Sitting while turning

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jd99

jd99

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Joined
Dec 14, 2010
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Ontario, CA United States
Does anyone sit down on a stool or chair while turning?

I been kinda disabled for the last week, and I got a ton of inventory to finish before the next show.

Last Monday my back decide to let me know who boss again and I think my disc(s) just got worse (have L4-L5, & L5-S1 both herniated), and I've been unable to stand or walk for any length of time.

I tried to turn some yesterday, and the best i could do was knock out two quick pens, before I gave up and it had to use the rest of the day to try recover and overcome the pain.:mad:

I'm thinking if I could sit on some stool, or raised chair, I could still turn and get some work done.

Does any one do this or do you think it wouldn't be a good idea. :confused:
 
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What flooring do you have in your shop? Do you use an anti-fatigue mat at your lathe?

I have back issues and using a mat helps.

You might also try raising your lathe so you are not leaning over to much. Maybe wearing a back brace might help as well?
 
Oh good thread. I was wondering this the other day. How high is the stool that you use? I have been thinking about this as well.

If not a stool what kind of anti-fatigue mat to use?
 
Andrew_K99 said:
What flooring do you have in your shop? Do you use an anti-fatigue mat at your lathe?

I have back issues and using a mat helps.

You might also try raising your lathe so you are not leaning over to much. Maybe wearing a back brace might help as well?
Click to expand...

I have mats, and my lathe is at the right height (I don't have to bend over)

Everything was and has been fine until last Monday, I think my Disc just degererated more; it happened all at once (out of the blue I was in enough pain I almost went to emergency), now the pain is a lot worse, and it's constant.

I'm fine if I'm sitting or laying down, but standing or walking puts too much pressure on my back and the pain just gets stronger the longer I'm on my feet.
Been dealing with the back issues for about 7 years.

This getting old crap sucks. :mad:
 
I don't use a stool, but this is something I think about as the time will certainly come when my back will no longer hold up to long periods of standing. I do get some lower back pain from time to time, and the mat I use, along with good shoes, helps some. I find that good-quality running shoes gives decent support.

Perhaps you could find a padded barstool with a back on it to provide lumbar support. And if you can put your lathe atop some kind of table to allow your knees to go beneath it, you won't have to hunch over as much. If you can keep a good, upright posture while turning, your back might do better.
 
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Using a stool should work well for you. I have an old bar stool in the shop that gets far more use then I would like it too. Another thing that will help is too keep one foot on the bottom rail of the stool and switch them from time to time. Elevating a foot takes the pressure off the muscles that run along the spine, alternating keeps the blood following to the legs and gives the other side of your back a break. My issues are form injuries.......it will be 11 years since I had a pain free day on August 17th.
 
Here is a link to plans for a sit down stand for a mini lathe.
Sit-Down Lathe

I also had an inquiry about vendor information at the MPG from a Phil Miller from Wisconsin. He makes stands made to allow mini lathes to be rotated for sit down applications.
 
I have a bad back and cannot stand for very long at all. I turn only pens and small items. This is my setup, and it works very well for me. I have two lathes, a mini and a midi, placed side by side. I use a modified office chair (back and arms removed, seat is flat instead of curved profile, wheels still on). I built stands for the lathes to put them at the ideal height (spindle height same). I arranged all items commonly used in turning/finishing within reach from my roll around chair. I laid down a .25 inch thick sheet of tempered masonite for a smooth floor to "roll" on (nice for the occasional dropped chisel too). The adjustable height seat feature is useful. Even though on wheels, there is plenty of stability for easy and safe turning. Well worth the effort, and I can turn for extended periods in reasonable comfort.
 
