Wheelchair bound woodworkers, attention!

I start this off with an experience I had yesterday, 1/20/11 with a very helpful lady at Grizzly. She is interested in tools modified from the factory for those of us in wheelchairs. She is getting information together for me to see if it is plausible to lower one of the 1023 series cabinet saws to my height needs. I will keep everyone informed on how this goes.

Nice one Rand,

thanks for sharing

jamie

-- Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though 'twere his own. --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Does the article focus on the physical mods of equipment? I teach students with neurological differences, and while I don’t often have to modify the machines themselves, the process is often broken down and changed to something different – big example: limited power tool use by students, large focus on hand tools.
-WW

-- make it safe & keep the rubber side down.

Thank you Jamie.I thought it was a plus for Woodcraft Magazine too.

WW,
Let me quote Jim Harrold from his editorial…”If you know a handicapped woodworker who has a modified shop, an altered workbench, or a customized storage for wheelchair woodworking, I’d love to see photos of it. I’m interested in knowing how the tools or the workspace itself was altered to accommodate special needs. If I get enough ideas, I’ll run an article on wheelchair woodworking and hopefully bring more folks into the fold. And to sweeten the pot, I’ll give a $50 Woodcraft gift certificate to the person with the best idea.”

WW, I just had an after thought. As I see it disabled is disabled. So, there are probably more people with neurological problems than mobile problems requiring the use of a wheelchair. I think that ever thing you can bring to the table would be fantastic. I have found a lot of professional people out there in internet land that can offer very good advice to help us out with this issue.And the squeaky wheel gets the grease. So when you have a question, or a problem about helping a disadvantaged person become a wood turner, wood carver, or what ever, toss it in the ring and lets see where we go from there.

great Rand ….. now you wont get the 50..LOL

thank´s for sharing

Dennis

General in Canada makes several modified tools for wheel chair woodworkers.

Pop

-- One who works with his hands is a laborer, his hands & head A craftsman, his hands, head & heart a artist

Hey Dennis! To be honest, $50 won’t make me nor break me. lol I just hope it is a Lumberjock that gets it.

Pop, yes they do. But have you priced that line against their regular line? $300 and up, over their regular prices, depending on the machine.

only teased you :-)
and you are right it wuold be a good thing if a L J got it
but most importen that there hopefully will be a good article
people can learn from and share the knowledge with others
and people realise just becourse you use wheel you ain´t surposed to just sit
in a corner and do nothing , with a little help every thing is possiple

Dennis

Hi Rand
My hat goes off to the wheelchair woodworkers. You are a true inspiration to us all.

God Bless
tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

Hey Tom, You and your red shop are my inspiration! Man I love what you have done with your shop.lol I don’t know why but I just love red. lol
Thanks Tom. The wheelchair woodworker that is a real inspiration is Jamie Speirs. That 7 foot by 4 foot oak door and him in his chair making it happen. Now that is really something in my book. And I’m sure there are others out there lurking about.