Work bench/space ideas

[Saito2]

I've been slowing down of late at the work bench and my progress on Tamiya projects has suffered as a result. I think I've been consciously/subconsciously avoid working on things because of the pain that I now associate with it. I have chronic debilitating lower back pain. I have to wear a brace during work hours to essentially remain upright. I have to keep my back straight at all times. Getting this checked or "looked at" isn't a financial option. I can't afford the test/scans let alone any operation/therapy. I have found that I was increasingly needing my brace to even sit for more than 10 minutes at the work bench. My back would simply "go out" just puttering away on my models. It takes about 2 weeks on average for my back to return to "normal" after it goes out, so avoiding this is obviously important.

It dawned on me (after knocking my back out last night, despite using my brace) that my failing eyesight may be partially to blame. I wear bifocals. I have never gotten along with them very well. They never seem to provide the magnification I need at the distance I work from my eyes. I frequently look over the top of my glasses to really see what I'm doing. I think I'm inadvertently leaning forward, closer and closer to my work to see what I am doing, thus putting strain on my lower back.

Any suggestions on a remedy for this situation. The best I can come up with is making a very high work bench I can stand at, that brings the work piece up to my field of vision without leaning over. Any other suggestions are welcome.

 

[FuzzyFlynn]

Regarding the glasses: Have you considered getting a pair of single-focal glasses optimised for your viewing/working distance? They might be comfortable for other activities with a similar distance as well.

Idea for checking if a higher work bench might help: Try getting one of those foldable bar tables used at parties. Maybe your neighbours have one of these that you can borrow for a few days.

[Twinfan]

FuzzyFlynn is spot on about the glasses. My wife has a dedicated pair for "mid distance" which she uses for her work laptop screens. They are a game changer, apparently.

I use multifocals which are maybe a slightly fancier version of bifocals and could work better for you.

I'd definitely recommend having a chat with your optician.

[OldSchoolRC1]

My daughter has a desk that switches between standing and sitting, and it's variable height. She moves it depending on what she is doing. It's pretty slick, thinking of one for myself, also for back issues. Might be a good option for you to look into so your not locked into a fixed, uncomfortable position.  

[ADRay1000]

as a fellow sufferer of chronic lower back pain, one thing that has been beneficial was taking physical therapy and learning  basic stretches that I do daily. It doesn’t fix everything, but has greatly reduced the frequency of a full on blow-out. Been good to not rely on drugs and surgery. 

[JimBear]

From my own limited experience: changing position from sitting to standing is good, so a desk where you can change the height sounds like a start.

Perhaps using extra stands on top of the working surface too, when you need to get closer.

I am partly struggling with the eyesight, often using reading glasses and lupes, but I have been thinking about buying one of those lupe-with-light things to ease things a bit. The quality (and quantity) of light makes a difference for ease of seeing, too.

[markbt73]

A stand-up workbench is a good idea. Just make sure you have one of those standing mats, and/or good shoes. I had a standing desk at work for many years, and good shoes made a huge difference in comfort.

Dedicated reading glasses for close-up work help a lot; my wife keeps telling me to get bifocals, because I need both reading glasses and distance glasses to drive, but I don't think they'll work for me, because between 3 feet and 20 feet, I do best with no glasses at all. As far as reading glasses go, I just bought a 3-pack of the cheap Costco ones, and they do fine for me. I also have a pair of those silly jeweler's glasses with super-magnification for tiny stuff.

And light! Lots and lots of light. Those LED tube lights that look like fluorescents are like $40 from a big box home improvement store, and provide great lighting for a workbench. Get a couple small desk lamps for extra light in certain spots too. I know I always feel more eye strain trying to see things if it's too dark.

Getting older sucks, doesn't it?

[87lc2]

I use stand-up workbenches for RC, honestly never even thought about having a sit down workbench for some reason...I have two fairly high benches situated in a corner that give me plenty of space and I've stood there for hours without issue (a nice standing mat helps for sure). 

My back is pretty good but I've had small issues in the past year where I'll tweak it and as you said it stays that way for about 2 weeks until it goes back to normal.  It's not totally debilitating, but really annoying when it happens and I'm not even sure what triggers it for the most part so its a real shocker when it goes bad.

[Mad Ax]

My main RC workbench has always been a standing bench, I'll be on my feet from around 9am to 5 or 6pm on a Sunday when I'm working on my projects, and my back is better after a day of that than a day of sitting at my computer for work.  Since I'm in the workshop, I'll be wearing sturdy walking boots all day - standing in slip-on office shoes sucks.

That said, I've had loads of lower back pain too and it's been debilitating for me also, so I definitely feel your pain.  Going for a standing or sit/stand desk may well be a good option.

Last week I called in at a shop dedicated to workspace options for people with back pain.  I was recommended a Capisco 8106 chair - look it up online.  They aren't cheap but I had a trial on one and it seems like a game changer.  It can be a regular sit-down chair but ergonomically designed, and the perfect height for stretching out my back (I got some nice cracks while testing it out).  Also it can lift up as a "perch" for sit-standing, you sort of straddle it (hence the odd shape seat), it takes the weight off your feet but still lets your back be straight.

Finally, the real deal for me, is you can it on it backwards and rest your belly against the rest.  I spend a lot of time typing, so my feet are forwards, my back is reclining, but my shoulders are forwards to reach the keys, so I'm in a C-shape, like pretty much every other desk jockey.  The deal with the new position is my entire body is straight, my feet are behind me, my hips are straight, my back is straight, and I'm canted towards the desk, so I can get close to the screen and keyboard without having to hunch.  I figure if you're hunching over to get the vision detail, some kind of reverse sitting arrangement might help.

I'm going back to the shop today for an extended trail, maybe 2 hours, to make sure it's going to be right for me, as it's a lot of money to blow if I don't get on with it.  But since I'm changing jobs next month it seems like the perfect time to refit my office and try this sit-stand thing that everyone is raving about.