Hello to all. I have had recent surgery to my right hand and it will be in a cast for 6 weeks, total strength will return in about a year. I am right-handed, but am quickly learning to use my left ; chopsticks, writing, et al.
I know there are plenty of guys out there who have had to accomodate such an injury and am wondering what other people have done in such a situation.
I want to continue to build cabinets for my family and a few for profit, but want to do it safely. I have been promoted, finally, to project manager at my job because of my injury, so I don’t have to swing a hammer anymore, just tell others to. So, an income isn’t a problem, but my hands-on hobbies will become issues to deal with.
I know that I will need to take longer setting up, using quick clamps more, etc., but what other ways would you guys suggest for an experienced cabinetmaker to continue enjoying his avocation?
Thanks, ricky
Replies
for safety sake I think I would opt to spend the next couple of months doing design work. make some measured drawings of some of those projects you've been meaning to build. I can imagine your frustration but if you were to sustain an injury to your good hand at this point things could get a whole lot worse.
you have my wishes for a speedy recovery.
Custom Cabinetry and Furniture
http://www.BartlettWoodworking.com
I watched a show back so time ago about a guy who was blind and did woodworking as a profession. The stuff he turned out was near perfect in every way. My susgestion would be do some small stuff until you can figure out what your limits are. Maybe stay away from power tools for the time being but some hand work may not be out of the question. I remember when I broke my leg I spent a lot of time working with hand tools and learning some new skills. Once I got a little bit better I did a lot of my work on the bandsaw which was safer than the tablesaw.
Scott C. Frankland
Scott's WOODWORKING Website
"He who has the most tools may not win the race of life but he will sure make his wife look like a good catch when she goes to move on."
You can push things a little. I did. I busted up my left arm pretty badly just a couple weeks more than three years ago. It took a couple operations to reconstruct it. As soon as I was in a real cast, I went back to work. The doctor was scheduled for a month-long vacation so I pressured him into taking me out of the cast and putting me in a brace a couple weeks early. In the brace, I pushed a little harder at work.
Instead of getting better and easier to work with my arm seemed to be getting worse. A year ago it finally got so bad I couldn't use it. My new doctor told me one of the breaks had never healed and the metal plate that supported it was broken from metal fatigue--bending back and forth at the break.
Last March I had bone grafts to repair the old break. The broken plate was replaced with a heavier one. Now, after religiously following doctors instructions, I'm beginning to be productive again. I can't tell you how pleasant it is to not be dealing with the constant pain I did for almost three years.
You want advise from a bunch of woodworkers on how to deal with your condition? I think you should ask your doctor. You might be able to avoid turning a one year recovery into a painful three year nightmare.
ricky
Be hard to add anything to what Larry Williams just said! Sounds like an excellent opportunity to catch up on a lot of WW reading, designing, etc. It will heal quicker and then you can test some of the written word at 100%.
Get well soon...
sarge..jt
Proud member of the : "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I had rotor cuff surgery two weeks ago - I'm confined to a sling on my right arm for 4 weeks - and I'm right handed. Not only do I have projects for clients and myself, but I also teach woodworking. Fortunately this was elective surgery so I could plan around it. Currently at home I'm concentrating on finishing - my left hand is pretty good with stain and finish! At school I end up using my right hand slightly to show a student a proper technique but I try to stay away from any activity that would require my right hand.
As someone previously stated, take this time to reorganize, get your thoughts together for new projects, think through ones you completed that might be marketable (and how you could reduce your time in building them); think about your current woodworking processes - are there some techinques that you could change that would reduce setup time, increase accuracy. I'm using my time to do that myself - I'm working very hard on processes in my woodworking class so students will quickly learn the virtue of simplicity/accuracy through streamlined processes/techniques.
Bottom line - don't push yourself. Take it easy and look at this time as an opprotunity. Good Luck!
I had open RTC surgery Octover 28th, and I now have normal movement in all planes of my right arm. Still weak, but not painful.
I'm surprised that you were advised to keep your arm in a sling for 4 weeks. I was out of the sling in a week, and was instructed to do small circles bending over braced against the wall. My doc said that the longer that that muscle is immoblized, the more difficult iw will be to regain a full measure of movement.
The first thing you need to build, is a finger ladder to screw on to your wall. Did that 3 weeks after surgery, and it sure speeded the recovery time. Put a pulley on the top so you can stretch the arm up.