I sit while doing all my shop projects. I have bad knees from the military and this works great. I started at first using the anti-fatigue mats and they did help but decided why even do that...after a few hours work time my back and knees would still hurt. The adjustable stool has worked great. I zip around from spot to spot LOL
 
I have a stool and use it from time to time. Problem is my knees get in the way when I put my feet on the rungs. The other problem is finding a decent chair for a reasonable price. The other con about a stool is when you do not use it you tend to put things on it. I sat my Lacer 5/8" skew on it over a year ago. I was wearing shorts and when it fell off the stool the blade caught me just right the back side of my knee joint. It still doesn't look right, not that this is much right about me. :tongue:

So if you get a stool, which BTW I recommend, get one that has an adjustable height. Hydraulic would be the best. No casters! And for the few time that you will want to stand, move it out of the way so that you do not sit anything on it.

Sorry to hear about the back.
 
I use a Taige micro-lathe, and it sits on a steel office desk. I sit on a rolling office chair when I turn. I've always done small hobbies, like building model airplanes or painting miniatures, so it's just natural for me to sit while hobbying. Plus, I have bad knees.
 
Hi there,

No time this morning to look up pics of my set up.

I turn pens on a VL100 sitting down on an elevated air Draughtsman chair and love having the arms on it also has plenty of room for my rear. Being over 6 feet tall and having multiple back probs seems like forever and now 77 yrs old I never suffer while I turn for so many years at my sit down bench. The height I like is so comfortable and everything is at the bheight that helps.

Tonight our time Tuesday morning 7 am here I will go over my set up, find some pics that may help you. We are off to the hospital soon for a day of Chemo for my wife (8 hrs only one to go after today.

Essentially I welded a heavy steel framed bench with a 1 1/4 inch laminated top. Ran the drive belt for the lathe out the back of the head stock so the motor and variable speed control are on the bench (frees up leg room). For now quick pic will take some more tonight
modified since this pic.

Looks like chaos as the camera foreshortens the area however I bought all the materials second hand, cost was minimal.

Kind regards Peter.
 

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I am disabled and use a walker to get around. I have my lathe sitting on a desk it is too low to stand in front of and the lathe is too high to sit at using a regular chair. But a bar stool is just the right height. I have had it this way for almost 11 years. It works great this way, and I have the same set up for my metal lathe.
 
I had a old sears at the right height,sold it now i have a jet and Delta setting just above knee label, i can drill on the jet and slide tothe nova, it has been bothering my shoulders at that height, been wanting a delta stand, well while doing a bowl, it was
1"thick and about 6-7 high, still had wavy bark on the osage, it blowed up busted my face shield knocked it off my head cut my thigh, needless to say the delta stand is orderd, already got stool from ole sears, now maybe i can get around the lathe and get to better spots to do the bowls and no more chips in eyes,Thang God i had a face shield, got to get another one now hope we all are safe
carpblaster
 
i find it hard to sit to turn but really don't need to. i do like everyone else get tired of standing so i tend to turn standing and do my finishing sitting. a split the difference approach i guess
 
Hey, Budd, South of me in the flat lands. I always turn sitting down. Everything in my home is designed for eventual no legs. Right now I can walk, but everything in my shop is designed for sitting and turning. Need to visit my tiny shop, come on up.
 
This won't help you Danny, but the inventor that contacted me about his sit down stand will now be at the MPG this weekend. So maybe some of you will be interested and he will have it set up for interested people to try out. Maybe we can get a good picture to show those that can't make it.
 
Morning here,

I do not need to sit to turn yet but chose to many years ago as promised I bit the bullet emptied the immediate area and here are some pics of my set up.

Replaced the bearings on the VL100 not sure they were needed but the old ones performed well for ten or fifteen years.

The main bench I welded from sturdy pieces of steel, the top part of a top sheet of 1 1/4 inch laminated both sides(free whats called packing sheet from a kitchen manufacturer).
Ran the drive belt out the back of the head stock so the motor 3/4 hp three phase 415 volt also sits on the back of the bench (under area free from danger and clutter). The brown box to house the infinite speed control inverter on the lathe left, belt drive covered.
On the right front an old drawer to house tools etc. Immediate right and above at eye height when seated the converted Pen Press, behind that a variable speed Laboratory Stirrer turned into a Buffer. In front of that raised table four drawers for sundries. Note als fixed dishes here and there. Several power points for the light, motor drive, main Vac rear out of pic. The drum in a previous life a steel recycle paper drum houses the Cyclone for the vac system, Not shown above the lathe vented to atmosphere a beehive fan.

