[TheForge] handicapped blacksmiths.

[Grover Richardson]

I like the idea.  However, sit in a kid's swing on a playground.  Have
someone hold a pillow in front of them.  Swing a baseball bat at the pillow.
Equal and opposite reaction will cause almost uncontrolled swinging.

Still, good idea.  If they were moving metal into a small power hammer then
there would be little back reaction to movement.  And so long as the
individual was not in the harness excessively long, he/she could accomplish
some good work I think.  Still, the problems of pressure points and not
feeling numbness remain, but vigilance is required.

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of LrdThorolf at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 12:48 PM
To: theforge at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [TheForge] handicapped blacksmiths.


I  just thought of something too. Has everyone seen  Mel Gibson's  "Road 
Warrior" series movies? Remember the guy in the harness attached to   the
swing 
arm  to  get him around. Why not something like that?   Make a chair for him
to  
set in and have a swing arm to move him towards  the anvil. Set him high 
enough to use the same anvils as everyone else. Use  small electric motors
to move 
around with a joy stick  for movement. Have  some type of harness to hold
him 
in the chair and have it pivot so  that his legs are partly under him. A
five 
point safety harness like the race  car drivers wear but with a padded cover

to  protect  the pressure  points of the belts. It would still  give him the

reach to pound on an  anvil and also  be able to move to  place steel  back
in 
forge  and not have it right next to him. A simple hydraulic or electric 
cylinder would  do that. Something that by shifting his body weight would
cause the 
seat to  pivot to the angle he would need. 
 
Later 
 
 
Ike
Pan's  Forge

But I love the heat. Just want it from the Forge. 4 seasons for me  now.

If a cat has thumbs then could it hold a hammer? 
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