aching ribs – posture

[michael howarth 1Participant @michaelhowarth1]

[michael howarth 1Participant @michaelhowarth1]

For some time I have had a dull ache in my ribs when working in the workshop. Serious causes have been eliminated and it appears to be caused by poor posture. I am naturally a bit round shouldered and standing fettling small items accentuates this stance and brings on, at times, considerable discomfort.. No other activities bring it on. Does anyone else get this and if so what remedies are successful?

Mick

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

Hello Mick,

I don't know how tall you are, but would putting the lathe onto raising blocks give you a more upright posture in use?

Regards

Brian

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Hi mick.

I have some aches and pains, I found a good book on my kindle called The trigger point massage therapy work book"

It gives simple self massage techniques to ease the knots in muscles that can cause all kinds of pain. Nothing more complex than a tennis ball or massage cane and you can ease all kinds of niggles.

Well worth reading and giving a go after a hard day in the shop.

Best regards Mick

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

You need to eliminate or reduce the cause of your discomfort which is almost certainly caused by bending over your lathe or workbench. I suffered greatly until I moved my (bench) lathe onto a substantial, much higher bench and also raised my two workbenches to a much more comfortable height. I now suffer only if I spend prolonged hours in the workshop but that is probably age related more than poor posture while working.

Dave W

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Suggestion – Sit down in a chair or stool with a back support for bench work type fettling.

No more running hand stands or cartwheels in the shop, either!

[Iain DownsParticipant @iaindowns78295]

I've just come back from the Chiropracter to remedy just such pains. Actually, I've saved up ankle, back and arm problems for better value.

Hopefully a few sessions will fix me (until the next time) and the advice for stance and the like will put off future problems.

Iain

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I have a small vice bolted to a steel plate which I grip in the normal vice for fiddly fettling jobs. It has smooth jaws so no need for soft jaws and is a lot higher up than the normal recommended elbow height, so no stooping. Just remember not to slacken the wrong handle to get the job out of the little vice, or you finish up with sore toes.

Most lathes are mounted too low for me as well, I find that cross slide handwheel at navel height s about right

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I have a small vice bolted to a steel plate which I grip in the normal vice for fiddly fettling jobs. It has smooth jaws so no need for soft jaws and is a lot higher up than the normal recommended elbow height, so no stooping. Just remember not to slacken the wrong handle to get the job out of the little vice, or you finish up with sore toes.

Most lathes are mounted too low for me as well, I find that cross slide handwheel at navel height s about right

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

I had the same trouble working on a newly acquired old lathe some years ago. Raised the bench it came on by four inches: problem vanished instantly. Rule of thumb: set height so the cross slide feed handle is at your bent elbow height.

All my workbenches are likewise a bit higher than standard at 40 inches for the same reason. I'm 6'1" tall so you might want to tailor to your own height. The Myford bench is now 40 inches high and the ML7 sits on 2" riser blocks on top of that. Nice.

I also have a bar stool in the workshop that I sit on if working on small fiddly stuff for long periods.

Edited By Hopper on 17/05/2019 02:02:10

[michael howarth 1Participant @michaelhowarth1]

Thank you for your replies gents. Although in no way wishing this discomfort on anyone else, it is good to know that I am not the only one experiencing it. I have raised the lathe so that the mandrel is at about 40 inches and this is useful. The idea of a raised vice (together with the caveats) is also something I will put into use as I seem to spend a lot of time filing etc. Perhaps some specific exercises will also assist.

Mick

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

One specific exercise could be filing metal – at the proper height for your stature.

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

The simple solution is to be short-arsed, like myself.

[Ron LadenParticipant @ronladen17547]

I am 6ft and my bench tops are at 41 inches, benches at kitchen worktop height which is 4-5 inches less are too low for me.

Ron

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Don't forget that as we get older it takes more time to recover. So you may eliminate the actual problem but still get symptoms for days of even weeks afterwards leading you to think it is some other cause. You may have to do small changes and wait for effect rather than flit around.

[Simon CollierParticipant @simoncollier74340]

I dragged my large copper sheet out from behind the lathe a couple of weeks ago to cut some off. I have since paid half as much on chiropractors as the 3 mm full sheet cost! I often feel pain in the ribs that is referred from the spine.

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

I renovated a 9×20 lathe for an disabled and impecunious friend of mine. It came on a ridiculously high stand. Lathe centreline was 14" higher than my Myford on maker's stand.

Do you know what, it was a joy to use, because I did not have to bend!! I now think that most lathe stands are much too low.

Andrew.

[egaParticipant @ega]

Posted by Plasma on 16/05/2019 19:15:03:

Hi mick.

I have some aches and pains, I found a good book on my kindle called The trigger point massage therapy work book"

It gives simple self massage techniques to ease the knots in muscles that can cause all kinds of pain. Nothing more complex than a tennis ball or massage cane and you can ease all kinds of niggles.

Well worth reading and giving a go after a hard day in the shop.

Best regards Mick

Sounds like a good tip; can you confirm that it is the book by Claire Davies that you recommend, please?

(There are a number of titles with similar names).

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I have stools of different heights in my workshop. Unfortunately they are usually being used for storage… but I have a cleanup scheduled for Saturday

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by mick H on 17/05/2019 06:52:41:

I have raised the lathe so that the mandrel is at about 40 inches and this is useful.

That is still about 8 to 10 inches lower than mine, which sits on top of a 40 inch bench, plus two-inch risers. But if you are 5'2" tall it should work.

[michael howarth 1Participant @michaelhowarth1]

I have raised the lathe so that the mandrel is at about 40 inches and this is useful.

That is still about 8 to 10 inches lower than mine, which sits on top of a 40 inch bench, plus two-inch risers. But if you are 5'2" tall it should work

It was a rotten guestimate of mine Hopper. It is my bench that is 40 inches and the lathe mandrel at 50 inches so about the same as yours. I was out and about today in the garden doing allsorts including lifting and some ladderwork without a hint of discomfort. I have an hypothesis forming……I am becoming allergic to model engineering.

Mick

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Just to buck the trend ….

If it were happening to me, posture isn't the first thing I'd consider. I know when I'm doing fine/finicky work I tend to tense up which leads to clenching of the abdominal/chest muscles. This can lead to a residual ache in that area.

Usually I find some lesser task to do as well to give me frequent breaks.

Edited By Bandersnatch on 17/05/2019 18:29:08

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by mick H on 17/05/2019 16:30:25:

I have raised the lathe so that the mandrel is at about 40 inches and this is useful.

That is still about 8 to 10 inches lower than mine, which sits on top of a 40 inch bench, plus two-inch risers. But if you are 5'2" tall it should work

It was a rotten guestimate of mine Hopper. It is my bench that is 40 inches and the lathe mandrel at 50 inches so about the same as yours. I was out and about today in the garden doing allsorts including lifting and some ladderwork without a hint of discomfort. I have an hypothesis forming……I am becoming allergic to model engineering.

Mick

You could try drinking beer and see if that eases the allergy…

Or it might be more a matter of taking breaks, doing stretches or other tasks etc. None of us getting any younger and it is surprising how many hours disappear quickly when involved in a job.

[michael howarth 1Participant @michaelhowarth1]

Hopper/Bandersnatch. Both right. I also have the habit, my wife tells me, of holding my breath when doing finicky bits. That probably doesn't help.

Mick

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by mick H on 18/05/2019 08:26:34:

I also have the habit, my wife tells me, of holding my breath when doing finicky bits.

Me too. Not to mention sticking my tongue out

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