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Old fingers :-(

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  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Old fingers :-(
Posted by Don Stauffer on Sunday, April 10, 2011 10:53 AM

When my eyes need more correction I can buy a new pair of close-up glasses.  Easy to fix vision problems.  But boy, osteo-arthritis sure is a pain, literally, to model with.  Only thing the docs can say is take more pain killers, but of course they also say that doing so will ruin either my liver or my kidneys depending on the type I take :-(

This has been a bad winter, but it is warming up- why aren't my fingers less painful? I think arthritis is the scourge of old modelers!

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Panama City, Florida, Hurricane Alley
Posted by berny13 on Sunday, April 10, 2011 11:03 AM

I feel your pain Don.  I have it in the fingers and shoulders as well as my left knee which was broken when I played football in high school.  In the colder months I live on pain meds but do Ok in the warm months.  That is why I dread fall and winter.

Berny

 Phormer Phantom Phixer

On the bench

TF-102A Delta Dagger, 32nd FIS, 54-1370, 1/48 scale. Monogram Pro Modeler with C&H conversion.  

Revell F-4E Phantom II 33rd TFW, 58th TFS, 69-260, 1/32 scale. 

Tamiya F-4D Phantom II, 13th TFS, 66-8711, 1/32 scale.  F-4 Phantom Group Build. 

 

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • From: Kennewick, WA
Posted by kbuzz01 on Sunday, April 10, 2011 9:52 PM

My 76 yr old fingers and wrists sympathize with your experience.  Angry  I'm originally from S. Dak. and was gonna suggest that you move south, Don, but from Berny's comments, I guess that doesn't work either.  Whistling  Hang in there, guys!

Ken

animation6.gif image by kbuzz_photos
  • Member since
    February 2011
  • From: San Antonio
Posted by MAJ Mike on Sunday, April 10, 2011 10:06 PM

At 61, I'm finding that I lack the fine motor skills to achieve the level of detail that I see in this forum.  So many wonderful PE items to dress up my projects and I can't manage them.

This old age s**t ain't for cowards.  Oh well, even if I never post photos of my BB gun targets, I enjoy the company. ToastYeah

 

 

 "I'd "I'd rather be historically accurate than politically correct."

"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc!"

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Illinois: Hive of Scum and Villany
Posted by Sprue-ce Goose on Sunday, April 10, 2011 10:42 PM

Sorry to hear of your arthritis.

I'm starting to feel it as well.

As the saying goes:  "youth is wasted on the young".

I presume old age is the reason big scale models are becoming more popular.

My eyes and hands certainly prefer working with bigger kit parts.

 

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Illinois: Hive of Scum and Villany
Posted by Sprue-ce Goose on Sunday, April 10, 2011 11:03 PM

MAJ Mike

 I enjoy the company. ToastYeah

you're a fast learner....Propeller

  • Member since
    February 2011
  • From: San Antonio
Posted by MAJ Mike on Sunday, April 10, 2011 11:10 PM

Sprue-ce Goose

 MAJ Mike:

 I enjoy the company. ToastYeah

 

you're a fast learner....Propeller

If I was a fast learner, I'd have made Lieutenant Colonel before retiring my green suit. Embarrassed

Nevertheless, this is better than Facebook. Big SmileYeah

 

 

 "I'd "I'd rather be historically accurate than politically correct."

"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc!"

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Illinois: Hive of Scum and Villany
Posted by Sprue-ce Goose on Monday, April 11, 2011 7:36 AM

MAJ Mike
 Sprue-ce Goose:
 MAJ Mike:

 I enjoy the company. ToastYeah

you're a fast learner....Propeller

If I was a fast learner, I'd have made Lieutenant Colonel before retiring my green suit. Embarrassed

Nevertheless, this is better than Facebook. Big SmileYeah

No Manny in Facebook?

 

  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Hancock, Me USA
Posted by p38jl on Monday, April 11, 2011 7:59 AM

what is supposed to go first?? hearing ? eyes? ..i'm 46,, and my eyes are needing extra help.. I'm other ailments are around the bend...

Hang tough guys !

