Using a creation station

karin · #1 2010-03-09, 11:10am

Ok, clearly I am not smart enough to figure this out on my own. I bought one of these last fall because everyone raves about how wonderful they are, and I have lots of trouble with ulnar nerve compression (elbow), wrist issues, arthritis, etc. I have positioned the silly little hand rests every way I can think of and cannot find a way that is useful - I just end up with my elbow resting on the board that sticks out the front (which I have a leather bag on, but it still causes problems to be resting on it) and the handrests are just never in a position that would actually provide any support.

Does anyone have pictures of themselves (or someone) actually USING the thing? It appears they used to have on on the Blue Moon site, but the link is broken. I've done searches on google and found people selling them, people singing their praises - not a single pic of someone with their hands actually resting on it somehow.

So, before I sell this (and my powder vibe, another 'must have' that I can't figure out what to do with

to finance my next attempt at finding a tool that will help me make something other than ugly crap (an EMS), can someone help? Please?

Teena · #2 2010-03-09, 11:27am

Hi,
I love my Creation station! After I got it my beads improved alot! I also have ulnar nerve problems. I have had an operation on my elbow "ulner never moved"..it got so bad. Anyway...I rest my wrists on the hand rests they help alot. I don't have a picture of me using it, I will have to have my hubby take a pix for you.

theglasszone · #3 2010-03-09, 11:29am

Me! I actually took the elbow "wings" off...they turned out to be more of a hassle than they were worth!

Anyway, here's a few pics of how I have my arm rests postured - and I'd have trouble for sure doing fine dots and murrini building if I didn't have them helping me stay stable!

This shows how I have the arm rests positioned:

Here, you can kind of see how my right wrist is resting on the right CS "arm", giving me some relief from the 1 1/2 hours of building this murrini while I melt it all together and heat the gather:

Although you can't see my wrists resting on the CS arms in this shot, I definitely need the stability they offer when lying down stringers like this:

They take a little getting used-to once you first have them there, but it doesn't take long to really appreciate the support they offer, IMHO! I couldn't torch without them!

Hope this helps a little bit!

De

karin · #4 2010-03-09, 12:00pm

Well, that shows that I have them positioned correctly, but just must not be holding things correctly to use them. Because when I have it set like that, I can't get near the flame....

No, I think I see the problem. My torch is mounted on TOP of the base for the creation station - and as such is positioned well forward of the wrist rests - if you drew a line across the face of your torch, it would bisect your wrist rests - mine would fall well in front of them. Hmmmmm......

Kym · #5 2010-03-09, 3:05pm

I have a CS too. I ended up taking the wings off and repositioning them to above the base board instead of below. If you have it on the edge of the bench the wings won't move if they are underneath the base since they butt right up to the bench top. I don't know if this is the way they were designed to be but I wanted the wings to move. It would be interesting and maybe useful if you posted a pic of your torch and CS so we could see how it sits compared to ours.

Cheers
Kym

Elizabeth Beads · #6 2010-03-09, 5:21pm

The Creation Station is designed to work with a Hothead on one side and a fuel-oxy torch on the other. You have to unscrew the arms to change it out. Make sure you have the right configuration.

Most of the Blue Moon links still work: http://www.austinbluemoon.com/catalo...3Fcategory%3D8

You could e-mail them about the broken links, Jim and Rose are so nice, and I believe they are the original distributors of the Creation Station.

SadiesJewels · #7 2010-03-09, 8:11pm

You have the same torch as me and I find the creation station arm rests to not be positioned high enough for us. I have my wings mounted upside down on top and supported with some slate to raise them higher, plus leather pads on the wings too. Everything needs to be higher for a phantom!

artwhim · #8 2010-03-09, 11:14pm

I'm short, so my Betta was too high for me to use the arm rests well. I corrected the problem by taking the base off the Betta and attaching it to the creation station with a small L bracket on each side. Works like a charm now. If you aren't finding comfortable positions, I would guess the height of your torch in relation to the armrests are the problem.

