Vice Height

I read a lot of posts where people talk about tying a dozen or more flies in a sitting, and started wondering why I can't do this.

Previously, I had always concluded that I just don't have the attention span and left it at that. Last night, I tied two flies, and realized that my shoulders and upper back were uncomfortable, and I started thinking about my tying position. My vice is about 5" below my eye level, and 12" away from me.

I enjoy tying, and would like to find a more comfortable position. My vice is as low as I can make it, given the desk, and table heights. With some work, I can lower it further, but it will involve permanent measures such as cutting the vices main shaft, and/or drilling a hole into my tying table.

Has anyone put any thought into this, and if so, what conclusions did you draw? I suspect that the ultimate answer will be "do what is comfortable" but would like a sense of how other tyers set up their vice heights.

Thanks

kirk

Kirk;
You got me thinking (not an easy thing!!).
I got out the old straight edge and assumed my tying position. Keep in mind that I use a lighted magnifyer, My eyes are about 10" above the vice and the distance from my eys to the vice are about 12". I guess I'm looking down at the vice at about 20 degrees.
Seems like this has me sitting up straighter.
I also only tye a few at a sitting. How many depends on how many thumbs I have.

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Cactus

[LWilliams]

I tie commercially. My visce jaws are set so that the hook is roughly between my Adam's Apple and lower jaw and I get as close as I can to the hook while keeping my back straight. This means I buitl me bench so that I have room to really pull my chair in. I use tons of light. I take a break between every dozen to pratice my long-distance focusing. I tie 5-8 dozen per day right now...will ramp back down to 1 or 2 dozen in my "off-time."

I think it's better ergonomically to have the vice high so your back and neck remain as straight as possible. But you will need to "suffer" a bti until your traps and shoulders develop enough to support your arms.

[cctyer]

Another option to consider is using an arm exstention. I have a regal vise and bought a Dyna King arm that goes in a c clamp and then I mounted my vise in the holder. It offers almost endless possibilites for positioning and only forty bucks. Check it out at Dyna king web site.
I also agree with L Williams that higher is better.

[Peter F]

I believe an Occupational or Physcial therapist would say that to eliminate overuse injury to your arms and wrist, that the lower arms should be as horizontal as possible. That doesn't address the issues with fly visibility or with your back muscles however.

I pedestal vise might reduce fatigue (just a thought) by allowing you to rest your arms (forearm? elbows?) on the tying table. With a c-clamp your back muscles (rhomboids I think they are called... they hold your shoulder blades together) must completely support your arms.

Peter

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Peter F
www.fishingwithflies.com
pfrailey@hotmail.com

[lee s]

There is a commercial tyer near here that has his arms almost resting on his legs while sitting and tying. He say it keeps the strain out. I think he ties a lot of SW stuff.

[LWilliams]

Peter:

My forarms are nearly parallel to the table--but my elbows point out laterally. One demand of my vice is that it can support the weight of my non-bobbin hand/arm--all the more reason I enjoy the security of a clamped visce.

I also checked...I would say the hook and my eyes are about 7 to 9 inches arapt when I tie.

Like anything new, changing the postion of your visce will be awkward at first. I know that if I am forced to using a low-mounted visce it frustrates me to no end. But I was plagued by neck and back strain, and the neck starin caused headaches..no longer. I am the proverbial hapy camper--especially now with my new visce!

[William Fitzgerald]

I agree with lee- the commercial tyers that I know tie with their arms waist high. One tied for years at the FFF conclve 24 hours straight.

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Bill

[ParaHopper]

How about getting a chair that adjusts heights through the range you're considering tying from?

Personally, I like the vise to be positioned so that the hook is a little below shoulder level. If it's up too high my neck gets sore from leaning my head back to look the bottom half of my bifocals.

ParaHopper

[Gary Miller]

I tied on my Traveler for several years before I bought a longer shaft. The 6" shaft that comes with the vise didn't allow enough clearance under the jaws for my bobbin, so I went to a 9" shaft. That length was entirely too long for me and I settled on a 7" shaft. That extra inch doesn't sound like much, but in fact was just the ticket. I also found that tying was more comfortable with the 7" shaft as opposed to the 9".

Now, when tying, the hook is roughly mid-chest high. I can rest my elbows on the desktop if I need to.

- Gary

BTW, I use a pedestal.

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