It gets easier......
I actually had a muscle tear that was stitched and the surgeon also did a rotor cuff decompression - trimming a small spur that kept the muscle from healing. The sling is simply to limit my arm motions, particularly when sleeping. I go to therapy 3 times a week and they exercise my arm quite a bit. It's a long process but if it helps heal the muscle tear, that's fine.
That's exactly what I had. The doc had to put a patch about the size of a silver dollar on the muscle running under the scapula. Can't remember the name of it. I had to sit up to sleep for the first week because laying down was too painful. The sooner you get out of the sling the better the arm will feel. Throw the Vicadin away and use Motrin. Doesn't make you goofy....
My doc is concerned about my sleeping so he wants me to wear the sling especially when I sleep for about 4 weeks. I go to therapy 3 days a week and they move my arm/shoulder all over the place. It's stiff/sore but the therapy is good. And the Peraset the doc gave me - terrible stuff! I use Ibprofen and it works fine - don't need it all the time - primarily after therapy. I see the doc next week - get rid of the sling and begin more rigorous exercises.
Ask your doc about the "finger ladder." It will greatly speed up your recovery if you use it correctly, and with a pulley to stretch. The trick is not to go to PT 3 times a week and let them do it, but do some exercises at home 2-3 times daily.
Additionally, ask your doc about some non-steroidinal antiimflamitories (NSAD's). I was prescribed "Vioxx", which helps greatly in reducing the swelling of the repaired muscle under the bone. The less swelling, the more stretching and exercise can be accomplished with out discomfort.
As far as the scar is concerned, use some lotion that contains vitamin "E". It'll reduce the "puckering" of the tissue so you'll be jest as purty as before.....
I'm no doctor, but I've been there and I think I know what works.
I start the movement up the wall with my hand/arm next week - they will walk me through it at rehab and then I will do it on my own. Rehab will continue to move me forward with differenet exercises. They are already really exercising my arm. I have antiinflamatory medicine but I have little swelling and my suture is very small - my surgery was arthoscopic which reduces the recovery time.
You lucked out there. Mine was too big to do orthoscopically. Have about a 4" scar. Had to split the deltoid muscle.
Mine was really considered a minor problem - a slight tear in a muscle that would not heal due to a slight spur on the rotor cuff. I could have opted for a non-surgical treatment but we have already spent a year trying to get the tear to heal so surgery was the best option. I'm just surprised at the time involved - 3 months to consider the surgery successful and 6 months for full recovery. I'm really spoiled - I've never had surgery or anything like this so this is a real awakening to what other folks must endure. A real humbling experience!
It sound like everyone has very good advice and it's a good thing to think about , I've been a ww for 25 yrs + and I've always thought what I would do if I couldn't work with the power tools like I enjoy, Just think about the knowledge you could pass on to the next generation or others like I would, if it would myself in that position.
Good luck , and Do as the Doctor orders!
Furniture By Douglas, Grand rapids, MI
I have a friend who lost his arm to bone cancer in childhood. It has not stopped him from doing just about everything, woodworking, auto repair etc. He said the trick is to clamp the work wpiece down fore any operation. For example, clamp a pice to a RAS and then cut it. Clamp a piece on to a miter gage to run through a table saw. And like that.
He has to work slower and with more thought than I do, but it does not stop him. Of course, waiting for his arm to heal is not an option.
I appreciate all of the kind responses. rg
A little over 15 years ago I had surgery to remove a benign tumor from within my spinal cord in the neck area. Trauma to my spinal cord from the surgery left me with a severely withered right arm and hand with little strength and mobility. About six years ago, after watching Norm Abram, I was inspired to try his type of woodworking which relies primarily on power tools. Although naturally righthanded, I have had to learn to do most everything with my good left hand. I have difficulty with most hand tools but thank goodness for power tools. I have built a number of jigs and devices for moving and cutting sheet goods. I also installed board buddies on my table saw fence which are probably the single most helpful improvement. I have the normal complement of tools which I set up alone, and I use them all. Table Saw, Bandsaw, Router Table, Planar, Jointer, SCMS, Drill Press, Mortiser, Lathe, grinder with Wolverine jig, miter trimmer, hand held router, circular saw, biscuit joiner, screwguns, drills, pneumatic nailers, sanders, jig saw, Kreg pocket hole jig, hvlp sprayer, etc. I use a lot of clamps and jigs to secure workpieces. I have discovered that with a little Yankee ingenuity and determination almost any woodworking project can be accomplished. I have built and finished a workbench top, miter saw station, cabinets, bookcases, Adirondack chairs, and other smaller items for myself, friends and family with rave reviews. Where there is a will there is a way. I would encourage you continue woodworking one handed.
