Any Scroll Sawers Here with PD

[Erewhon]

G'day All,
This April coming will be three years since I last was here, much has changed in my life since then, not only have I gotten older but I have been diagnosed with PD and was wondering if there is any others here in the same boat as I now find myself in who can share with me problems they face with scroll sawing with PD.
Regards Erewhon. 

[tvman44]

Not trying to be nosey, but what is PD?

[Judy Hunter]

A lot of us have some "problems" of one kind or the other. I had a stroke so my right hand doesn't work so good. But we all make do the best we can and any thing you can do in order to be able to do what you want to do.  Too many people sit around and say "I can't  do it because I have this or that".  Then of course the can't.
So good for you for wanting to work it out.  Sorry for the rant, keep us posted as to how you are "making it work" for you.  HAPPY DAY TO YOU 

[crusty59]

Hi erewhon, I have Muscular Dystrophy. I have been scrowling for about eight years now. I am in a wheelchair and my hands are very weak but that doesn't stop me. I have adapted so many thing to keep me scrolling. I have always been pretty inventive. I find a way to do what I do. If you need any help, don't be afraid to ask.
Chris

[Hawkdave]

Hi Erewhon, I volunteer in an organization called 'The Men's Shed.' It was started in Australia a number of years ago and is slowly gaining popularity around the world.
What is the Men's Shed?
Well, we have people with Diabetes, Parkinson's, Partial Blindness, Cancer, Deafness and many other ailments that God gives us, just to test our metal. I say this because, other than outward signs of the conditions, all of the guys have adapted to their particular condition and have found a way around it. They turn out just as beautiful items as they did before they became ill.
It is not uncommon to hear the guys talking about how working with wood has been their saviour.
I encourage you to work with your condition and find new ways to continue this great hobby of scrolling.

I have included the website to the shed I work at. http://www.communitywebs.org/willosmensshed/

Good Luck mate.

Dave.

[Erewhon]

Thank you all for your comments.

Tvman44, PD is Parkinson?s Disease, I still keep telling myself that they have got it all wrong, so I guess I?ve yet to accept it.
While there are those who have PD a lot worse than I have it, it is something that does effect many in different ways. In my case I have a right leg that at times likes to go off into a dance of its own for periods of time that can be from a few seconds to half an hour or so. My right hand and arm can for hours upon end just give out little twitches and a little shakes, the suddenly without warning warning I can be waving it around as if I'm directing traffic. I have been known without warning to part empty a can of coke over a visitor who came to our home while sitting at our kitchen table. While I try to laugh it off it is something that I can see causing a problem for me with my work working power tools, hence we all know how thin the scroll saw blades are so I see the possibility of one day having shares in such a manufacturing company. So currently as I come to terms with this stupid PD I just want to find others who may have the same problem as myself who may have some tips to pass on to me. Again thanks for your question, sorry I can not be more informative but I'm still trying to understand fully what these Specialist people are trying to tell me.

[Erewhon]

Thanks Hawkdave for you comment, As I new to this PD thing I'm yet to work out in my mind if its an illness or a disability, but one thing I currently know is that it sure draws the stares of those around you when things go a little crazy and no matter how often I'm told not to worry about the stares when out shopping with the wife it aint easy. Yes we have a small 'Mens Shed' in the grounds of our local hospital, its a very small shed next to the Doctors office about the size of a car shed, being new to this PD thing I have a good work shop of my own at home and would rather spend my time in it rather than making a fool of myself in our local Men's Shed. Please don't get me wrong but until I can accept this PD thing and sort me head out as to how I gunna deal with things I'll at this time stay outa the local mens shed and see what I can do by myself. I think this forum I jointed years ago before getting this PD thing is a good place to learn from others because they can't see me and I can't see them. Please no offence intended, but you suggest and encourage me to work with my condition, that's what I intend doing hence that's why I here . Again thanks for your input I do appreciate it. 

[Erewhon]

 Hi crusty59 thanks to you also for your input, yes I have heard of MD and I have over the years and months passed had all sorts of tests done for many things and it wouldn't surprise me if I wasn't tested for MD as well. I just got that way that in the end I'd point the finger at the wife and say 'tell her I don't wanna know',  At this time crusty I'm not noticing any strength weakness in my body but I sure feel the joint pains mainly in me right arm, right leg and all me little digit joints. While I'm sure you condition is a lot more serious than this crazy PD thing I got hopefully you and I just might have a few things we can share with one another not only about scroll sawing but about accepting what we have, because heaven knows crusty I eventually will need to rearrange in my head much that I'm going to need to come to terms with. So thanks for your input and as time moves on maybe we can share our thoughts and ideas with one another.