[Photobucket]

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Illinois: Hive of Scum and Villany
Posted by Sprue-ce Goose on Monday, April 11, 2011 8:11 AM

p38jl

what is supposed to go first?? hearing ? eyes? ..i'm 46,, and my eyes are needing extra help.. I'm other ailments are around the bend...

Hang tough guys !

seems to depend on the person.

I know someone younger than me by one year who has many more ailments than I have and someone older by 15 years who has fewer ailments than people 20 years her junior.

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Neenah, WI
Posted by HawkeyeHobbies on Monday, April 11, 2011 8:26 AM

Increase your intake of fish oils, capsules without nasty taste are available and they do a lot more than relieve the stiffness in your joints. Medications aren't necessarily the best course of action as it often times has worse side effects. We're learning more and more that nature has the right stuff to make our bodies function properly. The big pharma know this, but would rather get you to buy stuff that yields them greater profits.

Gerald "Hawkeye" Voigt

http://hawkeyes-squawkbox.com/

 

 

"Its not the workbench that makes the model, it is the modeler at the workbench."

  • Member since
    April 2015
Posted by spadx111 on Monday, April 11, 2011 8:27 AM

i for one understand more than a few days that i have been in pain .but building makes me happy so i keep going .

Ron

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Democratic Peoples Republic of Illinois
Posted by Hercmech on Monday, April 11, 2011 8:40 AM

Funny that now I have a little time to do some modeling...no more deployments, or long TDY's now you're telling me my body is not gonna copoperate? Man that sucks.


13151015

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Monday, April 11, 2011 9:14 AM

Sprue-ce Goose

Sorry to hear of your arthritis.

I'm starting to feel it as well.

As the saying goes:  "youth is wasted on the young".

I presume old age is the reason big scale models are becoming more popular.

My eyes and hands certainly prefer working with bigger kit parts.

 

I thought the same thing several years ago, so did a bunch of large scale models.  Trouble is, what do you do when you finish them?  They rapidly filled all the available display room, and then some!

I have had to go back to small scale. I am even thinking of doing 1:72 WW1 stuff.  I have heard the old phrase "Use it or lose it," and thinking maybe that justifies trying some really small stuff.  A friend is trying to get me to do 1:43 cars.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Illinois: Hive of Scum and Villany
Posted by Sprue-ce Goose on Monday, April 11, 2011 9:33 AM

Don Stauffer

 

 Sprue-ce Goose:

 

Sorry to hear of your arthritis.

I'm starting to feel it as well.

As the saying goes:  "youth is wasted on the young".

I presume old age is the reason big scale models are becoming more popular.

My eyes and hands certainly prefer working with bigger kit parts.

 

 

 

I thought the same thing several years ago, so did a bunch of large scale models.  Trouble is, what do you do when you finish them?  They rapidly filled all the available display room, and then some!

I have had to go back to small scale. I am even thinking of doing 1:72 WW1 stuff.  I have heard the old phrase "Use it or lose it," and thinking maybe that justifies trying some really small stuff.  A friend is trying to get me to do 1:43 cars.

scale cars do have an advantage over scale aircraft in having a predictable storage footpad

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Monday, April 11, 2011 4:18 PM

Other than the problems listed above, the first thing that went was ........................uh........................ uh.................Bang Head can't seem to remember.  Do know it made it harder to get some work done on a model.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    June 2005
  • From: Massachusetts
Posted by minimortar on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 7:36 AM

Sorry to hear of your pain Don. At 58, I am stiffening up as well with one knuckle in each hand making it difficult to say the least. I'm blaming it on all the snow shoveling of last winter but thought that it would cure itself as I began to thaw out. It didn't, it is not. Left hand is really bad and this morning it took awhile to straighten out that one finger. I am off to the ortho doc next week, probably for a Cortisone shot (hopefully one for both fingers) for temp relief and we'll take it from there. Heavy doses (2x 800mg) of isopropyl capsules in the meantime that ain't doing squat.

My scale modeling has just about come to a standstill for other reasons but sore hands sure ain't helping any.

I do fish oil capsules (for my heart as I am a cardiac patient) and generally feel great otherwise... running up to 12 miles a week.

