Ideas wanted....need to get a grip..

[steven c newman]

As some of you know..I broke my thumb last week

Sitting around the house with this brace on the right hand...getting bored..

Need a way to grip a handplane so I can at least try to do a bit of work. May be getting a cast later. Not very good at being a "Lefty" at this.

Doing this as a Lefty...the thumb wants to grip the front handle.....not a good thing with this thumb.

Any ideas out there..?

[Bill Houghton]

Can you stick with block planes and small work for the moment?

[Nathan Johnson]

Turn the plane around. Put the knob in the crook of your elbow, stabilize with lefty, and pull it.

I don't know. That's all I've got. Sorry, man.

[steven c newman]

Tried being a "Lefty" tonight.....#5-1/4 and a # 60-1/2 for planes....works when parts are 13" long, used a beltsander on the worst parts....finished off with a plane.

10 Rails are now done....edges that is. The 36" corner posts will be a different matter.....long planes = more weight. Heel of the block plane fits into the palm of the splint/brace. Used the left hand to do most of the pushing with either plane...

Plan is for grooves made by the Stanley 45.....that may be a challenge...right now, I am soaked....percasec will be needed...

[Stew Denton]

Hi Steven,

I am sure it is very frustrating for you, it would be for me.

I hesitate to suggest this since it is probably something you have already tried, but decided to anyway, on the off chance you hadn't already tried it.

Thus: Can you grip the knob with your left hand as per normal, but then push the plane with your right hand, but not grab the tote. Thus, put the horn of the tote basically in the center of your palm, laying your palm down over the horn of the tote kind of against the side of the tote and the top, and pushing it that way. While you do such you will have to hold your hand so that your thumb is pointing straight up, well away from the tote, and out of harms way? Thus, most of the pushing would be with the heel of your hand. Of course I can't see any way to guide the plane that way though.

Obviously you wouldn't set any records for speed doing this approach.

My problem with this would be to grab the tote in the normal fashion if I got distracted in any way.

Again, this is probably a lousy idea that you have already considered, but I thought, well, I might as well mention it anyway. No offense intended.

What ever you do, don't make the thumb worse.

By the way, I think you mentioned it earlier, but have you been to the doc yet to find out when you will be good to go?

Regards,

Stew

[steven c newman]

Tried this as a righty....thumb kept trying to grab the tote, anyway...Tried it as a Lefty, but
vise work.jpg
I could on these smaller parts, stick them in the end vise. I had the left hand on the tote, and the fingers on the knob. I pushed towards the bandsaw.

I used a couple smaller planes, since the parts were short enough..
planes.jpg
The "jointer" is that much discussed #5-1/4. ( Millers Falls No. 11) and the block plane.
.IMG_1109 (640x480).jpg
Was a Stanley #60-1/2. I found that the heel of the block plane seemed to fit into a hollow in the palm of the brace/splint I get to wear...
On the really rough cut edges, a beltsander was used first, to reduce wear and tear on the hand...

The hard part will be those long corner posts, and running around a large plough plane...
plough plane.jpg
I think I can switch the fence around to plane as a Lefty? We'll see.

Bone Doctor visit in the morning. Will update when I can.

[Jim Koepke]

My sympathies are with you.

Just hope you never need open heart surgery. It was about 4 months before my doctors let me get back to work.

Looking on the sunny side at about 9 years of age I encountered a severe laceration on my right hand. It forced me to do a few things left handed. Later in life an injury to the right shoulder is now having the same effect. Though I am still dominate right handed a lot of work can be done just as well left handed.

I think I can switch the fence around to plane as a Lefty? We'll see.

Very easy with the #45 with the type 7 and later versions.

#45 Lefty.jpg

If you are working both sides of a piece and want to go with the grain it is the only way. Also if it is on a bench top the adjustable part of the fence can be turned over to make a bit more clearance.

When trying to do things left handed one will get a sense of how right handed our world really is. A weed eater is easier (and safer) to use left handed than a chain saw.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

Some of us don't have the issues you fellows have.

We take it for granted we can go to the shop when we want to and do the things we want to do.

I will remember to be thankful in the future.

[steven c newman]

A Quad By-pass back in July 2011.....was October before I even got back to work...light-duty....
1997...rotator cup was worked on, by sanding/grinding away spurs...10 weeks off. Yep, right shoulder.

One year, I had a Bowling Average for BOTH arms....about 30 pins higher with the right.
Splint has been replaced with a plastic thingy that only covers the thumb. 3 weeks in that, should be healed up by then...revisit the Doctor at the end of 3 weeks...

Tried the 45 a little while ago....thumb sticking straight out to the side. Rest of the hand was doing the work. Same with a No. 0-7 jointer plane...thumb sticking straight out to the side. Can't "pull" the plane back, have to "walk" it back. One corner post has been jointed. Taking a break, just seems harder work with this thumb. Running a mallet? Maybe swinging that as a lefty...

[steven c newman]

Swinging a mallet lefthanded...did not turn out too well.....mallet kept trying to hit the right thumb....switched to swinging righthanded....no issues, other than I can't quite hit as hard as I use to.

Using a pencil.....about like me using chopsticks.....neither are pretty to watch. With this plastic splint on, I can't tell where the pencil IS....will need someone to run the sharpener and sharpen the pencils, too.

Hammers....not happening. Visegrip finger clamps? Clumsy, usually drop then a few times, left hand has issues gripping.

We will adapt...just takes a while. We'll see how it goes in three weeks....

[steven c newman]

Getting better at this.....been letting the thumb stick out to the side on any thing handled.....pencils are still an issue trying to mark anything.

Taking about three times as long to get anything done in the shop.....then have to stop when the thumb says it is too sore. Instead of 4-5 hours, I can only do 2-3 tops....

Will update...