Surgery complete - FrankenChair™ is alive!

[jpinard]

I'm sure a lot of computer gamers have carpel tunnel like myself, and everything from the type of keyboard/mouse, keytray height and chair makes a huge difference.

To this end, I had a chair that was wearing out (the first picture below). For a fabric chair, it lasted 7+ years so I can't complain as it got sat on a lot. So somewhere around 1.9 years ago I bought a new chair and thought it was perfect... until I used it for several days. For the chair height I required, the armrests actually angled UP at a small degree and it felt terrible. I went into the hospital sometime after the discovery and by the time I could do anything about Carpal Tunnel Chair it was way past the time frame for a return or exchange. As was mentioned here in April of 2006 desperation led to me sawing the arm off wondering if I could use it limbless. http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=25804

Fast forward to 1 1/2 years alter, I finally got brave and decided on a course of action. I'd saw off the other arm, and re-attach them at a proper height and angle so I could actually use it. My goal... functionality at all costs.

When I first started cutting I expected a hollow plastic tube, but was amazed (after destroying a few blades) that the arms had a nearly solid interior including a thick metal bar for extra support. This made driving a bolt through the back of the arm difficult, but with thick stinky epoxy, massive 3" lug bolts, lots of rope and a lightning strike to the chair (in my imagination), and to my amazement... it works. Most comfortable chair I've ever had. The left armrest is a little higher than the right, but that's OK since all I cared about was an overall lower height, and most important... they be angled down. The bolts are not just for support, but also for something extra that the epoxy could bind to.

Yucky old chair:
http://www.jeffpinard.com/Crappy%20chair_small.jpg

Epoxy in progress:
http://www.jeffpinard.com/FrankenChair%204.jpg

Amputated armrest:
From previous thread: http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=25804
http://www.jeffpinard.com/chair.jpg

Mary Shelley would be proud:
http://www.jeffpinard.com/FrankenChair%202.jpg

[jpinard]

<<continued due to 4 image limit>

Both bolts visible:
http://www.jeffpinard.com/FrankenChair%203.jpg

Downward angle:
http://www.jeffpinard.com/FrankenChair%205.jpg

Chair doesn't look as horribly awful as it could have:
http://www.jeffpinard.com/FrankenChair%201.jpg

[Anaxagoras]

They do sell chairs with fully adjustable arms. Your actions confuse me.

[jpinard]

They do sell chairs with fully adjustable arms. Your actions confuse me.

When I purchased it, I thought this chair was perfect... and by the time I realized it was not, I was stuck with it. I thought I could use it without an armrest and I was wrong once again... hence - unable to sell. For me, it was an expensive chair, so an attempt to salvage it was prudent (or moronic depending on how you look at it).

[Rywill]

But was it more moronic than taking 5,000 photos of the process and then posting them all to a web messageboard?

I wish you could do polls in replies.

[Raife]

It seems to me that if you have a profuse, corrosive sweating problem you'd want to stay away from sticky chair material.

[tromik]

But didn't you cut them off in the first place because of "the angle/interference of the arm rest and the immense amount of pain it was causing in (your) arm?"

[spence]

I'm sure a lot of computer gamers have carpel tunnel like myself, and everything from the type of keyboard/mouse, keytray height and chair makes a huge difference.

To this end, I had a chair that was wearing out (the first picture below). For a fabric chair, it lasted 7+ years so I can't complain as it got sat on a lot. So somewhere around 1.9 years ago I bought a new chair and thought it was perfect... until I used it for several days. For the chair height I required, the armrests actually angled UP at a small degree and it felt terrible. I went into the hospital sometime after the discovery and by the time I could do anything about Carpal Tunnel Chair it was way past the time frame for a return or exchange. As was mentioned here in April of 2006 desperation led to me sawing the arm off wondering if I could use it limbless. http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=25804

Fast forward to 1 1/2 years alter, I finally got brave and decided on a course of action. I'd saw off the other arm, and re-attach them at a proper height and angle so I could actually use it. My goal... functionality at all costs.

You weave such an enthralling tale I must know what transpired in the missing .3 years!

Did you shorten the arms or lower them? Where are the flame decals?

[jpinard]

But didn't you cut them off in the first place because of "the angle/interference of the arm rest and the immense amount of pain it was causing in (your) arm?"

yes and due to carpal tunnel. BTW, my wife read this thread and she told me documentaries are boring... aka my post = boring. *sigh* sorry for wasting your time. I was trying to make it slightly humorous and failed.

Anaxagoras - you made her laugh.

[Rimbo]

I thought it was a pretty cool follow-up, jpinard.

[AndrewM]

But didn't you cut them off in the first place because of "the angle/interference of the arm rest and the immense amount of pain it was causing in (your) arm?"

He removed them, then reattached them at a different angle and/or height.

[jpinard]

He removed them, then reattached them at a different angle and/or height.

Yes they are both re-attached lower than default, and they both angle down as well which makes it very comfortable for typing and mousing.

[Slainte Mhath]

I thought it was interesting. It's always cool when someone has the ambition and determination to modify something store bought to meet their own particular needs. Granted, it's no steampunk LCD monitor, but it obviously took a lot of planning and work to accomplish, so I applaud the effort.

Hmmm...come to think of it, maybe you could add a few valves and repaint it with a bronze patina...FRANKENSTEAMPUNK CHAIR!

[Nick Walter]

Good stuff jpinard, I always applaud someone with the determination to tackle this kind of project. That's more ambition that I can muster most of the time for home projects.

[Enduro_Man]

Hmmm...come to think of it, maybe you could add a few valves and repaint it with a bronze patina...FRANKENSTEAMPUNK CHAIR!
It's not too late to bolt a coal-burning stove onto the back and list it on eBay for a few thousand bucks.

[tromik]

He removed them, then reattached them at a different angle and/or height.
Ohhhh, I sort of assumed he did, but he didn't mention it, and the pictures didn't indicate any significant difference.

[AndrewM]

Ohhhh, I sort of assumed he did, but he didn't mention it, and the pictures didn't indicate any significant difference.

Didn't he?

Fast forward to 1 1/2 years alter, I finally got brave and decided on a course of action. I'd saw off the other arm, and re-attach them at a proper height and angle so I could actually use it.

[tromik]

Didn't he?
Oh, I never actually read his posts. I just get the general idea from replies. Or something like that.

[Murph]

Sometimes it's hard to read words when there are pictures to look at.

Good for you. Sounds like a lot of work.