Modern pharmacuticals... Indifferent

Thanks,
Kevin Keefe

Mortars in Miniature
A Scale Model (Plus!) Collection of the Infantryman's Artillery

  • Member since
    June 2011
  • From: Prairie Grove, AR
Posted by ark-slim on Thursday, June 23, 2011 12:24 PM

Know how you feel, but if you're like me you don't think about quitting. I agree  with Hawkeye, take lots of fish oil and go easy on the pain killers. I use Sundown fish oil because it's not stinky. I quit taking two scrips for pain last year because I couldn't do ANYthing but drool and I am amazed at how much better I am! By the way, fish oil can make "other things" work better, ahem...sometimes things getting harder is not a bad situation at all.

Slim 

On the "workbench": Tamiya MB and figures in 1:35

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Canada
Posted by HisNHer Tanks on Friday, June 24, 2011 6:13 AM

Doc tells me 'your eyes are in great shape, they're just older now'.

Thanks insert unenthused sigh.

And everything else is managing to stop working like it used to as well. Yippee friggin hurrah.

My barrier, just can't sit too long. Work for a bit walk around aimlessly work for a bit. That and the back isn't as into making models as it used to be.

Wish only wisdom came with age eh.

Tamiya 1/48th scale armour fan

  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Washington, DC
Posted by TomZ2 on Saturday, June 25, 2011 12:46 AM

Suggestion: The traditional 3-sided pencil grip. All my hobby knives (for some reason FSM doesn’t like it if I specify a brand name) and all my paint brushes have ¼-to-½-inch segments forced onto them. If you have any trouble locating 3-sided pencil grips (and they have gotten harder to find in stationary stores) hit up a teachers’ supply store.

Occasional factual, grammatical, or spelling variations are inherent to this thesis and should not be considered as defects, as they enhance the individuality and character of this document.

  • Member since
    June 2008
  • From: Iowa
Posted by Hans von Hammer on Tuesday, June 28, 2011 2:48 PM

Only thing the docs can say is take more pain killers, but of course they also say that doing so will ruin either my liver or my kidneys depending on the type I take

The acetaminophin (Tylenol) in Vicodin is their main worry with the liver.... Docs don't want you to have more than 4000 mg a day for short-term, and they prefer you stay around 3000 for long-term... Trouble is, the biggest dose of Vicodin comes in 10/500 mg tabs or caplets, and so you're screwed... 

So ask your doc for Norco 5/325 caplets..  It's the same as Vicodin on the narcotic side, just contains a smaller dose of acetaminophen.  I'm currently taking 6 Norco per day (10/325 though) with 500mg Ibuprofin, 4 per day (also get 5 mg Oxycontin for "Break-through" pain), but then, I'm dealing with a deteriorating hip that needs to be replaced (around October for this one), plus a replaced one that still bothers me, since it's only been 3 1/2 months since I had the surgery (But I can WALK now! I was in a wheelchair for three years until April).... If you're sensitive to ibuprofin, then you might wanna get some Prilosec to take with it..  I need both daily, but you can take it "as needed"... 

I tried to go "over-the-counter" with the pain, but it's no use... Have to take the narcotics... 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 9:18 AM

I have been using X-acto knifes that have a plastic coating on the outside, that make it easier to grip, though they are still round.  Latest version has drawbar for tightening blade- much easier to tighten for arthritic fingers than old chuck style.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Southern New Jersey
Posted by troublemaker66 on Friday, July 1, 2011 11:44 AM

p38jl

what is supposed to go first?? hearing ? eyes? ..i'm 46,, and my eyes are needing extra help.. I'm other ailments are around the bend...

Hang tough guys !

Ha! Definately the eyes...I`m 45  and just ordered my "arm extenders" from Squadron...my biggest trouble lately is my fingers get "pins and needles" when holding small parts for an extended period of time..I`m guessing that`s the start of arthritis?

Len Pytlewski

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by jbrady on Monday, July 4, 2011 7:38 PM

Don: The arthritis hurts but, for me, the worst thing I deal with is carpal tunnel syndrome. Nothing worse than losing all feeling in the fingers your trying to work with. You might think this is nuts but when the arthritis gets bad I pick up a guitar and do some scales. Start out slow and build the speed. For me a half hour and I've got enough mobility back to work again. As for pain killers don't use them. Half a joint and some scotch and I'm good to go.

   

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