Casting fatigue in shoulder.

[wallenba]

During long casting sessions, my right arm and shoulder get tired from being outstretched and lifting up on the pour handle. I could go longer if there was a way to do it while resting my forearm on the bench while sitting. I have arthritis in my shoulders, elbows and hands, so it gets bad.
Has anyone rigged up a way to activate the handle with a linkage or cable. If so I'd like to see it or hear about it. Thanks.

[ReloaderFred]

That was the main reason I decided to buy the Magma Master Caster. As I get older, (68 next month) the aching and outright pain in my arms and shoulders was limiting the amount of time I could spend at the casting pot.

With the Master Caster, I can now spend up to 8 hours casting and not feel like I've tangled with a wild boar. I've even cast for 8 hours, then spent another couple of hours sizing and lubing bullets. I could never do that prior to getting the Master Caster, even when I was much younger.

The Master Caster isn't cheap, and it really isn't any faster than using multiple 6 cavity molds with a standard bottom pour pot, but it sure does make it easier and more fun to cast bullets. I bided my time and waited until I found a good deal on a Master Caster that was in good shape. I finally found one on this forum and bought it. Prior to that, my shooting partner and I had been sharing his Master Caster, so I knew what I was buying before I took the plunge. Now I wish I had bought one years ago.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[dromia]

I have similar issues with my shoulders and hands, a high stool has helped to lower the height I need to lift my arms in relation to the pot and bench.

Ultimately now I just cast in one hour max sessions.

[Wal']

[smilie=l: Ain't old age a bitch. :cbpour:

[dromia]

Certainly isn't for sissies.

[gundownunder]

Ain't old age a bitch.
It 'aint just old age, it's more to do with ergonomics.

My first casting bench was a plank of wood set up on a stack of bricks, and that was a killer on my back, neck, and every other part of my body.
I recently welded myself up a new casting bench with the pot and burner recessed into the bench and everything on the same level at just under elbow height as I sit at the bench. I sit with my legs under the bench so that I don't need to stretch, and everything is within easy reach.
For safety, because I sit so close and have my legs under the bench, I now always wear a leather welders apron and sit on an office chair with casters so I can push away fast if I have a spillage or other mishap.
I can now cast for hours and nothing is sore but my arthritic old fingers and wrists, and I'm thinking about solutions for that too.

[Wal']

It 'aint just old age, it's more to do with ergonomics.

My first casting bench was a plank of wood set up on a stack of bricks, and that was a killer on my back, neck, and every other part of my body.
I recently welded myself up a new casting bench with the pot and burner recessed into the bench and everything on the same level at just under elbow height as I sit at the bench. I sit with my legs under the bench so that I don't need to stretch, and everything is within easy reach.
For safety, because I sit so close and have my legs under the bench, I now always wear a leather welders apron and sit on an office chair with casters so I can push away fast if I have a spillage or other mishap.
I can now cast for hours and nothing is sore but my arthritic old fingers and wrists, and I'm thinking about solutions for that too.



Yeah, but I'm at the age where everything hurts when moved. :drinks: :castmine:

[OneSkinnyMass]

can you link a picture of your current setup? I'm no master in ergonomics or a mechanical engineer but surely someone here can come up with something to help ya out.

Skinny

[David2011]

Wallenba,

No, I haven't done it yet but thanks for planting the idea! My shoulder starts to ache after a while, too. The first thing that comes to mind is to spring load the pot's handle to force it closed. After that, opening it should be easy. That could save a lot of wasted motion. The hand that formerly operated the valve could now hold the mallet, if you use one, without having to put it down between pours.

An outboard motor/ motorcycle throttle cable or a bicycle brake cable could be adapted to operate the handle. Outboard motor control cables can push or pull with a fair amount of force. The other cables would probably be pull only. The lever could also be lifted with a straight pushrod connected to a foot pedal. Clevises, lawn more tie rod ends, carburetor rod ends or Heim type rod ends would make the connections smooth and low friction. Hydraulics and pneumatics might be worth exploring if there was an inexpensive source of surplus parts. That would eliminate a cable or rgid rod between the foot pedal and pot. Small sailboat blocks and low stretch line could work, too.

I can't wait to try this!

David

[Moonman]

+1 for the MASTER CASTER assisting with the old age aches.

I wonder if we could get MEDICARE to buy them as a Medical Device.

For PAIN MANAGEMENT, oh well, it was just a thought.

[melter68]

Yes as we get older, its a issue.

My perfect answer would be,

A swedish blonde massarging my shoulder, but the wife would not agree to that i think.

Looking forward to the perfect answer, i bet someone has it

[runfiverun]

your arm weighs far more than the handle of the pot.
take a look at how you operate the pot.
if you are using a high/reaching motion it's the weight of your hand/arm not the pot causing the pain.
i built a box to go under my pot's that hold the molds weight.
so filling them is more of a sliding motion rather than holding the molds weight.
i then slide the mold down to a table top to cool and i open it on the way.
i never stretch or reach with my arms.
almost all my casting motions are done from the core with my arms fairly close to my body.
it's cutting out a lot of little motions that add up to a lot of weight bearing savings.

