Fly Tying Ergonomics

[JimBob]

I have been doing a bit more tying than usual lately, and have been experiencing lower back pain after 30 minutes or so. I realized that my vise head is a bit lower than my head when tying, and I may be hunching over a bit too much. I also might be sitting back a bit too far, and perhaps leaning in to get closer (my vision ain't what it once was). The height of my desk (and vise) is fixed, so I guess I may need to get a lower chair, or cut off the legs a bit, but I do not particularly like one on wheels either. For you tyers who spend quite a bit of time tying, should the vise be at approximately the same height as my head, or is it simply a personal preference? I've never really thought about this stuff before, and I hope it's not too silly a question. Thanks, in advance.

[flybugpa]

I have a peak vise base , the 3 inch peak brass extension,attached to a standard regal vice and cut 2 inches off the legs of my chair. i also have a cushion for my lover back. this set up does not give me nearly as much of a "pain" as it does tying hunched over all day. As mentioned below, it is brought up in A.K.'s book on how to set up your station for a good working position if you are going to be doing this for more tying than cranking out 1 or 2 flies. I also have 2 lights, a Mckenzie attached to the stem and an Ott lamp overhanging the whole blessed operation.

[Uncle Jesse]

You migh want to try a chair with a pneumatic column base that allows you to adjust the height easily. Office Depot or similar stores have them or you can find them on Craigslist pretty inexpensively. How is the light at your desk? And is your eye glass prescrption current? I think you want the vise several inches below eye level. Try a back cushion in your chair also, that helps me.

[Fishin' Jimmy]

AK Best in his book "Production Fly Tying" suggests a quite lower position. I have found this to work well.
Put your arms at your side let them hang, Leave elbows at side and raise forearms to be paralell to the floor as a point to start to find your own personnel
comfort zone. This my be bellow table height. By using a extension made by either Dyna King or Renzetti you can estsblish an adjustable point to put your vise stem into so you can adjust your vise to your liking. This has an added benefit
you can attach a waste troll to the bottom of the vise stem. Fishin' Jimmy

[AlanB]

It amazes me that this is never covered in basic fly tying instruction books.

Jim, it sounds as if you have two problems, vice height, and eyesight.

The vice height is easy to get right. (I know you said it is fixed but I mean the height of your vice in relation to your body, which you are talking about changing.) Place your fist under your chin with your elbow pointing down. Your vice head should be level with the point of your elbow. That lets you tie in a relaxed position.

However, at this distance you will not be able to see your fly clearly. From what you say I presume that you use reading glasses. The problem with reading glasses is that the focus is different to the focus needed to tie flies. The solution is to find an optician that does 2 for one on glasses. Get someone to measure from the bridge of your nose to your vice jaws. When you get new reading glasses get the second pair with the focal point set at the measured tying distance. Tying distance can be 50% different to reading distance. With distance glasses this doesn't matter, The shorter focal length of readers it makes a big difference. You may also find a little magnification helps in these glasses. It is simply a matter of the optical center of the lenses being placed in a slightly different position before the lenses are ground to shape. Easy to do when the glasses are made, almost impossible to change later.


I abuse the 2 for 1 offers every time. A pair of readers, a pair of tying glasses, a pair of distance glasses and a pair of Polaroid coated distance glasses.

Hope that helps.
Cheers,
C.

[Buddy Sanders]

I agree that your vise is probably too high, rather than too low. Alan's method with the fist/elbow was how I was taught to set up a workstation.

I have my tying bench at home at 'workbench' height, so I use higher chairs made for that use. These are adjustable, so I can set the height to where it needs to be. They do have wheels, as well as an adjustable foot rest. Too bad you don't like rolling chairs, I've never tied with anything else.....

Buddy

[jszymczyk]

It amazes me that this is never covered in basic fly tying instruction books.

The vice height is easy to get right. (I know you said it is fixed but I mean the height of your vice in relation to your body, which you are talking about changing.) Place your fist under your chin with your elbow pointing down. Your vice head should be level with the point of your elbow.
C.

That seems extremely low to me, just a couple inches above my waist when seated, is that what you're describing?

I just get up and move around every once in a while. If I had to sit stationary and tie until my (already ruined) back hurt, it wouldn't be enjoyable at all, right?

[pittendrigh]

For years I've imagined (but not acted upon) an idea to build a rolling office chair ............... so you could sit in front of a computer (I'm a programmer) or a fly tying vise for days at a time without any weight on your lower back. I just retired and I do have a 24'x30' shop in my back yard. I need to work that invention into my act now. When my back goes out I'm willing to consider anything. Including murder. But damn it there is no one to blame. So murder wouldn't help. Maybe a dangle chair would.

I thought better of this post. But I didn't see how to delete it. So I erased the punchline sentence. I'd delete it if I could.

[AlanB]

Yes it is that low. The usual way to achieve this is to use a clamp with an extension, the extension should go down from the clamp not, up as I see most often. This is my old set up but it shows what I mean.

Cheers,
A.

[TyroneFly]

Here's a product that may do the trick. It's called Body-Rite. It goes for about $50. It's from the Mag Eyes folks. I have no affiliation with them other than I use their HatEyes and have been extremely pleased with them.

http://www.mageyes.com/bodyrite.htm