get the attention. I think, rather than dovetails, I may need to spare the hammer/mallet this soon and use a simpler cut joint in the case construction. My original intent of mitered blind and double lapped dovetails may be too much to expect of the wood I will use; and strength in my arm.

The tool case could be butt jointed, or mitered with splines. After all, it will live in a non-conditioned garage. But for a hobbiest excessively fine work is practice for the office credenza, or other fine piece. Besides, this attention to planning is cathartic. There is time to decide.

   

   

   

(Again, the samples are internet sourced.)

The Lindeman Doug fir sample can easily be from the same WA-OR source as mine. (It's a local phone prefix, too.) The grain is typical of milder coastal growth. It's not fine. Of course, I like the look of the sample, but I can't produce machine-made box joints and hand made are nearly impossible to make as tightly finished--even with healthy muscles.

[bandit571]

Double lap Dovetails...

   
from the outside..

   


back in 1997....had spurs in my shoulder ground down....10 weeks off....3 days a week of PT ( Daily Mugging).   Still have a white scar line across the shoulder....still can't throw a baseball overhand....

Start of a dry fit?

   
hope they all look like this..on the inside..

   



Still learning HOW to do these...

[hbmcc]

back in 1997....had spurs in my shoulder ground down....10 weeks off....3 days a week of PT ( Daily Mugging).   Still have a white scar line across the shoulder....still can't throw a baseball overhand....

I remember struggling to help my T-ball son to throw overhand. He was a mean pitcher so I must have succeeded. I don't think the latest rebuild will help me skim stones on water.

Yah, Steve, your latest experiments reminded me of the two joints I wanted to try on this chisel case.

For my own future perspective:
When I got home from surgery, and before most of the drugs wore off, I could barely type two-handed; forget shifting. Today, the thought of hand cutting a line with a pull saw is too intimidating. And, I can actually lean my forearm on a surface. The "ghost" point pain is fading.

[hbmcc]

Finally! After a month of sitting and reading online what exercises to do and trying them, I started PT. It's not six weeks and the sling has been abandoned. The painful part (rotator cuff that was severed during surgery) is getting teased; and, it's not fun. At six weeks I relearn to put on a belt. And, start sawing.

I am going wimpy on the Doug fir case. Will do splined miters. There's ten datos for the drawer guides; 6 drawers. I can get fancy building the drawers. There is Western Big-leaf maple for drawer parts.

[hbmcc]

It's 6 weeks post-surgery and the therapist is now killing me. "The severed and reattached rotator(?) tendon is healed, still no loads" ... and I can start flapping like a bird ... only it hurts something awful.

Should be doing light chopping and cutting in a couple weeks...... But, first, turkey carving.

[Stwood_]

Hang in there. You can do it.

[hbmcc]

It has been 9 weeks since my shoulder replacement and there is little to excuse me from jumping into the recovery project, building chisel storage. I think all ranges of motion are now part of my therapy regimen. Straining the rotator cuff was the last protection since it was severed and reattached, then needed to heal. Even western push saw activity, my worst thought pre-surgery, is good therapy now.

I could have started construction a couple weeks ago. Except Christmas preparations interfered. I've been dangling off ladders, reaching for hooks and popping bulbs, along with straining shoulder muscles. The recovery schedule, in my mind, was to be mostly invalid through these holidays.

This is a procedure I should have done sooner. Maybe, hips and knees next year.

[hbmcc]

Went to PT after my gushing pronouncement here yesterday. They said, maybe I can saw *lightly*, but no chopping yet.


Yup, Kris is building a long ... long list of to-do's. I am going to make an appointment for a new hip; nature's version drags me out of bed at 5 hours. Never mind the new shoulder keeping me off it at night.

[C. in Indy]

Make sure and run a polissoir over each of those new joint faces!

Glad to hear you're keeping up the maintenance, and looking forward to the next projects...