Stiff and sore neck

[darnley]

Has anyone had neck problems from relief carving? I usually carve in 3-D or in the round, and I tried my first relief piece just before Christmas. I started a second one this week, and my neck just kills me from working only a short time. I have tried stretching a lot, every few minutes, and working on a higher table which both help. Just wondered if anyone has any tricks to the trade that will help necks. I'm a massage therapist (I should know what to do about this!) and I'm having a distinctly hard time with this position compared to carving in the round. Thanks for any suggestions. Darnley

[Al_Hillis]

Darnley , do you relief carve with the carving laying flat in front of you , kina sounds like thats what your doing , might be best to raise it so it is more vertical and that might take some of the strian off your neck , just my 2 cents worthr

[Kenny_S]

Ditto to what Slather said, Change the posistion of the carving or even how you carve. No sense in makeing it hard on yourself. Elevate the piece a little and try that, If it helps, try a little more.

[Burtoni]

WOW! That happened to me today while working on one of my first reliefs!
I think it was due to standing craning my neck down while working on it. I'm going to try sitting at the table and working and see if that would relieve that aching neck!!!

Okay...a few days later:
I tried sitting instead of working on it standing up and it worked much better. No neck aches. Still looking down at it, but no craning the neck like I did standing!!!!

[Ron Davidson]

I built myself a easel type of holder for my relief carvings that way you are looking straight at the carving and not down. I know I can't see them but you are working right in front of of your face this way. Do a search for Carving Tilted Work surface.
Ron

[squbrigg]

I do lots of relief and have serious neck and back problems to start with. I have had to switch techniques, and rough out using power. Once I have the background roughed out, it is much easier to level and detail using gouges, and I will often work with the piece on my lap. I have built one of those angled carving devices designed by a carving school and while it works great, I'm not able to use it, because of the damage in my neck, it limits my arm use and I can't hold them up to carve.

Bob

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I have a solution! Its called a Chiropractor...LOL......when you do anything with your head down for a long period of time , it causes this, I have to go to the chiropractor and his puts it back in place until I do the same thing over again.....humm isn't that called "insanity" , do the same thing over and over and expecting a difference result lol

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Isn't that an oxymoron? Relief carving makes you stiff and sore? Maybe a relief carving of a bottle of Tylenol will get you back to feeling good.

[Ron Davidson]

I will stick with my easel system it works great for me. The last relief that I did I built a new one that was big enough to hold the slab I was carving on it was 3"X4" and weighed 150 lbs. I made it adjustable where I could stand and work or lower it and sit.
Ron

[darnley]

Thanks everyone! I like the idea of the carving tilted work surface. I'll search for a basic plan of what one looks like so I can make one! Good idea! Darnley