The chair a recycled Draughtsmans Chair set at 26 inches to the seat and the bench is 30 inches high.

Been using it for a long time now never experienced fatigue, no need to fuss about fatigue mats under the front of the lathe weight bearing taken by the chair, I weigh a bit over 220lb and stand around 6 foot two inches and in a few months 78 yrs of age with all the usual plus a few growing pains.

Trust this may help someone else.

Kind regards Peter.
 

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OK....the one thing I haven't heard yet has to be.....go see your doctor!!!

This has just recently happened and it's getting worse! Man, don't wait around. You don't want to risk permanent damage/injury by not getting it looked at......may not like what the doctor has to say.....but, check it out anyway!

Good luck in finding relief.....hope you get better soon!!!


Barney
 
I am seeing a doctor. and have seen several.

Doctors arent always able to fix everything.


titan2 said:
OK....the one thing I haven't heard yet has to be.....go see your doctor!!!

This has just recently happened and it's getting worse! Man, don't wait around. You don't want to risk permanent damage/injury by not getting it looked at......may not like what the doctor has to say.....but, check it out anyway!

Good luck in finding relief.....hope you get better soon!!!


Barney
Click to expand...
 
Just to add some doctors don't know their A from a hole in the ground,
I was told by a doctor once about my back "when it gets so bad you can't walk, come in to emergency and have them call me then maybe I can do something for you, right now there is nothing I will do for you"

But his parents are glad they dropped all the cash on his education. :mad:
 
On another note, went down and bought a chair last night that I think will help, I will see if I'm up to turning tonight when I get home, hopefully my pain level will drop.

Right now I sitting here my feet are numb, I have sciatica, and my back pain is at an 8.
:doctor: Going to take a pill. :hypnotized:
And I still work a full time job like this. :eek:
 
I broke 3 bones in my lower back in 1999 (L1-L3). My family doctor at the time said the most honest thing to me. He said "doctors don't know much about bad backs" and "at least we know why yours hurts". 13 years later his comment still rings true. We can put a man on the moon but a bad back is a bad back.
 
Andrew_K99 said:
I broke 3 bones in my lower back in 1999 (L1-L3). My family doctor at the time said the most honest thing to me. He said "doctors don't know much about bad backs" and "at least we know why yours hurts". 13 years later his comment still rings true. We can put a man on the moon but a bad back is a bad back.
Click to expand...
Yep I tend to agree, been fighting this for years. Thats a good doctor he's honest, and tells the truth.
 
Age and arthritis will win -- bad joints have had me turning on a stool most of the time for years now. Swivel seat like a drummers throne seems to help.

The big loss the "turners dance" is just not available when you turn sitting, and tool technique is a lot different.

By the way -- I have noted that most who do not need to sit down think that the "sit down lathe is the answer - and it may be for those in a wheel chair, but if you can walk, they are not a good fit for the addressing ability to unload legs and feet for a lot of time, but not necessarily all the time.

Have also noted that pens and smaller items are easier from a sitting position than are large items like bowls and hollowforms --- but even those are not beyond the possibilities, but are more difficult to get smooth flowing shapes.

And Carbide is for us Cripples
 
Tried the chair yesterday afternoon, it helped, I was able to get 15 blanks roughed out. I'll do my finish turn and sand/polish/assembly this weekend.

Then another 16 right behind those ready to turn.