I don't think I ever have mine in the position DeAnne uses. I keep the screws tight enough that they are stable, but just loose enough that I can change them while working on a bead. For dots, my favorite way to use them is to run it parallel to the inside of my forearm (starting at the wrist). I actually don't rest my arm "on" the armrest, but "against" it. The armrest would be in an old style bicycle handle position and then adjusted based on your arm.

When heating a large boro gather, I'll pull the left side way out perpendicular to the torch and rest my arm on while melting. Sometimes I'll even double up the bead bags on that side for my elbow.

Hope you find something that works!

Lisi · #9 2010-03-10, 4:06am

DeAnne,

Holy Crap! I didn't know you made your fab murinni using a HH! Wow!!

You have the patience of a saint, and while I worked on mine full time for 18 months and loved it, I don't think I would have ever mastered that kind of control!

karin · #10 2010-03-11, 1:54pm

sorry, my subscription to the thread seems to have died, so I didn't know anyone responded yesterday....

I didn't know that you were possibly supposed to turn it over - I will check into that. I will also take pics this weekend. I know that I have problems with height on everything, and at this point I'm also running into problems with space, because of my kiln. I had to reconfigure everything when I got my large floor (fusing) kiln so it would all fit in the garage, and the annealing kiln is now perpetually in the way on the table. But even without those issues, I have just not been able to figure out how it's supposed to work. These tips all help, I will work on it this weekend - too much schoolwork tonight.

sixbabygirls · #11 2010-03-11, 2:19pm

I don't have any pictures but i do love the creation station it has made a world of diference in my work and the application of fine detail I use the arms turned outward for armreest while spinning
and inward when doing close up work i also love the elbow rests and no longer get tired shoulders
I am using a Mini Cc and it just clamps right in and away you go !
I hope it works for you !

theglasszone · #12 2010-03-11, 2:25pm

Good girl, Karin. Get that schoolwork done! (Coming from a Mom, of course!)

Maybe these photos will help...from when I had my Cricket attached to the CS; you basically remove the "W" shaped heavy steel wire piece (held down with 2 bolts), and flip it over so that it faces away from you. This allows the base of the torch to slide in under it. Once you screw it down tightly again, the torch base is held firmly in place, and because the "W" piece is no longer sort of hanging off the work bench edge (toward you), your torch is now placed much further back from the edge, and your torch head/hands should align much better when using the CS for stability.

Hope this makes sense!

De

BeadBlossoms · #13 2010-03-11, 6:21pm

De - you went back to a HH after having a cricket???? I'd never go back!

theglasszone · #14 2010-03-11, 11:24pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeadBlossoms

De - you went back to a HH after having a cricket???? I'd never go back!

A long story...and I have a Minor now but it's still not set up. Don't get me started!!!

While the hubby gets it all "figured out" - finishing the garage interior walls, moving this, moving that, adding this, blah, blah...to heck with it! I surely was gonna loose my mind with all that waiting and fiddling and micro-managing my space! I just shoved my work bench back against the wall, picked up the Hot Head, and got back into it! Tick, Tock...Tick, Tock...

You get the picture!

2xMI · #15 2010-03-12, 9:49am

Thanks so much for posting all the pictures, De. They were very helpful.

Mimi

theglasszone · #16 2010-03-12, 4:32pm

Yay, glad this helped!

De

karin · #17 2010-03-16, 4:34pm

Ok, looking at everyone else's pics, I need to change how I have mine set up. But I don't know how, since if I move it forward (away from me), I lose the use of the armrests. And if I move it back, the torch will fall into my lap. So can someone look at these pics and tell me what I am doing wrong? I had the same issue with my minor, so it's not the size of the torch....

thanks!

theglasszone · #18 2010-03-16, 6:51pm

How much do you think you'll use those elbow rest "wing" things? Do you think if you take them off, you'll be able to move your body closer and have the undersides of your forearms on the arm rests?

De

Dasi · #19 2010-03-16, 7:44pm

I find this position for the arm rest to work well for me.....

Carolyn M · #20 2010-03-16, 7:48pm

I don't use the hand rest, but I like the positioning of the elbow rests with the Creation Station