I've been fortunate to have both hands working at all times I've been in the shop so far. But the thought of loosing use of my right hand points out how right-hand biased much shop equipment is. And the left hand would be sorely missed too, as it is often HOLDING the work while the right operates the machine. For example:
The drill press handle is on the right. My table saw fence is left only, meaning I push work through with my right hand. My jointer feeds from the right, and generally requires the left hand holding boards against the fence while the right pushes them through.
Beyond the shop, my car shift lever is for the right hand. My video camera is designed for the right hand. My digital camera is too. My computer mouse will work either side, but has a right-handed curve to it that makes it less comfortable in the left hand. I play the piano (self taught, minimal skill) and loosing my right hand would remove the melody from the songs I play.
So I'm wishing you a speedy recovery. If I was in your situation, I think I'd go about re-designing, modifying, or replacing the tools of my life to make them left hand friendly. My left-handed Mom would love me for it!
4DThinker ;-)
Yes, the adaptation has been a struggle. You can reprogram your mouse to reverse the left and right click, but I left it the way it is for the other users in the house.
Handles, switches, etc. are almost always on the right side of everything. Inverting my left hand has made certain tasks easier, but the perceived difference of some of tasks seems a little unsure at first.
At least I have a complete set of left handed chisels and wrenches!
Never never never never give up. rg
I guess it depends how long ago it happened I cut my finger a few years back and didnt do much for a couple of weeks then i was able to start slow got a little help from friends wife kids young and old when i needed but was able to do quite a bit myself after a short time as long as i was careful. next thing i knew i was doing pritty good , after a few mos. i supprised myself that i was using my hand for som pritty heavy stuff and now even though i dont have much feeling there i an just as strong as before . it does come back, the human body is incredable. dogboy
just be careful and dont push yourself....good luck
Have a friend who had a stroke leaving him fairly weak on one side. I saw that 'pockethole' has been doing 1 handed work for quite a while. I'm wondering if he or anyone else could comment (or contact me) about jigs to allow safe/accurate use of power tools? Thanks.
I've lost quite a bit of dexterity and strength on my right side due to a stroke. I was right handed but re-trained (it was a bit surprising how quickly one can adapt to the new situation). My left is just as good as my right was before the stroke.
For all of the advice below, start with small pieces of wood that are easy to manage. Big stuff is heavy and awkward. Jointing the face of a piece 8' board is a recipe for disaster because the center of gravity is not on the table, so it is much harder to handle.
There is very little I cannot do in the shop. Table saw is pretty easy as long as you take all of the appropriate precautions--feathers boards, stock hold downs, and a splitter are essential since you haven't got two good hands to guide the stock.
Stay away from large panels. The are just too awkward to handle on the table saw. If you need to cut panels, a vertical panel saw will solve that problem (they're not cheap but can be had on Craigslist for less than $1500).
I use all of my hand tools successfully. But most tools benefit from having
one and a half hands. With big planes, my dominant hand does all the 'heavy lifting' so to speak and the weak hand simply helps guide it. I often use my small low-angle block plane which can be driven with just one hand.
A router table is, by far, the preferred way to use a router. If you need to use a handheld, use a small/light one and make multiple passes. You can get into real trouble quickly with a big heavy one.
Jointer. Use your dominant hand to drive the wood through and your weak hand to keep the wood on the table.
To drive a chisel with a hammer, I use my weak hand to guide the chisel, and hammer it with my strong hand.
Using a power drill can be difficult because you often need one hand to hold the screw when starting to drive it. Same with nails. I found some success using tweezers that are normally closed to hold screws and nails.
Hanging things on the wall is quite a bit more involved. Holding a 4' level with one hand and getting the wall marked can be a pain. Festool makes a vacuum attachment called a Wall Wing. Essentially a suction cup that is driven by the vacuum cleaner. They work quite well. They allow me to hang stuff on the wall above my head.
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