9 replies to this topic

[mreibman]

I saw something earlier today about a hobby hand stabilizer. It appears to be a cup or socket that sits on your work surface with a rod and ball connected. the ball sits in the cup and can rotate through 360 degrees horizontally, and more than 180 vertically. 

 

I don't know about anyone else, but I've got some shaky hands lately - exarcerbated by medication.

 

I was wondering if anyone used one of these sorts of things, and if so, what's your feedback on it? I am not sure about using a soldering iron while holding on to it, but wiling to try it out.

 

looking at one on Amazon just as an example:

 

Video:

https://www.amazon.c...t_NHzpftAnY3trp

 

Image:

https://m.media-amaz..._AC_SL1500_.jpg

 

[MSwiss]

It sounds like it might have been inspired by a mahl stick, a device I just became aware of.

 

 

[Dave Crevie]

Not the same as a Mahle stick. I have two of the sticks. One I made when I was just a kid, from a length of a child's broom handle. And one from Terrace supply when I first started learning how to pinstripe.

 

What is shown in the video only works if you stay within the radius of the rod. Might help in some cases, but I only see limited usefulness.

[Bill Seitz]

I'm with Dave; I see limited usefulness for something like this because it limits the range of motion. I find it interesting that in the image, the circuit card the person is working on is hand-held while the soldering iron is being fixed by the ball and socket device. Usually a circuit card would be secured by a device or fixture with the soldering iron free to move into whatever position needed to apply heat.

 

For me, my soldering hand is usually stabilized adequately by having my arm braced against the work surface. I recently was asked to solder on a pinion for another slot car enthusiast who had a noticeable hand tremor. My hands are sometimes not as stable as I'd like, but not a tremor like that. I wonder if a wrist brace might help - something to consider.

[mreibman]

Thanks for all the input.

 

@Bill - it's not something a wrist brace can help with. :-(

 

@Mike thanks for the education about the mahl stick - I did see things similar to that in my search earlier.

 

I'll let you know when/if I actually get this thing if it really helps... more likely I'll just build something like it and try it out. :-)

[Dave Crevie]

Why not build yourself a robot? (LOL)

 

 

https://youtu.be/Q9J...eHLohqujXE3h8PP

[dc-65x]

I've got the "shaky paint brush syndrome" Mike. I just bought one of these:

 

 

I haven't tried it out yet but will on my next build.

[MSwiss]

Painter supreme, Joe "Noose" Neumeister told me 2 things in reference to his ability to hand letter and

detail things on a slot car body.

 

1-he could see tiny things probably 99% of other people couldn't.

 

2- before he started on a job that required his best fine brush work,

he took a shot of whiskey(?)

[MSwiss]

I just went ahead and looked up how it works and checked out a few video's.

 

There didn't seem to any consensus exactly how to to use it.

 

One video, while I didn't listen to the audio as my wife is sleeping, the guy seemed genuinely perplexed.

 

Regardless, people agreed it's based off a mahlstick.

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[Pablo]

before he started on a job that required his best fine brush work,

he took a shot of whiskey(?)

 

My shakey-shakeys stopped once my new Cardiologist in Tennessee started me on a new heart med - Carvedilol.

I now have the BP of a 30 year old 

 

But I still stay away from paintbrushes