hand pain from mat cutter?

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Rodrica

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Forgive me if this has been covered. I'm new to the forum. I think I may be developing Repetetive Stress Injury from the Logan 650 Framers Edge mat cutter I've been using for about a year. Am I the only one? Is there an ergonomically designed cutter for the small frameshop studio?
 
No, but this is a good subject. Many a time after long hours cutting mats my hands and wrist would hurt for several days. I got to the point that I broke the jobs up to not work so long at the mat cutter at one time. This may not be posible if you work for a large shop and just cut mat all day long.

I hope this thread gets some action as this could be a important issue with many older framer's.

[This message has been edited by framer (edited 12-14-1999).]
 
I cut hundreds of thousands of mats over the last 20 years. Somewhere in the middle of that I had hand and arm pain. I started exercising and building muscle strength on the advise of my doctor. My hands and arms have never hurt again. (and now I have a computer mat cutter and get to sit and watch it cut mats)
Scarfinger
 
When cutting large quantities of mats we always make sure that flexibility exercises specifically for hands, were done 12 hours prior to starting. Build up strength in your hands continuously, a lot of framing work can lead to problems. Machinery is undoubtably a potential cause, we have used several brands of matcutters and there is only two things I've found that make a significant difference. With your technique, ensure you're not using your thumb to "lift" the rear of the cutting head (try cutting a few with your thumb out to the side) your thumb should only there to provide support and steadiness. Are you standing so your elbow goes straight up and down? , stand well left of the cutters. These are two major problems I've had with new staff and usually they sort themselves out.
Also having your cutter on an angle of around 15 degrees towards you helps.
Get one of your reps or another framer to stand and watch you cut mats, they may see something that is easily missed.
 
No real pain in the hands but over the years the knuckles have enlarged more and this time of year especially. To help curb this since arthritis runs in the family I've purchased gold rings for all of my fingers on the right hand. The middle finger and the pinkie especially seem worse and I can atest to the fact that the gold does help. So get out the old jewery..the old gold is usually more K's. I've had more back problems. Once that starts you learn to know when to quit and try not to do all of the same movements at once.

[This message has been edited by JPete (edited 12-15-1999).]
 
JPete: I thought I was getting early arthritis (or is this normal for those of us who were once flower children). It is the swollen, sore knuckles you mention, and I'm absolutely certain they all need gold rings. I love that solution--gold rings that are an expense item!
 
Scarfinger - can you tell us what kind of exercises you did? I too am having wrist and joint pains. I have one of those "A" shaped things you squeeze together in you hand, however, that only seems to work my forearm. Anything you could share would be greatly appreciated.

RW
 
Actually it was part of a lifestyle change. First step was a Nordic Track exercise machine used every second day for an hour without fail. After every 20 minutes of tracking I would exercise my arms and wrists using dumbells. After I got in shape I started ocean kayaking and I think paddling was the main thing in tuning up my arms, wrists and back. In the past 7 years I have paddled 5000 miles on the ocean. I am in my 50's and I contribute my good health to exercise. My Mom and Dad are in their 80's and go to the gym 4 days a week and exercise is the key to their health. They have had to make new friends as their old ones are dead. I've turned this answer into a bit of a sermon because I believe too many of us self employed people need a jolt about lifestyle. I've been working too much lately and this is aimed as much at me as to the rest of you. Take an extra day off this Christmas season and go for a long walk.
Scarfinger
 
I don't know guys, but if I had that much matt cutting volume, I'd seriously consider getting a computorized matt cutter. A buddy has a Wizard and it's great! I farm out my overflow to him . . .

Bruce
 
Bruce ;
which comes first the computerized cutter or the hand pain? Actually I guess you could have both since you can't cut everything on the compterised marvels ,in fact I still use a Dexter 3 to do carveings ,talk about hand cramps or is it just CRAMPS?
Buddy

[This message has been edited by BUDDY (edited 12-16-1999).]
 
I agree about the computer mat cutter. It will not only save your hand and arm but it will also save you a lot of time. I had a one of the rental machines and now own a Fletcher-Terry F-6100 and can't imagine running a Custom Frame Shop without it.
Scarfinger
 
I get an achey pain, then my hand almost freezes when cutting mats for too long. I cut them the way I'm supposed to, my thumb not on the cutter, body square to the cutter, new blades & slip sheets...I think the years I waited tables (while in college) and rolling millions of things of silverware had something to do with this, though. I'm pretty young and into different sports so this does bother me. My Mom and sister already had Carpal Tunnel surgery and I'm wondering if it's genetic? Our next investment is a computerized mat cutter. I can't wait.
 
