Dealing with disabilities. Looking for help.

[usmcsgt]

Hello Gents,

   I am a disabled Marine war vet. I have several disabilities and some that affect my ability to make bows and arrows and I am looking to see what other bowyers do that helps them with their handicaps.  I have arthritis in both hands and shoulders. I also have shattered vertebrae that didn't heal right so, that also limits my abilities some.

  Basically what happened lately was, I have been going to the VA for treatment and therapy and have been told that I need to find another way/method to go about making bows, making arrows and flint knapping. I prefer to use hand tools. As most of you know, there is a lot of repetitive motion involved.

 The parts of me that are affected most are my shoulders, elbows and hands. It's mostly arthiritis and tendinitis that I have issues with.

  This also affects my ability to shoot as well and I guess learning proper form is another important thing.

  Thanks guys!

[Blaflair2]

Learn how to make all wood lam bows. A lot of the tiller can be done with tapered lams like fiberglass bows. Mostly power tools are used. So less stress on your joints

[Blaflair2]

Learn how to make all wood lam bows. A lot of the tiller can be done with tapered lams like fiberglass bows. Mostly power tools are used. So less stress on your joints

[Badger]

  I am not sure if excersize is bad or good for what you have. Most likely I would think you want to try and keep things mving as long as you can. maybe start off and just take as much time as you need. 1 side benefit you may get is that making bows has kind of an addictive nature to it and can stimulate some endorfins. great natural pain killer and some feel it is helpful for artheritis.

[Mohawk13]

1). Thank You For Your Service to this Great Country of Ours.

2). I to am a Disabled Vet with many of the same problems. I have been trying to figure out some of the same issues. So far have just come up with working until the pain gets a bit much to handle, stopping at that point, and continuing on when the condition allows.

3). good luck with your endeavors. If You figure something out, feel free to pass it along. I will do the same.

                                                  Rev. Pete Gallant, 1SG, US Army...22 Years

[vinemaplebows]

Well here is my suggestion, BUT I mention this more because of your disibilities than to sugest this as a start for a new bowyer....asumming you are one?...Anyhow, with careful planing and learning to use the tools (power tools) you can make pyramid bows without much tillering, or you can use this for stave bows CAREFULLY....

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-12-in-60-grit-zirconia-flap-disc-60751.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-12-angle-grinder-60625.html

Good luck, thanks for your service.


VMB

[usmcsgt]

   
   Thank you all for your replies. Badger, I actually met you at the Sept 2008 meet up in Pasadena. My Docs say excercise is good but, to avoid repetitive motion as much as possible. I also do all of these things (Bow making, etc) as a form of therapy for my PTSD and it does help.

 Blaflair: I have done a few laminated bows (BBI, BBO, BBH) and will eventually get back to those again. Thank you for the suggestion.

  Hey Mohawk, I been making bows since 2006 when I got out.  I was ok at first and usually pushed myself until it was painful. Keep in mind that I take morphine and other pain meds while I do all this. I usually need to ice my shoulders and elbows. Btw, I am 31 years old. It seems like some things are catching up with me and my Doctors/therapist are telling me to find ways to do things that will cause less strain. I will see what I can find. It would be nice to find other vets to do this with. I am also an active member of the Wounded Warrior Project.

 Brian: how's it going? I'm still working on that pacific dogwood stave I got from you. I've been making bows for several years now. I originally started 24 years ago and got real serious about it in 2006.  I have used bandsaws and belt sanders in the past and like using them but, I prefer hand tools like drawknives, farrier's rasp and scrapers. It all depends what wood I am working on too. 

 

[toomanyknots]

One thing I would suggest is to stick with softer woods, like Eastern Red Cedar, and Yew, that is if you can get your hands on some through trades or ebay, etc, which ain't really easy. Some white woods can be easier to work though too, like hackberry. Eastern Red Cedar is a dream to work with bladed tools though, it cuts like butter. Haven't worked yew myself, but I have heard the same.

[wood_bandit 99]

Yew is SOOOOOOO soft. I shaped a whole bow out of a big stave with a Feriers rasp, no big deal

[osage outlaw]

Do you have a bandsaw and a bench top belt sander?  If you don't, you might think about getting them.  You can rough out a bow on the saw and then shape and tiller it on the sander.  I used to do almost all of my tillering on a belt sander.  Just remember to switch to a finer grit belt as you get further along with the tillering process.  A good palm sander would probably help also.

