Microscope setup to avoid back and neck pain.

[Leland Davis]

Is there a correct setup for microscopes for avoiding neck pain?

 

[allan621]

Scott Pilkington has a video on you tube about this

 

[Leland Davis]

Thank you Allan

 

[monk]

we are all different. yet similar in many ways. whatever your setup, you must adapt all to suit yer body. to work in comfort is mandatory. 8 hours at the bench can be a bit tiring or quite a pain. don't be quick to "nail things down' until you know it's comfortable for you.

 

[AllenClapp]

From a bioengineering standpoint, there are two issues that affect the best answer to your question--and there is NO one-size-fits-all answer. One issue has to do with your head and spine angles and the other has to do with your hand/arm positions--i.e., eye height and hand height.
Your derriere-to-eye height and your arm dimensions both play a role. My recommendation is that you first fit the level of the scope to how you feel most comfortable with erect posture. Leaning over is tiring. Then bring the level of the work up to fit within the middle of the area best seen through the microscope. If that is a comfortable level for you to work for long sessions, great.
For many taller folks, the scope eyepieces need to be high enough that it brings the work up higher than desired for comfortable hand/arm positions. Most scopes are offered with several auxiliary lens. For example, my Leica A60 normally comes with a 0.63 lens. That is the middle lens offered and is great for very small detailed work, but does not have the width of field view that I wanted. I am very thankful that I got to try one with both the normal 0.63 lens and the wider view 0.50 lens before I bought my scope.
I bought mine with a 0.50 lens, which gave me less magnification, a wider field of view, AND WHAT BECAME VERY IMPORTANT TO ME a greater distance from the lens down to the focal point fo the work. It dropped my hands down to a more comfortable position and gave me more room under the scope for a longer handpiece that I use for stippling. I found the 0.50 lens to have as much magnification as I need and using it made long engraving sessions much easier on my body.
If you can find some local jewelers or engravers that have the same scope that you have or want and among them have different auxiliary lens, it would be great to try using them to see which combination fits you best.
My understanding is that the appropriate lens values can differ for use with different types of scopes, so it would be great if you could find folks using your scope that have different lenses that you could try.
Obviously, if you need greater magnification than what is available with the lens that is most comfortable for you, you will need to compromise somewhere. You may find that you will be most comfortable for long sessions by raising the eyes and hands for a while and then lowering them for a while to alternate between relaxing the back and neck and then relaxing the arms and shoulders. If you suffer from shoulder issues, you may find that adjusting the hand position first, and then adjusting the eye position, will be the least stressfull for you.

 

[silverchip]

Scott Pilkington has a video on you tube about this

You can add some tubing to extend your focal distance to your optivisor.

 

[Leland Davis]

Thanks all for the responses. I watched Scott's video and found it helpful.
I contacted a ergonomic consultant he said he would come to the shop on a weekend for 100 dollars and work with me but first he suggested I have someone take pictures of me working from each side and the back. He said I could probably figure it out from the photos without his help.
Allen. I use a Leica A60 with a .5 objective. I have been engraving for years the neck pain has just started.
Thanks again, Leland

 

[mitch]

I think some folks are experiencing ergonomic issues because their vise setup must be level (turntables, typical eccentric vises, etc). My vise is tilted about 10deg toward me and my Leica S6E has a 38deg viewing angle (instead of the typical 45), so my eyepieces are tilted much more toward my face than most setups. I barely lean my head at all and just work with my eyes cast a little downward.

 

[allan621]

That's a good point. Because I engrave a lot of different items during the day I'm constantly changing the microscope tilt angle to a more comfortable place.

Allan

 

[Chujybear]

I think some folks are experiencing ergonomic issues because their vise setup must be level (turntables, typical eccentric vises, etc). My vise is tilted about 10deg toward me and my Leica S6E has a 38deg viewing angle (instead of the typical 45), so my eyepieces are tilted much more toward my face than most setups. I barely lean my head at all and just work with my eyes cast a little downward.

Mitch,
Are you then viewing your piece on an even plane (cutting surface parallel with objective lens? Or do you have anything of a raking view?

 

[Leland Davis]

Thanks for the suggestions. Mine is all in my neck. I think we found what I'm doing wrong. I start the day with everything right but as I'm changing parts they are glued to different thickness blocks. Instead of focusing with the crank on my drill press stand which is hard to reach I change the scope. By the end of the day I'm way out of position.
Thanks all

 

[mitch]

Mitch,
Are you then viewing your piece on an even plane (cutting surface parallel with objective lens? Or do you have anything of a raking view?

It has maybe <5deg of ‘raking’ view, as you describe it, and also some slight skew/offset to the side as well. If I clamped a tall square/rectangular block in my vise the front and left sides would be slightly in view. I would not be looking directly straight down on its end.

 

[Leland Davis]

Mitch, what kind of stand do you use?

 

[mitch]

Mitch, what kind of stand do you use?

It’s a huge beast I had custom made yrs ago. The vertical column is from a floor model drill press. The 3’ horizontal arm is mounted on the former table’s bracket. I can crank the height up or down to work over different vises and can swing a 30”+ barrel under it. The whole setup is mounted to an iron framed bench with a granite top. Probably weighs 300lbs.
I’m a big fan of making stuff zackly like i want it.

 

[AllenClapp]

It’s a huge beast I had custom made yrs ago. The vertical column is from a floor model drill press. The 3’ horizontal arm is mounted on the former table’s bracket. I can crank the height up or down to work over different vises and can swing a 30”+ barrel under it. The whole setup is mounted to an iron framed bench with a granite top. Probably weighs 300lbs.
I’m a big fan of making stuff zackly like i want it.

Photo?

 

[papart1]

Mitch a pic/s of your stand might enlighten others (like me!) please.

 

[Archie Woodworth]

My setup is similar to what others use .... a modified drill press. Mounted mine to the floor and also the wall to reduce vibration/movement. Additionally, I mounted a bracket to the column to support an adjustable headrest ...this reduces some of the pressure off my neck as I can lean into the head rest pad as I engrave.

 

[mitch]

Good luck seeing what’s what in these shots of my mess.

 

[papart1]

thats a niceset up Mitch, did you build it?

 

[AllenClapp]

Good luck seeing what’s what in these shots of my mess.

What scope and ringlight?