I was thinking over this sore hand from mat cutting thing last night and I realized one point hasn't come up. What is the condition of your mat cutter? If your cutter is dirty and stiff to operate your hand problems will be worse. In our shop each mat cutter was dissassembled and cleaned every week. The bar and head were cleaned with solvent and lubricated with a wax based spray. Never use teflon or fish oils like WD-40. The cutter was reassembled and adjusted for drag and square. If I gave a little push with my finger the head on my 60 inch cutter would slide from one end to the other. The tension on your hand is worst as you finish a cut trying to stop without overcut and with a stiff machine your hand will surely hurt.
Scarfinger
 
Scarfinger, I think I'm missing something.... WERE cleaned every week? I thought it was interesting to keep the cutters in that good of working order, but am I correct in interpreting that it's no longer done that frequently?

I agree that this is a good topic; the lack of ergonomics knowledge (and an obscure, but related subject called human factors something-or-other)will trigger a lot of arthritis and worse amongst us boomers soon.

In setting up both the frame and coffee shops I've spent a lot of time with efficiency and ergo stuff, with site layouts, table heights, floor stuff, tool selection, work flow, etc. etc. and it's been interesting.

Something I did which didn't have any relation to framing was the frig for storing milk for lattes, etc. Because I didn't want to be bending over every time to get stuff, I decided to get one of those countertop milk dispenser thingies... you know! LOL

Anyway, the corporations from which I am now a satisfied refugee did have some good bennies with regard to having ergonomics experts around and trying to make sure office space was correct, preventing repetetive stress (and other soft-tissue) injuries. That knowledge has been helpful.

I never thought about having a computerized mat cutter as an ergonomic approach, but that's certainly sound logic, I would agree.
 
The mat cutters "were" kept very clean and well adjusted. There "were" three tables, one for each framer with two 40 inch cutters and one 60 inch cutter. There "was" also a large oval cutter (one artist paints in 30 inch circles)and a Fletcher oval cutter. The 60 inch and one 40 inch cutters are in the storage room, the big oval has been sold and the Fletcher is in a storage room and only used to cut glass. In the middle of the shop is a Fletcher F-6100 Computer Mat Cutter. We cut pretty much everything on this new machine. The remaining 40 inch cutter has a lot of dust on it and is only cleaned if needed for some obscure cut. I can cut a triple mat 40 x 60 in just a minute or two and it doesn't matter if its rectangle, oval, has special corner cuts or a Vee groove. And my hand doesn't hurt.
Scarfinger
 
Don't know about RSS problems from matcutting, but do know something about the framer's penchant for "tightening" stuff. E.G., the handles on the vise, the knob on the bladeholder for the matcutter, the squaring arm on the same cutter, etc. I'm small, but HolyCow mighty: when I tighten it, it's immovable! Of course, this is not good for the equipment or my hands, but getting over this habit will not be easy. Perhaps several more and escalatingly-severe shooting pains may help.
smile.gif
 
I like this little face. That is how I feel....happy for all the business, but going a little crazy trying to get everything finished on time. Last week was so busy! But Friday night I kept waking up because my hand kept going numb and my wrist hurt. Having a good rest yesterday has made it go away. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one with problems. It will go away after Christmas, though. Although I do wish that it was this busy all year, and then I could justify a computerized mat cutter.
 
As I was cutting today.....the old drag began and suddenly I remembered no matter how clean if the blade depth is tooooo deep it is a drag! Just barely cutting into the slip will make a big difference.

The spinning is going on here also.
 
Ahhh, Scarfinger, so I did interpret your tense correctly and just went brain-dead forgetting about your 6100 reference. Forgive me for high-density, short-term memory loss.

That does make sense and I can see where one of the computerized systems is an awesome addition. I hope we can justify one in the future and pick the timing properly so we don't have to come from behind the power curve in this particular market. Just getting started and upgrading what equipment we have has been expensive.

By the way, as new framers, my wife and I always appreciate watching what you have to say about an issue, coming from the years of experience you have.

About the only RSS injury I seem to have is numbness in my fingers and thumbs, but I think that's from a ruptured disk in my neck which acts up from time to time, instead of some particular motion. This approaching geezerhood stuff is for the birds.
 
We clean our cutter everyday, keep the slip sheets new, both cutters are new, blades not too deep, etc. At the new shop, the cutting tables are about 3 1/2 feet tall. Ridiculous. I have to stand on a damn stool to cut. I pinched a nerve in my neck Sunday to top it off with. Whine whine whine. Pour me a BIG glass o' wine! I need it! Have a great holiday! I'm outta here for a few days!
 
I once was an Industrial Engineer. A good rule for work bench height is the distance from your elbow (Standing with arm at your side) to the floor less 4 inches. A mat cutter table should be lower of course. Mine is 32.5 Inches to the suface of the mat cutter. The rest of the table is flush with the mat cutter surface and the squaring arm is in a slot routed into the table.

Another thought on the sore hand thing - have you ever watched Brian Wolf CPF at a trade show or seminar? He is a left hander using a right handed mat cutter. He pushes the cutter head instead of pulling. He does it so smoothly I wanted a left handed mat cutter so I could push with my right hand. There's so many ways to look at things.
Scarfinger
 
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