Whilst I can fully understand and do experience the satisfaction of scratchbuilding a model,I have to know my physical limitations.The fact I have these conditions causes me a great deal of resentment towards my previous employer.
I worked there for a total of 21years.We specialised in building bridges out of steel.We could be expected to spend the majority of an 11.5 hour shift using 9inch angle grinders.Myself and my Supervisor flagged it up to the Production Director that are fingers were numb and tingling after every shift the first year I was there.He refused to accept this was causing us harm saying you don't get vibratory injury from grinders.This was in the first year of me working there.This carried on throughout my service,discomfort when using grinders got worse over time to the point I could only hold a small grinder for 5 minutes max.
At this point I decided to seek medical advice as the discomfort didn't go away after I stopped using the tools.I had nerve conduction tests done and was diagnosed with Carpal tunnel in both wrists and cubicle tunnel both elbows and Hand Arm Vibration syndrome.The HAVs is permanent damage to the veins in my fingers reducing the blood supply.
The specialist told me I had to give up my job!He said continue as you are and you will loose the use of your hands in 10 years.I needed the money and continued but embarked on a law suit against my employer.The day after my solicitors landed at my employer,I was laid off.I chose to take redundancy after the allotted time period of layoff had expired.
I settled out of court for a reasonably large sum but it took 2 years of wrangling.I also had a separate assessment as to the extent of my conditions.I was deemed as 20% disabled and receive Industrial disability benefit till retirement age.
Obviously I work for a different company now and worked my arse off to be promoted off the shop floor.
I have adapted my modelling techniques around my issues.I cannot hold an Xacto knife,I use a large scalpel exclusively,this seems to work ok.I cannot hold anything for a prolonged period (like carving using a rotary tool).I do have wild flinches and sometimes a sudden loss of grip causing me to drop things.Both of these have at times meant a redo on whatever I was making.I nearly dropped a plate on my Jack Russell when he was a Puppy.It smashed on the floor next to his head and he still has a fear of the sound of rattling plates.
Before diagnoses I was working on SOTs and taught myself to carve following the work of Bill Short and Janos.I cannot risk spending those hours again carving,I tried carving again on the trailboard thinking the last few years off the tools would have helped as I had regained some feeling back in my fingertips.Within two 1 hour sessions the tingly fingers were back and the loss of feeling in my fingers means I cannot feel the depth of cut like I used to be able to.
With modeling,I have admired the work of many of the masters but have never thought I can't do that,I adopted the approach I will learn how to do that,no matter how long it takes.With carving now it is a case a cannot afford to do it due to a fear of causing further irreparable damage.This is a cause of great frustration in myself.
I post on some Facebook groups as well as SOS and some of the lambasting I got from a few experienced modellers simply for choosing to have someone else make something for my model made my blood boil.I wouldn't mind so much if I claimed it was my work,but I even said who had done it.I have a hatred anyway for purist BS and snobbery.I spend a lot of time documenting stages of this build and could easily just spend it doing more building.I will be honest and did think stuff you why do I bother?I do not post pictures for some ego trip,I hope someone may find them helpful like I did earlier on in the hobby.This build got very close to going offline.This is my first scratchbuild and I have learnt very quickly that a few are a bunch of Elitist,opinionated idiots.
Sorry for the rant,I am a Moderator and should be a voice of sensibility but I build models to escape the BS in my dayjob,I don't need it in my hobby.
Kind Regards
Nigel
I worked there for a total of 21years.We specialised in building bridges out of steel.We could be expected to spend the majority of an 11.5 hour shift using 9inch angle grinders.Myself and my Supervisor flagged it up to the Production Director that are fingers were numb and tingling after every shift the first year I was there.He refused to accept this was causing us harm saying you don't get vibratory injury from grinders.This was in the first year of me working there.This carried on throughout my service,discomfort when using grinders got worse over time to the point I could only hold a small grinder for 5 minutes max.
At this point I decided to seek medical advice as the discomfort didn't go away after I stopped using the tools.I had nerve conduction tests done and was diagnosed with Carpal tunnel in both wrists and cubicle tunnel both elbows and Hand Arm Vibration syndrome.The HAVs is permanent damage to the veins in my fingers reducing the blood supply.
The specialist told me I had to give up my job!He said continue as you are and you will loose the use of your hands in 10 years.I needed the money and continued but embarked on a law suit against my employer.The day after my solicitors landed at my employer,I was laid off.I chose to take redundancy after the allotted time period of layoff had expired.
I settled out of court for a reasonably large sum but it took 2 years of wrangling.I also had a separate assessment as to the extent of my conditions.I was deemed as 20% disabled and receive Industrial disability benefit till retirement age.
Obviously I work for a different company now and worked my arse off to be promoted off the shop floor.
I have adapted my modelling techniques around my issues.I cannot hold an Xacto knife,I use a large scalpel exclusively,this seems to work ok.I cannot hold anything for a prolonged period (like carving using a rotary tool).I do have wild flinches and sometimes a sudden loss of grip causing me to drop things.Both of these have at times meant a redo on whatever I was making.I nearly dropped a plate on my Jack Russell when he was a Puppy.It smashed on the floor next to his head and he still has a fear of the sound of rattling plates.
Before diagnoses I was working on SOTs and taught myself to carve following the work of Bill Short and Janos.I cannot risk spending those hours again carving,I tried carving again on the trailboard thinking the last few years off the tools would have helped as I had regained some feeling back in my fingertips.Within two 1 hour sessions the tingly fingers were back and the loss of feeling in my fingers means I cannot feel the depth of cut like I used to be able to.
With modeling,I have admired the work of many of the masters but have never thought I can't do that,I adopted the approach I will learn how to do that,no matter how long it takes.With carving now it is a case a cannot afford to do it due to a fear of causing further irreparable damage.This is a cause of great frustration in myself.
I post on some Facebook groups as well as SOS and some of the lambasting I got from a few experienced modellers simply for choosing to have someone else make something for my model made my blood boil.I wouldn't mind so much if I claimed it was my work,but I even said who had done it.I have a hatred anyway for purist BS and snobbery.I spend a lot of time documenting stages of this build and could easily just spend it doing more building.I will be honest and did think stuff you why do I bother?I do not post pictures for some ego trip,I hope someone may find them helpful like I did earlier on in the hobby.This build got very close to going offline.This is my first scratchbuild and I have learnt very quickly that a few are a bunch of Elitist,opinionated idiots.
Sorry for the rant,I am a Moderator and should be a voice of sensibility but I build models to escape the BS in my dayjob,I don't need it in my hobby.
Kind Regards
Nigel
I arrived at page 24 and gee it knocked my socks off
I cannot carve anymore to any great extent.I attempted the carving on the trailboard and struggled due to the loss of feeling I now suffer.
Pictures show progress up to now with the first segment of the carving gluing in place.I will work my way along a small section at a time gluing the two parts together.The item is just set flush to the outside to make it easier to clamp,it won't be glued to the prow until later,I am simply using the model as my template.
