How Long Can You Carve/tool Before Something Starts To Hurt?

[leatheroo]

When carving/toolling, i find that it doesnt take long before body bits start to hurt. My left shoulder stiffens up and i get a pain/headache at the back of my head near the top of my neck. I know it is probably my tooling position, but i have tried different heights of benches, chairs etc. I do find myself quite tense when tooling which i think is a byproduct of concentration and constantly remind myself to relax. I remember talking to Peter Main and he told me he could tool all day long!!!!! I have to keep reminding myself....relax...both elbows on the table....dont over extend the neck etc.

I was wondering what problems and solutions do the members here have to share?

cheers

caroline

[JLSleather]

When I have the time, I tool all day. Every so often, I do get out of the chair for a minute for phone, restroom, whatever... seems to be enough. Only pain I get is every so often - seems like after 9P - bit of discomfort in the base of the skull, usually due to the wife being tired of the taptaptaptaptaptaptap........

Seriously, unless I'm doing very large projects, I like to sit until it's done. Leather only gets wet ONCE.

[JRedding]

I used to have the same affliction, I had to eventually work through it because work demanded it. The only things I found that helped were get a comfortable chair and keep adjusting the height until you feel it's best, keep your feet flat on the floor and forward where they should be, I had a bad habit of pulling mine back under my chair and cutting off the circulation that was a big help. And breath, I also caused myself a lot of the symptoms you described by holding my breath, and a lot or shallow breathing, I had my neck in knots and what felt like a golf ball beneath my shoulder blade all the time until I finally realized I was so tense. Getting comfortable and relaxing are how people stay with it all day. That and the more you do it I think you build up a tolerance for the task just most other things. Hope that helps

[Chief31794]

I tool standing and move around quite a bit, but as I've "matured" it seems that I can carve less and less before fatigue sets in. I normally try to carve for only 1-2 hours at a time. My hands hurt from holding the stamps after that.

Ken