What kind of chairs do some of you use and why?
brenda
What kind of chairs do some of you use and why?
I use adjustable office chairs with wheels. I usually buy them
second hand.
I sit in my greatgrandfathers desk chair. Wood with a high back.
John
Rasmussen Gems & Jewelry LLC
What kind of chairs do some of you use and why?
I used to use an ordinary office desk chair, but I developed
sciatica and could no longer be comfortable on it, so I tried one of
those “ergonomic” chiars. These have a pad you sit on that is angled
downward and a knee rest. It curves your spine and takes a lot of
weight off your tailbone. Helps quite a bit. None of the local
retailers carried one, so I found one online at WalMart. They have a
dozen or so models, I got two, one for $69 which I use at home and
one for $89 I use at the bench. Shipping was free so these were a
great deal. The drawback is that it’s awkward to use a foot pedal for
my flex shaft because I have to take one leg off the knee rest to
operate it. I’ll have to get by this way because I’m convinced the
old chair was going to have me walking with a cane. Sciatica is,
literally, a pain in the a** (which runs down your leg to your calf)
due to a pinched nerve. By the way guys (gals?), if you carry your
wallet in your back pocket and sit on it, you are inviting this
condition.
David L. Huffman
I use a swivelling office chair. It supports my back well which
should be traight when you are sitting at the bench, the swivel
allows me to get up easily which gets more difficult as you grow
older. The bench should be 36 - 40inches high to assist sitting
straight.
Herman Miller Aeron chair. Very adjustable, durable, and
comfortable.
What kind of chairs do some of you use and why?
A chair that does not roll and is the right height… CIA
In my very tiny studio I use a masseuse’s stool that has a hydraulic
height adjustment from short to tall. The seat has no arms, is round,
well padded, has 5 wheels for stability and a ring to rest my foot on.
This allows me the flexibility to adjust the height for whatever task
I’m doing. I like to alternate between standing and sitting so one of
the things I really like about this stool is that its small size
allows me to roll it under my bench so its out of the way when I’m
standing and it also stores nicely at the end of the day. I used to
have an office chair with arms but it wasn’t tall enough and the arms
got in the way in my tiny space.
Don’t kid yourself!!! You are going to be spending hours a day
sitting in this chair. After 35 years at the bench my advice is buy a
good chair and replace it every 3-5 years. I usually get mine at one
of the wholesale clubs like sams or costco or an office supply. They
cost about $85-$125 with height adjustment, shock absorber, seat
tilt, and back angle adjustment, adjustable arms, and lots of cushion
for my butt. They must have all of these adjustments or they are not
for me. When they get older I use them at my office at home where I
don’t spend as much time.Do not use the chair that someone else has
discarded, I can’t tell you how many jewelers I know complain about
there back problems, just take one look at their old worn out, torn
up, patched and dilapidated chair and you know why they have these
problems. I’m 63 years old and I still can spend 6-8 hours a day at
the bench (I don’t do 10 to 14 any more). It is tiring and I end the
day stiff and sore but is nothing permanent, just muscle fatigue. A
good chair is just as important a piece of equipment as any of the
other tools in your shop. Maybe more so. Good posture is a positive
thing and it never hurts (no pun intended) to have someone survey you
at the bench and correct your posture as you work. Feet flat on the
floor, back straight, elbows supported, etc. They survey employees at
large corporations who spend the day in a chair, the bench is no
different. Take care of your health, and your chair.
Frank Goss
I did a lot of research on different bench chairs. I have a back &
nerve disorder, so sitting in the right position is key to longevity
at the bench each day. I knew I needed a bench that was not only well
padded, but that also kept me anatomically correct.
I ended up getting the Capisco Saddle Chair. And this thing is
AMAZING! (They are each made to order, so they are expensive, and
they take a while to come in once you order them.) The Xray
department at our local hospital is also now using these chairs in
their exam rooms where their employees sit with & lean over patients
for long periods to do an ultrasounds and such.
This chair is completely supportive, forces me to sit properly,
which eliminates back strain, and I am able to sit at my bench and
work for very long hours now without paying for it later. It comes in
two different heights, so it is very versatile to use either at my
workbench, or at the “bar” that is now my glass & bead station. It is
also made so you can turn it around to thread your legs through the
back so you can lean forward on it and be fully supported and almost
sit with an “elbows on the table” position to rest your arms, which
has helped me too.