[rmatchell]

Tell you what, if anybody is around st louis I would cast for you in exchange for the learning expirence.
Ill just keep reading posts for now though.

[shotman]

I have that problem drinking beer. Seems to go away after -------

[500MAG]

I'd like to combine Shotman's beer and Melter's Swedish blonde and, what was the subject?

[David2011]

The answers sure got better after my last post!

David

[finishman2000]

mastercaster for the win

[Gussy]

This is going to sound like a sales pitch but the locking mould holder I make really helps reduce hand and arm problems. I have had a ton of letters saying they can cast again using the handle. Squeezing the handles is part of the problem. Actually, this is why I worked on developing them. After a long casting session, my arm and hand would hurt for a day or two.
Gus

[Rick N Bama]

Ultimately now I just cast in one hour max sessions.

I counted the boolits I cast during my last session with a Lee 2C 358-158RF. I tossed the first five casts before I started getting keepers, then I was able to cast 76 boolits before my arms & shoulders gave out. To build a supply of any given boolit I simply cast some every day or so. No more than I get to shoot these days, several hundred will last me a long time.

Also I've found that I can't size & load more than 20 or so in any given session.

Yep, getting old sure ain't for sissies! I'll be 65 in Nov.

Rick

[paul h]

Curious if anyone has considered rigging up a pedal to operate the pour handle? It would be fairly easy to rig up.

[just.don]

Curious if anyone has considered rigging up a pedal to operate the pour handle? It would be fairly easy to rig up.

I have considered a solenoid, with an adjustable "on" time so one could adjust for different molds.

Simple push button operation.

[wymanwinn]

I have considered a solenoid, with an adjustable "on" time so one could adjust for different molds.

Simple push button operation.


or this....works great for my Rugby damaged shoulder...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0Vkfr4l_Qc&feature=plcp

wyman

[paul h]

Any details on the air cylinders and controls? I've got a serious hankering to automate my bullet production as much as possible, that is a slick setup!

[wymanwinn]

Any details on the air cylinders and controls? I've got a serious hankering to automate my bullet production as much as possible, that is a slick setup!

i gave mktacop a list and he improved it on pricing by a bunch....i'll see if i can find it or get him to get you the list...

wyman

[paul h]

I found my way to the info via the star sub forum.

I'd been thinking of automating a star with an electric motor and a crankshaft, but I really like your design and it looks like it wouldn't be too difficult to automate via a plc, if I ever became sufficiently motivated to overcome my disdane for programming.

[shootinfox2]

Search for the thread Air Assisted Star. Wymanwynn had the idea and I used his idea,with permission, to add air cylinders to both the Star and the Master Caster. Works Great with very little effort to cast a lot of bullets.

[shootinfox2]

Sorry wrong thread.

[mold maker]

Next thing we know they'll automate the shooting so all we have to do is collect the target and go home. That's way KOOL.
Having everything set up at the right hight takes lots of the strain out of casting. Using a mold support under the furnace helps. But finding the fountain of youth would be even better.
Us older folks do have our limitations, and we already know them.

[David2011]

This has been a great thread to learn from and start some thinking. I'm building a new loading and casting room due to relocating. I think the casting bench will be sized around, first, a comfortable chair with good support and second, a galvanized garage floor drip tray. They're pretty inexpensive. My existing bench is an old computer desk which is 4"-6" too tall and makes me hold the mold at roughly shirt pocket level. That's tiring enough even without injury or other shoulder problems so the new bench will be lowered to just clear my legs. The desk top is 24x60 which is bigger than necessary for my purposes.

The bench top will be thin- no 2x4 framing under the front, to keep it low and still allow leg clearance. There are other ways to support it but a casting bench doesn't have to be all that big so a 3/4 ply top will do. It just needs to be big enough to hold the furnace, an old coffee can for the tools, a hot plate, a place for sprue cutoffs and a place for the new boolits. A shelf at the back of the bench will reduce the total square footage required and keep everything within reach.

The handle of my furnace will get a spring for positive closure and I'll actuate it with a foot pedal and most likely a pushrod- Keep it Simple! That will leave my right hand free to hold the mold mallet if necessary. Since I starting using Bull Plate Sprue Lube the mallet is far less necessary.

These changes should help production by reducing fatigue and improving the economy of motion. Since I can open the sprue plate with a gloved hand because of the Bull Plate Lube, the sprues can all be dropped into a small baking pan ~6x9" instead of scattering as when opened with a mallet . That will save both space and time by having them in an easily dumped container, right back to the furnace. The boolits can be dropped into another baking pan, perhaps 9"x12" or a cookie sheet. The bench top will still be the garage floor drip tray to which lead will not adhere, making cleanup easy. It's about 25"x47" which is plenty big. I don't water drop so should be in good shape with this setup. If I later decide to water drop, Ill put some water in a bucket and set it close by.

David

[crabo]

I never set my mallet down. I made it from a hickory ax handle, drilled and filled with lead, and then the battering end is wrapped in tape. I operate my pour spout with the end of the mallet. I'm using an RCBS pot. It just takes a slight flip of the wrist to open the valve and pour.