[DuBois]

Welcome and thank you for your service! I was thinking about this a bit and wonder if you have considered a couple things. First what has been said already about softer woods. I could hook ya up with a real clean ERC staves if you want for shipping cost (cleaner than the knotty thing I am working on recent post by far). And second, what about sinewing bows? I would think that being able to make smaller dimension bows due to sinew backing could reduce scraping, rasping etc.... Don't know how you feel about the sinew but it could be therapeutic also? Might be a real B processing it though.

And one more thought. I am an RN in a hospital and we use aromatherapy essential oils for anxiety and pain relief. I thought it was kinda hokie at first but the patients really swear by it after we get em to try it and it has been proven scientifically. Gotta get the good stuff though  Pure Lavender seems best and also Sweet Marjoram. Some people like Mandarin oil best. I work in a substance abuse unit and tolerances are high to meds for a lot of them there but this seems a great and simple addition to pain treatment. If you want any more info on it let me know and I'll scan ya some of the stuff from my work. Best wishes. Marco DuBois

[usmcsgt]

  I haven't thought much about softer woods lately. I haven't had the best luck in getting good eastern red cedar or Yew. I have worked ERC once but it was full of knots and didn't want to be a bow.

  I love sinew backing bows. I used to collect sinew from our guys at church back when I lived in Minnesota. I even got 40 deer hides in one winter, so you could imagine how much sinew I had. They thought I was crazy.

   One of the projects I want to do is a sinew backed ERC or Juniper bow (60" ish long with 2" wide limbs). I actually want to make one like Ed Scott does. He makes some real fine sinew backed bows.

   Osage outlaw: I do not have my bandsaw or bend sander with me. I do have a 2"x72" coote knife grinder but, I just use it for steel. It doesn't do so well with bows.  It's not a variable speed motor.


 DuBois: Thank you for the kind offer. I will have to take you up on that offer. I still have enough sinew left to do another bow.

   I agree that essential oils sound weird for therapy but, I know that can really help. I've been through the ringer enough times that I am almost willing to try anything...

   I have a few surgeries coming up real soon too. Hopefully after I get those done, some things will improve.  I do have one disease that causes arthiritis and hopefully I will get that dealt with before spring comes.

  I'm very thankful for you guys! I'm hoping to figure out some techniques to help people with disabilities/impairments, make bows and arrows. Again, I prefer hand tools. But, we will see how long that last!
   

[vinemaplebows]

   
   Thank you all for your replies. Badger, I actually met you at the Sept 2008 meet up in Pasadena. My Docs say excercise is good but, to avoid repetitive motion as much as possible. I also do all of these things (Bow making, etc) as a form of therapy for my PTSD and it does help.

 Blaflair: I have done a few laminated bows (BBI, BBO, BBH) and will eventually get back to those again. Thank you for the suggestion.

  Hey Mohawk, I been making bows since 2006 when I got out.  I was ok at first and usually pushed myself until it was painful. Keep in mind that I take morphine and other pain meds while I do all this. I usually need to ice my shoulders and elbows. Btw, I am 31 years old. It seems like some things are catching up with me and my Doctors/therapist are telling me to find ways to do things that will cause less strain. I will see what I can find. It would be nice to find other vets to do this with. I am also an active member of the Wounded Warrior Project.

 Brian: how's it going? I'm still working on that pacific dogwood stave I got from you. I've been making bows for several years now. I originally started 24 years ago and got real serious about it in 2006.  I have used bandsaws and belt sanders in the past and like using them but, I prefer hand tools like drawknives, farrier's rasp and scrapers. It all depends what wood I am working on too. 

 

Usmcstg,

                  Well, hope you can find some help, sucks not being able to do the things you like without pain. I have bone spurs in both hips, and shoulders....they are not getting any better... Just keep going...only choice ya got! Looking forward to seeing the dogwood.


VMB

[usmcsgt]

    There is one thing that I do want to contribute. I noticed that my rasps and files were getting dull and I thought about buying new ones.  But, I had just read a thread on saw mill creek forums about this company in Paramount, CA that sharpens files.  So I got all mine together and sent them out to them. After about a week, I got them back. They were packaged really well and it seemed like they put 3 in 1 oil on each of the files and rasps I sent out. I felt the teeth and they were very sharp. Actually sharper than new.

    I noticed that this made work a lot easier for me.  It was very affordable for me as well. The companies name is Boggs. I got a few more items I am going to des out to them. One of them being a Shinto rasp that they said they could sharpen. 

   Hopefully this little bit of information can help someone out.

[usmcsgt]

Hey Brian,

   I am sorry to hear that. That's got to be tough to deal with. Right now I have bone in my shoulders digging into the muscles on both shoulders. They say they will give me some shots in the joint to help and physical therapy should improve my condition.