Microscope setup to avoid back and neck pain.

[mitch]

thats a niceset up Mitch, did you build it?

I designed it all, built some myself and farmed out the machining of a few parts.

 

[mitch]

What scope and ringlight?

The scope is a Leica S6E and the light is an F&V HDR-300 that i built a custom mount bracket for. It’s actually a photographer’s LED that I adapted because I liked the wider illumination area and the ability to mount it higher up around the body of the scope than any models made for scopes. As I said above, I’m a big fan of making things zackly like i want ‘em.
The Dazor gooseneck halogens still work, but i never use them. It’s just easier to leave them where they are than take everything apart to remove them.

 

[mitch]

And before anyone asks for pics...

If anybody is familiar with the Leica system you might notice the focus mount is inverted to get maximum clearance below the scope and make room for the light.

 

[papart1]

thanks Mitch

 

[Dani Girl]

I also get significant pain in my neck, every other day though but engraving does tend to set it off. It's like a neck tension migraine, which i get every second or third day on average. My muscles given any provocation like to curl up into little balls and try to pull the opposing muscles from my skeleton. I used to describe it as having a giant rat's jaws clamped down over my left shoulder. I tend to self-medicate faster now as I've tried to leave it and it just gets worse. I've just reset my workbench again after yet another house move and I'd love it if anyone could give some pointers on how I could better adjust things.

Thankyou

Dani Girl

 

[Dani Girl]

 

[Dani Girl]

I have pictured here re-attached my objective lens I think it's called which increases the distance between scope and workpiece when focused by a good couple of inches. That has me sitting significantly differently and now I'm wishing I hadn't asked my knifemaker friend, Adam Parker, to cut some of the length of that headrest shaft which he made me for Christmas. Have to think about that later.

Can anyone see anything I can do to increase comfort or to work better. I'd like to really get a lot better

 

[Dani Girl]

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.

Do you worry about your vice landing on your foot or have you taken measures to prevent this? I guess that's a bonus for those self-centering vices which replace a turntable for small jobs, you could lean those as much as you liked.

 

[allan621]

The only thing I notice, other than the glass of healthy juice sitting on the bench top, is that you may be sitting pretty rigid, With the microscope in a completely vertical position you may be unconsciously stretching to microscope which causes the muscles to tense. Also the block is all the way into your navel.

In another post Mitch mentioned tilting the scope into more of a diagonal so the body can be in a more relaxed position. This also means you can slide the block a bit further back. If your body is a more relaxed, uncompressed position it may help.
I don't worry about the block falling off the turntable. But if it makes you nervous, place a ring of duck tape around the edge of the turntable so you can get a sense of resistance if you get close to the edge.

And if nothing helps go back to the previous objective lens.

Hope this helps
Allan

 

[DKanger]

There is a malady which has become so frequent that the doctors have named it "tech neck." Google that for a number of preventative measures. While it may be associated with engraving, the root cause it more likely to be computer and cell phone usage. Any action where the head is held repeatably in a position of 45 degrees or greater.