[Hawkdave]

No problems Erewhon, I understand that it does take some time to get your head around situations such as yours. I lost my job just a little over 4 years ago when I came down with Positional Vertigo (PV) I was off for 3 months when I received a call from the boss at work, he said, put in for a separation package because there is no work here when you get better. It took a number of days for me to realise what this meant to my future. At 61 years old at the time, it threw all of my retirement plans into oblivion. Once I had managed to come to terms with this, I applied and was accepted for the package. Sensibly, I used the money to pay the house off and make myself debt free, then I applied for welfare from the government. No worries there, but I had to do so many hours volunteer work each week to get my payment. This is why I am volunteering at the Willo's Men's Shed. I now only have 2 months left to go before I officially retire (65 years old) and I will continue with the shed as it has been a God send to me. I have helped a lot of people such as yourself come to terms with what ails them. This is by working with them to show them alternative work methods and most importantly, listening to them. There are around 70 members in the shed and they all have a tale to tell and demons to master, but the members never judge one another, this in itself is all part of the accepting and healing process.

I wish you all the best as you try to get your head into focus with your PD. You have already started by asking the right questions and getting back with this forum.

The only advice I can give you right now is, use whatever guards and safety precautions are available on your machinery, this will lessen the risk of personal injury by hiding the dangerous parts of your machines.

Dave.

[Erewhon]

Hi Judy Hunter, thanks for you comment also and no it wasn't a rant. I agree I can either sit on me backside and do nothin' or I can tackle this thing head on and try and do the best I can. After getting my wood work shop built and now being told I have this PD thing the last thing I wanna do is toss all my dreams away without giving it a go. I think it was way back when I first joined this forum that I got my brand new scroll saw and boy did I have big ideas and plans at what I was gunna make, I did use it once for a little time just cutting odd shapes outa scraps of wood but other than that it hasn't been used since. When I look at these tools I'm so proud of I start to wonder of them all which ones I'll keep and which I'll let go. I have decided that for now I won't let any go until I have given good thought on how to best protect that which we all value dearly 'Our Fingers'. I'm told that my PD will get worse so I'm getting in on the ground floor and seeing what I can do with each power tool before I might have to give it up.
Thanks for you comment and now that I've responded to all and corrected all my mistakes I gunna watch some Footy on TV, Bye Judy Hunter and take care all.

[termite]

 About 3 weeks i read an article in the Courier Journal newspaper in Ky. they have found that
boxing has helped some people with PD. Using the punching bag seems to help. They said
hitting the bag uses some of the nerves that are affected. it might help to check this out.
good luck

[Erewhon]

Hawkdave Yes you are right and I do sit and look at me power tools and try and figure out ways I can protect myself from possible harm. In some cases adding some extra protection ideas I have considered could end up being more dangerous to me. But I've time to work on things. I've been working on a small wooden toy car for a good radio announcer friend of mine for over a year and a bit now, just when everything appears to be drawing to and end bugger me if something don't go wrong and I bugger it all up. He is a very patient friend while my patience at times gets stretched to the limits. Again your advice is appreciated.

[Erewhon]

G'day termite.
Yes there are some wonderful ideas out there on how best to deal with different illnesses and mobility functions that effect us all from time to time. I'm not saying that what you have read wouldn't help me but as I approach 65 years of age if I put my dreams on hold to try everything that was suggested that may help me with my problems then I might as well sell all me gear because I'd have no time available yo use it.
I think what I'll do, I'll write up as brief as possible an account of my problems and for those who are interested I can give em a pdf file to read. I'll make a posting here when its done, but firstly I have to find a new key board that has bigger keys on it because my postings do take quite a bit of time to correct when finished.

[Erewhon]

Well had a play to day with me scroll saw, attempted to cut out a Polar Bear and ended up with some thing that lookrd a little like road kill. Not at all looking like the bear it should have. Got to read more of these forums to see what you lot use on the scroll saw top to get a good slippery surface. My left hand has no shakes at all but my right side is like an out house door in the wind, all over the place.
While I tend to use me left hand more these days its a bit difficult due to the fact that I've always been right handed and tend to always try and use it. Tried a few ways to control the plywood and discovered that if I slowed the speed of the scroll saw down a lot I had better control over the wood, but I see a lot more practice being had yet. Found away to keep me right hand out harms way when it shook too much, just slid it under me backside and sat on it, seemed to work for a while. lol.

I'm yet to be totally convinced that I do have this darn Parkinson's disease, so the wife and I travelling to Brisbane on the 7th next month cause I want a second opinion. I've always been one that has always been a Doubting Thomas and I guess like times in the past with my mobility disability I'm just grasping at straws to see if someone will tell me that I have some thing else that will pass in time. Any ways if I feel good tomorrow morning I'll be back at that scroll saw and try again to create a Polar Bear and see if it turns out better than road kill. Thanks all for the chat really appreciate it.

Hooroo.

[Judy Hunter]

  HOT DARN!! Love your sense of humor and you light hearted look at your situation.  Extra funny today because  i JUST "aquired" a real outhouse for out beside my outside shop.  Guess I will have to make sure I fasten the door shut on a windy day.  You are hanging in there. That is what counts.  Do you intend to become a millionaire with your woodwork?  If not, just relax and enjoy doing what you can do.