Woodcarving hazards

[Paul_Guraedy]

We tend to concentrate on the obvious hazards when safety is mentioned. Primarily we list the big three hand, eye and lungs. Occasionally, we talk about long term such as arthritis and repetitive motion problems. I received a surprise with the latter two the other day.

I went to the Doctor with pain in my left wrist. To get to the heart of the matter, he told me that I had arthritis in the thumb and repetitive motion injury starting in the wrist and hand. I told him the arthritis is not surprising; and, that I would not have been surprised if the “motion thing” had been in my carving hand. He asked me to demonstrate “how you carve”. When I showed him he said, “look at the way you have bent that left wrist. Doing that for long periods of time is as bad, or worse, than doing a motion that is not repeated exactly the same each time”.

Cortisone shots pretty well, though temporarily, helped the thumb. The wrist situation is not as simple. The pressure applied to the nerve in holding a carving is caused by muscles rather than the nerve going through a “tunnel” (carpal for example). The simplest, and best, solution is to avoid the pressure in the first place.

Which brings me to the reason for this thread.

“You need to figure out some way of holding your carving other than in your hand. Get you a vise or something like that”, he advised. “Gripping something in that position is just asking for trouble”.

Luckily, several years ago, I started using more mallet tools and, thus, had started using a vice more. I also found that the vice made control a lot easier, if more inconvenient,….even when using my power tools.

As the years mount up…….it is something that all of us woodcarvers should think about, just as we consider the long-term hazards of all of that dust created by sawing, sanding or powering.

[cannuckcarver]

Thanks Paul, this will help the new or almost new carvers like me.
There's little pitfalls we have to be aware and this is one.
I will take under consideration to get me a vise...I was already thinking about it and your advice will prompt the purchase of a one.
Again thanks Paul for your advice and we will pray that your wrist and hands get better theyare in the care of our GREAT Physician...

[Ron Davidson]

Paul I always use a vise anymore. I was in the habit of holding my work and that is usually when I would cut or stab myself. I like the vise because I have both hands to feel the carving to help direct me. I also have the good ole arthritis not fun either.
Ron

[doris]

sorry to hear about your wrist and thumb, paul, but you are right, one should fix the carving always and not carve from holding it in hand... yes, in the first days carving with the carving fixed seems inconvinient, since one is forced to a more one sided look.... however, this seemingly disadvantage is a real advantage, since it helps for keeping symmetry for example, since one is vieweing the carving from similar angle all the time... and, as you pointed out, paul, one has much more control over the carving tools, whatever they might be, since both hands are free for the purpose of moving the tool in desired strength, direction and angle. not an easy task with one hand, the carving shaking in the other hand... also, since both hands are behind the blade of the tool, it is impossible to cut yourself, ,,,i cut myself only when i sharpen, since this is so boring to me, but never when i carve... so many advantages from fixing the carving against the only a few lasting inconvinience of the unknown carving position. and health as you say comes into the positive too here...
i hope your wrist gets better soon

[doris]

ah, ron, we cross posted,you are saying same as me

[Kenny_S]

Sorry to hear of your injuries Paul. Seems like more and more of them as we grow in our Golden years. Takes lots o gold to fix us. Hence our Golden years, eh?

Good advice on clamping or using a vise. However, holding a piece one way will cause problems. Maybe that is why we learn different ways of hand holding our carvings.

Thanks again for the vice technique.

[Joy]

I have been trying to find a way to hold lovespoons. The irregular shape and fragility make it very difficult to hold down. Any suggestions?

[Paul_Guraedy]

Joy, sounds like you are up against the same thing I am.....carvings that are difficult to hold. I use the term hold in a very general sense. The size carvings that I do cannot be held in one hand so I more cradle than hold them. This requres that I bend the wrist around and use it to help support the carving. Inconvenient....and in the long run, damaging to nerves. I have never carved a love spoon but can see where holding it....in the hand or in a vice would be difficult.

[doris]

depending on the design of the lovespoon, joy, you could make a board, and make holes in strategical good places, put dowels into the holes, and then put the spoon between the dowels. now the spoon cannot slip sideways, and you only need fix it a little from top, say by a small piece of wood laying over the spoonhandle, and clamped softly down on either side...

edit maybe this is too late for your spoon now, but oh, actually, if i were doing a lovespoon, i would in the beginning let a littel piece of wood on the top of bowl, and a little piece of wood at the end of handle, and i would use these two extra wood to clamp down the spoon. when i am finished carving the spoon, i would saw these 2 small pieced off with a fretsaw. then just 2 very small areas to clean up where the saw marks are...

[Chahlie]

Hi All,
I must say that Doris had 2 excellent ideas for holding a relatively flat carving. The thought I had that might improve the idea of the holes and pegs; lay out a grid pattern (1 inch centers), position spoon or piece to be carved, add pegs and then use slender wedges to hold piece. You can even use 2 wedges from opposing angles to fill a large space from peg to piece. I have seen this work in a number of woodworking applications.