At least when it comes to computer stuff, ergonomics is simple. Not
easy, but simple.
Back straight. Monitors at eye level (so no looking down at a laptop
all the time). Forearms parallel with the floor, wrists straight,
shoulders back. And don't strain your pinky fingers reaching for
modifier keys.
Whatever solution helps you with that is the right one.
On 04/22/2016 11:59 PM, Andrew C. wrote:
Eric,
Cool. Will follow the rabbit holes you've presented when I have more time.
Here's one for you: http://danspitz.com/spitz-bench/
Watchmakers are very highly involved with ergonomic stuff, but I don't know about a lot of it. Some out there do.
That is Dan Spitz of Anthrax, legendary thrash metal band. He is now a watchmaker, and he makes that awesome
serious looking watchmaker's bench. I wanted to make something like it, and laser cut the drawers underneath myself...
maybe using the 50" CNC ballscrew I have here to make it height adjustable.
A lot of specific watchwork is done sitting with, ideally, eyes level with work- requiring height adjustable chairs, or on
higher end workbenches- manual gear or electric motor assisted telescoping legs, raising the bench to specific heights.
There's just no way around it with what we do. Watchmakers need ideally very thick heavy bench tops that height adjust,
to take hammer blows from punches and stakes solid without deflection or marring, but adjustability for component
manipulation. They usually have adjustable 3 axis armrests too, really helps with tweezer arm fatigue.
I don't have 3000$+ for a proper bench. I can build one- but I have no idea how to realistically make a 3" thick butcher
block top that stays together. I'm not a woodworker, not sure of the gluing involved etc.
Chairs would be easiest to get into I guess...
-Andrew
On Fri, Apr 22, 2016 at 6:05 PM, j. eric townsend <jet@xxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:jet@xxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Ha. Amusing to see email about building furniture while I'm face
down in Anarchist's Tool Chest and woodworking books. You know,
those paper things...
In the mid-90s I had RSI so bad I couldn't type for a year. I
spent a lot of that time reading on ergonomics and have
self-educated in a number of workspace-related areas since. I also
used every ergo keyboard I could find in the bay area, switched to
the Kinesis, and never looked back.
On 4/22/16 16:30, Andrew C. wrote:
Seconded Steve, watchwork is many, many hours hunched in a chair,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
No furniture design will fix this, at best it might add an hour to
"many". Frequent breaks, stretching, light exercise, and changes
of tools/keyboards/chairs/tables/etc are all needed for us to stay
healthy. My viola instructor knows she has to stop practicing at
some point or she's going to injure her body, so it's not just
engineering that needs rest and breaks.
So chairs. That's the first problem, sitting for work when we
evolved to work while standing, kneeling, or being in other
no-chairs-yet positions. If I have to sit I move every ~30
minutes, change chairs, change the height of my desk, etc. At
Apple I switched to standing while I worked, the first week was a
workout of ignored back muscles but standing soon became more
comfortable than sitting/slouching.
A review of a book to read on chairs and why we sit:
http://www.allartburns.org/2006/01/26/review-the-chair-rethinking-culture-body-and-design-galen-cranz/
My thoughts on the Hag Capisco, I've had one in my office for ~10
years and still love it to death. Lots and lots of comments in
the past ten years.
http://www.allartburns.org/2006/10/07/a-year-with-a-hag-capisco/
But if you want to build furniture, something I enjoy doing, there
are some great designs to work from. I would start with Papanek
and Hennessey's "Nomadic Furniture" and Hennessey's "Nomadic
Furniture 2".
My review (with a surprise comment!):
http://www.allartburns.org/2007/10/25/review-nomadic-furniture/
A review with photos:
<http://www.youareelectric.com/victor-papanek-participatory-design-and-nomadic-furniture/>
-- J. Eric Townsend
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