I cannot say enough good things about this chair! It’s kind of funny
looking, and when I have a visitor in my studio they always comment
on how weird it looks, but then they sit in it and are totally amazed
at how comfortable it is.
I got the one that goes extra high, as I can then use it at tall
work benches, but it also comes in regular height to be used at a
desk. It is completely customizable, has an adjustable ring around
the bottom and is very versatile. I would recommend this chair to
everyone
Best,
Teresa
I love my Steelcase Leap chair. Similar to Herman Miller Aeron: very
adjustable, durable and comfortable. And expensive. I bought mine at
a used office equipment store. Retails at $800, purchased for $200.
Worth every penny.
For me it was where your butt sat, a regular chair bothered me, I
got a memory foam cushion from Relax The Back store and my leg pains
went away.
David Geller
I never spend more than $100 for a standard adjustable office chair.
I do know a goldsmith who has one of the $400 bench jeweler chairs
that Stuller sells…it’s pretty sweet.
Mark
David,
The drawback is that it's awkward to use a foot pedal for my flex shaft because I have to take one leg off the knee rest to operate it. I'll have to get by this way because I'm convinced the old chair was going to have me walking with a cane.
I have flex-shafts, but the majority of my work is done with a
Marathon N-7 micro motor. The majority of the work I do is done using
the knob to set the speed for burring or with silicone wheels, I can
switch to silicone polishing wheels or mizzy wheels and this units
works quite well at a constant speed. I switch to the variable foot
control for drilling or stone setting.
Very quiet, low vibration compared to any flex shaft. I have been
using the same for about 6 years. About the only time I use a flex
shaft is to use the #30 handpiece with small drill bits.
Richard Hart G.G.
Denver, Co.
The drawback is that it's awkward to use a foot pedal for my flex shaft because I have to take one leg off the knee rest to operate it.
I have my foot pedal attached to the inside of my bench so I operate
it with my knee.
After 35 years at the bench my advice is buy a good chair and replace it every 3-5 years.
Totally agree after 50yrs at the bench!
Hamish
I have flex-shafts, but the majority of my work is done with a Marathon N-7 micro motor.
Those micro motors are great tools, can perhaps be a luxury item as
some run close to $1000, but a great smooth running tool.
Mark
Herman Miller Aeron chair. Very adjustable, durable, and comfortable.
+1 on this chair, I have had one for over a decade. It is one of the
best chairs on the planet.
P@
I have flex-shafts, but the majority of my work is done with a
Marathon N-7 micro motor.
Those micro motors are great tools, can perhaps be a luxury item as some run close to $1000, but a great smooth running tool.
Otto Frei, and perhaps other vendors by now, also offer cheaper
versions. I got one last spring from Otto Frei, a Korean made import,
for something like $180. It’s not the equal of the much more costly
brands, but it runs well, runs at the high speeds these units are
known for, and does what I ask of it. In quality, I’d say it is
virtually the same as the Fordom micromotor I bought some ten years
ago, which is also still serving me well. But that one cost me more
like 400, and it was on sale at the time (I bought it from Swest when
they were going out of business here in Seattle, so the sales prices
were much lower than a sale normally would have been. But I don’t
recall the original list price of that Fordom. I’m guessing twice
what I paid…) That makes these new imports a bargain indeed, if it
ends up lasting well and not burning out or something…
Peter
What kind of chairs do some of you use and why?
One of the most more costly tools in my studio is my chair. I have
Fibromyalgia combined with Sciatica. As David said, it’s a PITA. I
bought myself a 3-way ergonomic office chair which let’s me adjust it
so I have proper back support and spinal alignment when working. I
tried the kneeling chairs but my knees started hurting so that wasn’t
a solution.
The first chair I bought I got from Office Depot for about $99,
after 10 years when that one wore down, I got another for $149. This
time, I went to an office supply house that sold new and used
furniture and bought myself a $500 chair for about $250. Worth every
penny.
Don’t cheap out on your back. Get the best you can afford and make
it ergonomic. Whether it’s the kind you kneel on or a 3 or 5 way
ergonomic chair, your back will thank you.
Michele