I just need to figure out my new technique for turning while on the chair. :confused:
 
I fell 30' off a crane truck at work in 2004, broke almost every bone on the left side of my body. I need crutches to walk and I can't lift my left arm above my chest. I sit in a rolling chair, like your doctor uses, to do ALL my work in the shop, it has a hydraulic cylinder and I can adjust the height depending on which tool I'm using. My wood lathe is alot bigger and higher than my metal lathe so I have a barstool at it. The only time I stand at the wood lathe is when I make baseball bats for the neighborhood kids.:biggrin:
 
I also have a bad back triple fusion. I do all my turning on a mini metal lathe and like Rick I sit in a nice comfy roller chair. Now I do not have my lathe on a high stand I have it on a bench that is as high as a computer desk made for sitting. I find I can do most all my turning sitting I only need to stand once in a wile for detail work.

Just a thought depending on the lathe you use (smaller better) bring it down to your sitting level. Now I couldn't do bowls like that, I stand behind my 12" Jet, but we,we're talking pens. :smile:
 
Sitting down! see this link..

Hi Danny..

take a look at this link.

They do it all the time because they have too.

My father had some problems as he got older and took allot of inspiration from a disabled friend.

It's difficult but you can get around things..

be positive, there is always someone worse than you.. :eek:

Wheelchair Woodturners


Silver
 
Wow, I have a lot more respect for everyone here! My back is getting better and I am so thankful!

Danny, take this with a grain of salt as everyone is different, but this really has helped me recover. Last May I herniated a disc. I didn't know it and didn't treat it right, so by the time I went to the ortho I had an 8mm herniation! That was 3 months into it, and just a week and a half before my left leg started to go numb and I started to lose control of my calf. After the ortho I started on the Ibuprofen and did that for 5 months along with ice and an inversion table. The point of my post is that table. I really don't think I would have recovered without it! I am still recovering, but now I don't have to ice my back almost at all, I'm off the meds, and I don't have to use the table as often. But, I still have to use it and I plan to for the rest of my life! I started at just past parallel to the ground and now I am almost upside down twice a day for 3-5 minutes. (Take getting to that angle SLOW if you use one) Anyway, I can go on about it more, but the basic point is that I do believe inversion tables can help tremendously if they are used right along with other therapy. My 2 cents, and I am really sorry about your back! I really hope you can heal up!

David
 
As a young man I worked as an Elect Tech for our Civil Aviation Authority. Standby power around the hills and other areas where vital Navigation Aids were demanded big Diesel driven standby or primary power. All the batteries were huge in boxes around the walls, no way to lift correctly all the size of large tractor or truck batteries. all diesel was delivered by ute or small truck, large van by us in 44 gallon (our gallon much bigger than yours being imperial at that time in the 1960,s.

Damaged the lower L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5 cleaning teeth often ended up unconcious on the bathroom floor from pinching the nerves in the spine. Specialist back specialist using a wood chisel performed a laminectomy (butchers inc)

After the operation two days laid a flat hand at excessive force flat on my lower black from on high, nearly passed out strutted around crowing how clever he was, perfect operation
etc. Had murderous thoughts however put him to the test Insurance Coy (by carrier pidgeon no doubt) received word of the op put a lien on my life policy in the form of an exclusion in the event of any problem occuring in the lower five area. Remembering this cocky reprobate specialist I approached him saying the Insurance Coy will remove this clause if you sign here he son of a sea cook refused thus began a lifetime of distrust for overconfident Med Specialist.

So ever since every now and again I have spent days or longer bracing my hands on my knees for long periods of time. Sincerely although I dont need to I sit to make pens without pain at all. Now 77 I know what I know from my experience just a few years ago I bought a shipping container 20 feet by 8 foot by 8 foot six high empty 2.2 old tons imperial it was slid off a truck 12 feet from where I finally set it by myself using a 1 foot square wood block and a nine foot length of steam pipe for a lever. Determination defies defeat. I have dug 4 foot six holes in solid clay stood by myself 6 inch 3/8 wall thick steel posts 15 feet long by myself.

Horses for courses there is no such thing as a free lunch or medical adfvice for us that acts in common. Do what you have to but have a go.

Kind regards Peter.
 
I bought the sit down lathe holder from Phil Miller at the MPG this last week end. I'll give a review after I get it together and use it. I tried it at the MPG and it seemed to work great.
 
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