Sanding Chair

[Reed Gray]

Ever since Arthur (arthritis) moved in, it has kind of limited my time in the shop. Turning isn't too bad because I am moving around quite a bit. Sanding is another matter. I turn a bunch, dry a bunch, and then sand out and finish a bunch. Well, the just standing there and sanding was a pain, and I couldn't take more than an hour max. After thinking it out, I tried a step stool. It worked, but wasn't high enough. I went to the local office supply place and bought a drafting stool. Seat level is perfect height, and I just got done with about 90 plus minutes of sanding. No more irritation than normal. Works beyond expectations. Now, no more excuses for not sanding out my bowls.

robo hippy

[Ray Bell]

Good idea Reed. I would find it difficult to turn while sitting, but I could adapt to sanding while sitting.

[Reed Gray]

I have been thinking about a bracket mounted chair that was on a bearing, and would pivot on a center point just below the headstock, and you could move it by pushing with your legs/feet. Beyond my ability to make though.

Seems my mind invents all sorts of things that I can't make.

robo hippy

[Jack Mincey]

Reed,
I have a nice leather covered drafting chair I use around the lathe a lot. It can be adjusted in 1" increments which works great to get it at the right height. I find it very comfortable not only to sand while sitting but also to hollow my HF's from as well. If some of the famous turners can sit on the bed of the lathe while Hollowing I think that I can sit on a nice comfortable chair while hollowing my HF's. I can adjust the chair down for using my armbrace handle while hollowing out a HF easier that I can raise the lathe the 4 or 5 inches one really needs for using a handle of this type.
Jack

[Bernie Weishapl]

Sounds good Reed. I have the same problem with Arthur in my knees and hips. I have been wondering about get a stool or something. Guess I will have to make a trip to the Office Supply store.

[Nathan Hawkes]

Reed, I'm only 33, but I already have had some problems with sciatic nerve pain due to an injury several years ago. This thread is a great one! I literally feel your pain! If I sand more than a few hours at a time, I can barely bend over the next day. I've started sitting as well, but unfortunately I'm still using a kitchen stool. You turn on a Robust lathe, right? can you position the headstock so that you can sit facing the workpiece, or do you have to lean? this has been my issue. I've moved the spindle height of my PM3520 to the maximum that the adjusters will allow, and I put locust blocks underneath each end, bolted to the floor to reduce vibration. Moving the lathe up just a couple inches did wonders for my back, but since my shop is really small (seriously--its like 12' x 16' or so), I have too much to move around to be able to sit at the tailstock end. I'm very jealous of your chair! Glad your back is getting some relief.

[Fred Perreault]

Fortunately I do not have some of the serious ailments that some others have, but I have been using one or the other of the 2 drafting table chairs in my shop to sit at the lathe for sanding for a year and half. My Nova 16-24 head stock swivels, so when I get tired of standing, I will swivel the head some and sit for sanding. Then, after a while, standing becomes a more pleasant change. Of course, there are some items that sitting would make sanding more difficult. It makes walking back up the hill at the end of the day much easier.

[Ken Hill]

I dont need a chair, but I do use a pallet to stand on to keep off the concrete floor. My arthritis kills me if im on concrete for any length of time, and cold concrete just does me in.

[Steve Trauthwein]

Caveats, I am not a doctor or in the medical field. Having said that I have been dealing with arthritis for five years and I am unable to take any anti-inflammatory medicines because of a tendancy for perforated ulcers. I take glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin and find it really helps my mobility and reduces pain levels. For what it is worth.

Regards, Steve

[Charlie Reals]

Caveats, I am not a doctor or in the medical field. Having said that I have been dealing with arthritis for five years and I am unable to take any anti-inflammatory medicines because of a tendancy for perforated ulcers. I take glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin and find it really helps my mobility and reduces pain levels. For what it is worth.

Regards, Steve

Same here, been taking it about 8 years and it really helps with the mobility.

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Good to hear Reed. Great Gloat. My Daughter had given me a Craftsman Shop Stool a few years back and I do my sanding on it, it works great.

[steven carter]

Caveats, I am not a doctor or in the medical field. Having said that I have been dealing with arthritis for five years and I am unable to take any anti-inflammatory medicines because of a tendancy for perforated ulcers. I take glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin and find it really helps my mobility and reduces pain levels. For what it is worth.

Regards, Steve

FWIIW, My other hoby besides turning is golf, and Arthur moved into my hands a few years ago. I take straight glucosamine without the chondroitin. My doc says that if you put glucosamine in your body, your body will make chondroitin. It's a lot cheaper to buy just glucosamine by itself. It has really helped my hands.

Steve

[Reed Gray]

Nathan,
The Robust has a sliding headstock, similar to the PM. It also has adjustable legs in about 2 inch increments which is a great innovation. I had my PM up on 4 X 4s to get it to proper height. I do remove the rubber mats so I can move the chair around, and I can scoot the chair up to the lathe bed, almost as good as when standing there. My knees and hips are the main problem, too many years of concrete work, and being an athlete (last 10 years of which were competition Hacky Sack/Footbag). Having them going has thrown other things out of whack. Rubber mats when turning (1 inch thick), chair for sanding. I will try the stool at my mini lathe which I use for turning threaded boxes later this week (oh, wait, it is later this week).

robo hippy

[Willie Wax]

And I thought I had the only rocking sanding chair around...or is that sanding rocking chair?