I’ve picked-up scale modelling again after being out of it for about 20 years. I’m currently building the Airfix E.II Eindecker 1/72. The build is going fairly well, but while building and painting I’ve run into an old issue I also had back in the day. I’m afflicted with a condition called Essential Tremor. It basically means that my hands tremble lightly constantly. However, the tremors increase in intensity when I’m stressed or need to do precision work. So glueing small pieces together like the undercarriage is very hard for me (I managed though). The problem lies in the fact that I need to hold the piece in one hand then glue the other piece with the other hand while keeping the pieces as steady as I can. That is often an issued for me, especially when I’m afraid to break something, making my tremors worse. Now some ppl would call me crazy for even trying to do this hobby in the first place, but I just love scale modelling so much.
Enough background… I would like to know if you guys have any idea’s and tips that could help me cleanly glue smaller things together. Maybe ways to not have to hold one piece so I can use both hands for the other piece (making my hands more stable).
Thanks in advance, any advice would be very welcome!
BasT, welcome to the forum; and welcome to the unstable hands club. It may seem that there are not many people that read the Techniques section have a problem holding on to things. Personally I tend to struggle in that area with some loss of depth perception to go with it.
I use various clamps and apparatus to hold an object allowing me to use two hands (one to brace the other) to paint detail or attach a small part. Go on-line to Squadron/Supplies for all kinds of ideas.
When you get established on your choice forum, like “Autos”, you may want to ask the same question. I am an aircraft guy myself; currently wundering why I am building a USS Constitution and a Gato Class sub! Good luck on your journey.
I don’t know if this would help, but I’m reminded now of the hand rest that some figure painters use, to steady their hand while they paint. Some use a piece of padding, like the wrist or hand rests to relieve pressure on your wrists while using a keyboard. Others just use a wooden bar. Whatever you might choose, it might help to immobilize your hand as much as possible, leaving your fingers free to move.
I’ve always had the same issue, and strangely enough, I found that increasing my ability to see those small parts helped with the shaking. It definitely alleviates the stress and frustration of getting tiny parts aligned properly. Not sure if it would have the same value for you, but I have a set of 3X and 6X magnifying glasses that I use when doing detailed painting/attachment work. It helps tremendously with the shaky hands.
I’ve also found that for many applications, attaching one piece to a blunted toothpick or small skewer using hot glue and then putting the toothpick/skewer in a vice will keep one of the two items completely rock solid, and the vice gives you a place to rest your fingers which helps steady your hands. I use the same method for painting those tiny parts, and with just a little effort when the part is ready, it separates easily from the glue (but not so easily that its constantly falling off while you’re working on it).
I’ve been using both of the above during the difficult construction/detailing of the 6 F-5 seats I have combined with the kit seat rails in the Modelcollect B-52G kit to make fairly reasonable facsimilies of B-52 seats (as opposed to the completely incorrect ACES II seats that come in the kit). Also attached all of the photo-etched seat belts while having the seats glued to skewers chucked up in a vice.
I find using blue tac works. I put one part into the blue tac and then stick it to the top of a paint bottle or the base of my desk lamp. I then have the second part in tweezers and cup my left hand under my right hand for stability (I’m right handed). I find this method helpful for my shaky hand.
Trembling Hands. Where have I run into them before? Oh, that’s right, mine! Here’s what I do. Besides what Bill mentioned. I use a piece of 2 inch foam to rest my hands on. It absorbs some of the tremors. Then I fasten the part or parts in my Third Hand tool. I have replaced the Alligator clips with some that have lightly roughened up flat jaws. The roughness keeps the part from zipping away into the next dimension over, or the carpet monster.
Eaglecash867 also hit on something Very important.The clearer you can see the part, the steadier you can become, because you can see where to apply the glue. The other thing about the Third hand tool mod, is I can glue Little circles of punched out sandpaper to the Jaws for a better grip where needed. The paper comes off real easy with an X-Acto knife. each disc lasts about a month. I use 320 for the Sandpaper jaw grips.
Just to where we are in our world today with the COVID and not meaning any disrespect to any poster,my 1st thought when I saw the title that it was about the social practice of shaking hands,go figure
I have the same problem. Here are a couple of tricks I have learned. I found the finger shake is magnified if your arms are not braced against something.
If the larger part/assembly is sitting on the bench, I try to rest the heal of the hand holding the tweezers against the workbench surface. If my hand is held in the air, the strain of trying to hold the arm in exactly the right position adds to my finger shake. Resting the tweezer hand on the same surface as the model or assembly you are attaching something to does help.
If you are using two hands- say your left hand is holding the model or a major assembly with your left hand, and your right hand is holding a part with tweezers, the arm problem is magnified. I touch the little fingers of both hands together while I work. This connection reduces the problem only to the positioning of the fingers and greatly reduces the shake.
Lots of good ideas. I’ve been shaking so long the idea of holding what I am glueing in each hand just, well, I don’t remember ever being able to do that. I guess once I have something glued if I need to hold it together while the glue sets I can use both hands.
I generally work on a bare table but if the build gets to a point where I’m worried about something resting on that bare table, I put a piece of packing foam down. If it’s a part that is prone to slide around while I’m attaching something to it (this is usually when attaching PE to something for some reason), I’ll stick it down with a small piece of tape. And when I’m attaching one extremely tiny thing to another extremely tiny thing, one of them will be taped down.
I do these things too. Also, I keep a couple of risers handy to rest my hand-heels on at near chest and also chin level. A couple ideas, cardboard packing boxes, big tupperware containers. Saves me lots of back strain from sitting all hunched over with my hands supported on the benchtop.
You hit on something my Physician suggested for me. I damaged my Neck in the Accident I had three and a half years ago. because they found an Aneurism on the back of the left Ventricle when they C.T scanned me for injuries, the Heart of course took precedence over the neck. I never got treated . My computer is raised the heighth of a can of soup . This way no neck strain.
This is the reason I tell you this. This has worked fabulous for my model bench too. I lifted up the Mat on a piece of ceramic type floor tile (Large) and I have a solid surface at the right heighth now! I can’t stand and work because of my Sciatic Nerve fallout!
I had to do that too. I started with a little box about three inches high. Not enough, better but still got pain in neck. Now it is raised six inches and everything fine. I made a bigger box with drawers to store things like stapler, thumb drives and other things I use a lot at computer. No need to go over to desk for stuff now.
Also, the therapist said to raise car seat back as vertical as it would go- I used to get pains in shoulder and arm after driving for awhile. No more.
I also find an optivisor to help magnify things helps.
I do not have essential tremors, but I so shake on occasion. I notice if I avoid caffine for a bit it does thend to help. You may want to try that. I have also seen that taking a magnesium supplement is helpful. The stuff is in the viatamin section and cheap. Take 500mg a day for a week or so and see if things improve. It has also reduced my muscle spasms to zero.
Like don said, I must anchor my arms and or elbows to the bench. Also keeping your hands touching each other helps. If they shake, at least they shake together.
