Dealing with wrist pain

[billyProps]

Due to dumb decisions made when I was young, my wrists are rekt. I can’t make the movement used to rev a motorcycle throttle without occasional searing pain. I’m really new to hand engraving and am trying to find ways to work around it. I hold the graver left handed and turn the vise with my right hand (the one that’s worse). I was a full time bench jeweler for 15 years and can’t imagine not getting scolded by the master jeweler I worked with for raising my elbows like this, but it seems like the best way to turn the vise. Crawling my fingers is comfortable but slip when away from the openings. I’ve thought of a rubber gripper to 3D print and maybe cast in rubber to go around the edge of the vise... pulling my elbow back and wrapping my fingers around the vise so it “unwinds” seems to work sometimes too.. I’m sure I’ll need to be creative and do what’s comfortable for me, so my post is really an invitation to offer suggestions on proper form considering the limitations I’m dealing with.

 

[Sinterklaas]

If I recall correctly there are even some engravers who have the vise on a rotary table/potterwheel and rotate it with their feet! No wrists involved.

 

[John B.]

If I recall correctly there are even some engravers who have the vise on a rotary table/potterwheel and rotate it with their feet! No wrists involved.

I have a foot operated setup. There are photos of it on this forum if you do a search.
If you have problems finding it contact me.

 

[billyProps]

My engraving only *looks like I did it with my feet.

 

[BCan]

There is a fellow named Lee Albert, who appears on Public Television from time-to-time with a program called; Live Pain Free . Among his many exercises, he has several for the wrists and hands. Although he has a website, which I have provided a link to below, many of his videos are available for free via Youtube or through various PBS websites across the nation.

I have used his method to relieve wrist and finger pain, and I highly recommend these techniques. Good luck.

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[kpattie]

I cannot find it for the life of me, there was on a post on here from an individual who managed to engrave with just one arm. The contraption he made was fantastic and his shading was fantastic! Putting this here incase anyone remembers more about it than I do and can post a link.

 

[Matthew Evans]

I cannot find it for the life of me, there was on a post on here from an individual who managed to engrave with just one arm. The contraption he made was fantastic and his shading was fantastic! Putting this here incase anyone remembers more about it than I do and can post a link.

Advanced Shading

1st post I have finished my practice plate following the video on Advanced Shading video. This is another very good course and I enjoyed following along doing the practice plate. I finding it hard to not incorporate aspects of other work I’ve seen over the past 4 years and I can’t usually...

engraverscafe.com

 

[T.G.III]

Brian Marshall had some good posts concerning pain management, thinking his was geared towards arthritis but would most likely be useful for most all forms of related pain issues.

EDIT:
Just tried a couple searches and found limited posts, I don't think Brian was the initiator of the threads but participated with his experience.

 

[Goldjockey]

Due to dumb decisions made when I was young, my wrists are rekt. I can’t make the movement used to rev a motorcycle throttle without occasional searing pain. I’m really new to hand engraving and am trying to find ways to work around it. I hold the graver left handed and turn the vise with my right hand (the one that’s worse). I was a full time bench jeweler for 15 years and can’t imagine not getting scolded by the master jeweler I worked with for raising my elbows like this, but it seems like the best way to turn the vise. Crawling my fingers is comfortable but slip when away from the openings. I’ve thought of a rubber gripper to 3D print and maybe cast in rubber to go around the edge of the vise... pulling my elbow back and wrapping my fingers around the vise so it “unwinds” seems to work sometimes too.. I’m sure I’ll need to be creative and do what’s comfortable for me, so my post is really an invitation to offer suggestions on proper form considering the limitations I’m dealing with.

You may want to look at, or demo the GRS satellite turntable. After purchasing mine, in addition to larger movements mostly from the shoulder through the elbow with very little wrist involvement, I found myself naturally using my fingers to 'walk' the turntable around while cutting. Unlike the vise itself, The turntable rotates nearly effortlessly, and I find the much larger diameter provides finer control on delicate cuts.

 

[billyProps]

You may want to look at, or demo the GRS satellite turntable. After purchasing mine, in addition to larger movements mostly from the shoulder through the elbow with very little wrist involvement, I found myself naturally using my fingers to 'walk' the turntable around while cutting. Unlike the vise itself, The turntable rotates nearly effortlessly, and I find the much larger diameter provides finer control on delicate cuts.

It arrives today!

 

[AllenClapp]

By touching the rim of the turntable to turn it, instead of trying to turn the vise, it takes much less effort, gives greater control, and lets your arm and hand relax at a lower level. My left shoulder issues became nonexistent when I set up my turntable. ONE CAUTION: when you set up a turntable, make sure that you set it up to maximum ease of turning--and then use the rim-mounted tension control to give you whatever resistance to turning that you like. If you didn't get one of the rim-mounted tension controls, you can set the tension as you set up the turntable, but you can't change it without disassembling the turntable. The rim control is the way to go.

 

[billyProps]

Wow. The Satellite turntable makes it effortless. Between this and trading the Foredom Power Graver for the Graversmith I’m enjoying practice a lot more.

 

[dhall]

Another Brian Marshall tip. He would apply 3M self-adhesive non-skid material to any grip surfaces on his vises.

 

[billyProps]

Another Brian Marshall tip. He would apply 3M self-adhesive non-skid material to any grip surfaces on his vises.

I’m planning on removing the brake so I can add a crenelated 3d printed ring around the edge. Probably cast it in silicon or some kind of rubber at some point.

 

[Grayson]

As I recall, JJ Roberts has a heavy pedestal for his ball vise. Rather than turn the vise, he walks around it.