I was wondering if anybody has any advice or information on how to do traditional woodworking from a wheelchair. the main thing I need advice on is how to hand plane from a chair. and any other general advice you would care to give. thanks
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My first thought was a low bench and Japanese hand planes which are pulled toward your body rather than pushed down & away. You should be able to leverage your upper body strength if you can get your chair anchored against the bench properly.
Look into work holding devices like crotches, dogs, and holdfasts with an eye towards your specific situation.
Consider an L shaped bench and wedge jigs to hold boards flat or on edge. Along with MJ’s suggestion on using Japanese handplanes, I would consider their saws as well. A separate, rolling hand tool caddy might also work. The bench should also have a dedicated sharpening station. Best!
I am sorry I have no better suggestions than those given - pulling a plane is the best option.
@ben_strano, perhaps it might be a good idea to have a forum section for accessible woodworking. This might make it easier for people seeking information such as this to find it in future.
It would also be good to see more articles in the magazine focusing on accessible woodworking.
thanks for the suggestions, I did not know that you pull Japanese wood planes. I will definitely investigate that option, again thanks
You'll need to have a bench or planing fixture that will allow you to push or pull a plane (or twist is perhaps more likely, which a lot of people do standing, anyway) with some downforce, or that is, it needs to be below you.
Whether you use a push plane or a pull plane, you need to have some elevation of shoulders above hands as the downforce that you create (not from bearing down on a plane, but rather from pushing a plane with a handle angled forward or pulling a japanese plane from behind - you do need front hand down pressure on a japanese plane). If you're pushing without having your forearm at least level, it'll be difficult to keep a plane in the cut.
If you can do that, I don't see a reason that you can't work from a wheelchair, albeit with perhaps less force. Most planing if you do a lot of planing is done sectionally, first removing high spots from rough boards, and then working in sections and then moving. The final through strokes are just the last bit of the work.
My feet hurt if I stand too much. As such, I end up doing a fair bit of traditional woodworking sitting down. Most of that is straightforward and I find both a face and end vise handy for this.
For hand planing, that is one operation where I almost always stand up. I think it has to with the fact so that I can get more upper body involved in it. If I had to do it sitting, I would want a bench area that is lower so I could get more of my upper body involved. I would also want to explore if it is easier to hand plane with the piece parallel to my torso or perpendicular to my torso.
The other thing I think I would want would be a bench where I might be able to have my legs more under the bench such as when you sit at a table. With the current lower stretcher on my bench, I mostly am sitting with my legs in front or to the sides.
The other thought is, you might want to start with wood that has already been S4S'd. Getting rough stock surfaced, straight, and parallel takes a fair bit of effort. If you can afford S4S wood, it makes things easier from a traditional hand tool use perspective. Then, it's mostly a matter of using the handplane to initially remove any mill marks from the planer. Again, if you want to start from rough stock, there is nothing wrong with that.
If I had to own one machine tool to make things easier (and I'm saving for it), that would be a bandsaw. You can do a lot with a bandsaw.
Good luck and send photos when you are set up. Would love to see it.
You might consider some kind of a bench whose height is adjustable electrically.Then you can choose the height that works best for a particular operation.Good luck
I love it. I am a hand tool luddite. Most people not in wheel chairs wuss out and use power tools :)
I think it is possible. You would just need a very low bench so that you can apply some of your bodyweight to the plane.
This sounds like a good topic for a magazine article.
Or a blog so it stays findable by those who need it. If anyone knows of someone who could speak on the subject with experience, have them send me an email. [email protected]
(For the record, I'm also looking for someone who designs accessible furniture. Not necessarily a woodworker, but someone to talk about the considerations taken when designing)
Hi, I saw this post online and thought of you. It is a travelling workbench but I thought the idea might be useful if you could make one that was at a height where you could drive under it and be able to bring fine work nice and close. It might mean you have a second larger surface for other tasks but perhaps this is modifiable to do the finest hand tool work close at hand. All the best! Layne
https://www.woodweb.com/galleries/shopbuilt/posts/126.html
Another thought about planing is that pull planes are used by some without standing. I have never used them, but it could be a better option, and many use them with great results. Maybe someone with more experience can add to this.
I would like to see a video with Andrew Hunter demonstrating use of pull saws and planes used while sitting or Dave Fisher carving a bowl seated instead of standing. I bet they could do it.
I had a friend (RIP) who was a triple amputee, and he learned to do some simple woodworking with one good arm and a prosthetic second, so it can be done. I never saw his shop.
He was also the first triple amputee to receive a pilot's license - he loved to fly acrobatics. He also won 2 gold medals in downhill slalom at the Handicapped Olympics in France. He later designed, with his physical therapist wife, a sitting ski with small hand held outriggers and taught hundreds of handicapped vets to use them.
The point here is that it can be done.
I have been in a wheelchair for about 40 years now. I have enjoyed woodworking almost as long. Here's what I can tell you. First it depends upon what parts of your body you can control. I am paralyzed from the chest down. Since I 'have' no stomach muscles, I can only plane as far as my arms can reach. I'm afraid Japanese planes offer no advantage to my disability. I rely on my jointer for long boards.
I have chopped the legs on my table saw, drill press and band saw to a lower more comfortable height. With time, you will find the right height for your needs.
I highly recommend getting hold downs for your table saw. No matter how high/low your table saw is, your eyes are nearer the blade than those who can stand. I've had many a board fly wickedly past my face. I got smart and bought the Jessum hold downs.
You'll want your workbench and all other worktables just high enough to clear your knees. That will give you the most leverage leaning over your work.
Obviously, give yourself plenty of room. Navigating a wheelchair in between equipment can be problematic, particularly if you drop something that falls behind you!
Take your time and enjoy it! Ultimately, you will be able to solve most problems that the 'normal' folks don't have to worry about. It just takes a little more time! Good luck!
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