Fatigue and Woodworking

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I've had a real busy weekend. I tore down an old shed in preparation for a new addition that is being built onto my house. I also knocked off all the siding on the rear of the house, got the foot high windrow of gravel the snowplow plowed onto my lawn cleaned up, and even graded the driveway and got my rock walls mended after the frost heaved them in sections. That was just Friday. On Saturday I installed a new front door.

So today I planned to finish up the door by putting the trim on the inside. Things did not go so well. I kept screwing up the cuts, making mistake after mistake. This is bigger for me because I use rough sawn lumber, so a cut only occurs AFTER the boards are rough cut, ripped, jointed and planned. Thats a lot of work for a dumb mistake. Finally I left the shop, the door trim and did nothing for the rest of the afternoon. I even fell asleep for awhile while the infant was napping.

Does anyone know of some vitamins or something that will cure fatigue? I enjoyed the afternoon off, but I got a ton of stuff to do and just can't take the time off. I heard Bee Pollen pills staves off fatigue. Has anyone tried that?


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Don't have any advice to cure fatigue. I will say, however, that you did the right thing by leaving your projects for another time. Frustration and fatigue are two huge contributers to accidents in the shop. I'm probably safe in saying that you don't need to add a missing digit to your list of worries. :eek:
 
Fatigue and sharp things don't mix; you did the right thing. I even limit my coffee intake when I'm working in the shop. I want the tools to have my undivided attention. Mistakes made when tired are frustrating and costly at least and dangerous at most.
 
I'm no doctor, but I'll bet that any decent doctor would say that best cure for fatigue is a balanced diet combined with proper amounts of exercise and rest. I guess a vitamin deficiency wouldn't help you any, but if this has been an ongoing thing then I'd say that a visit to the doctor is in order rather than guessing at a cure. It could be a symptom ...

just my $0.02
 
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Sounds to me like that you did three days work in one day and deserve a rest. I know that this oservation does not help you timewise but you can only push yourself so hard. I wish that I had your energy.
 
I thought you were describing the entire weekend work, and I was in awe, until I hit the statement "and that was just Friday."

If you wonder why that left you tired, read it again.

Be glad that it was only lumber and not fingers that were cut wrong on Saturday. Best solution if you are tired enough to be making mistakes is to leave the shop. Do something simple like tear down a shed, take siding off the rear of the house, clean the gravel off the lawn, grade the driveway, and mend the stone wall. Things that don't involve sharp tools near fingers. ;)
 
Spend some time with the infant, like taking a nap at the sametime. Little ones and productivity don't always mix. You won a battle on Friday. Save the energy for another one of those days and you will be just fine.

Since I had a kid things take longer and I'm tired more often, but I try to enjoy my family as there will always be projects waiting for me. One good day of work on the weekend and a few hours here and there during the work week is all a guy can expect if he has a family.
 
Yep, got to agree with the others, when you get tired, take a rest, or at least change what you are doing.

Jim, enjoy them little ones while you can, mine are 13 and 11 and they are less and less thrilled about the idea of a day out with the old man. A year ago, they'd jump at the chance :(

Oh well, gives me more time to wood work :rolleyes:

Cheers!
 
I know this is repeating what has been said, but...

After a serious stomach virus a month ago, I became very concerned about my health.

Since that time I have completely quit ALL caffine ( including my most favorite chocolate) and sugar. I am now eating smaller meals 5 times a day. I am doing 30 mins on my old Nortic Track on Mon/Wed/Fri mornings for 30 mins. I also do an aerobic class for 1 hour on Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

I have lost 6 lbs in 2 weeks and I have an INCREDIBLE amount of energy.

I have had several very long sessions working in the shop and it feels great.

With caffine I always had highs and lows. Now I just feel good.

Now, this little vacation we are on in Pittsburg has NOT been good. I am looking forward to getting back to my routine.

I do not mean to be preaching, because I have never been good to my body. But I am 59 years old and just now starting to enjoy my shop time and want to be able to enjoy it for many more years. At the rate I was going I would have been dead by 70.
 
Travis,

There's much wisdom here, but I'm actually of the opposite position, mainly because of my natural laziness... ;) I love misquoting housman to myself: "up, lad: there'll be time enough for sleep when the journey's done." (for the real verse- not his best- try here: http://www.bartleby.com/103/29.html). My sons are always telling me I work too hard, I should take a break... but there's much to be done, and no more time to lose. Besides, there are guys on here who accomplish way more than you or I ever could in a day.

That said, as an old backpacker, I should mention there's much to be said for pacing. I can't tell you how many times I've stood aside on a trail letting enthusiastic hikers go by me. But almost invariably, I'd have them reeled in before I got to the top of the pass. So my best advice: work at a pace you can sustain over the long haul. There will *always* be more to do... but it's miraculous how much gets done if you just stay on the field and keep slowly plugging away... ;)

On your other subject, there are things you can do about mental fatigue, but for physical fatigue, there's nothing but rest. Someone prescribed exercise as a long term solution, and he's absolutely right. And one of my biggest surprises in life was learning that productive work is *not* exercise. You'd think carrying around lumber all day, lifting and hauling and being on your feet would make the nordic track redundant. But look at all the guys with beer bellies as big as mine who build decks out in the summer sun, and still have that belly when the deck is done... ;)

Best of luck,

Bill

(ps. Ginkgo Biloba. DHEA. L-carnitine. They may be no better than placebos, but I take them, and I'm still moving around. YMMV... ;)
 
Next time you get a physical, have them check your sugar level.
Fatigue can be a symptom of Diabetes .
I got it in my mid 40’s . It got so bad I could hardly get out of bed.
Now that I have it under control my energy level right back up there.
My first symptoms were fatigue, occasional slight burred vision and thirst.

Never hurts to have it checked.
 
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Next time you get a physical, have them check your sugar level.
Fatigue can be a symptom of Diabetes .
I got it in my mid 40’s . It got so bad I could hardly get out of bed.
Now that I have it under control my energy level right back up there.
My first symptoms were fatigue, occasional slight burred vision and thirst.

Never hurts to have it checked.

Your advice is, of course, indisputable. Taking care and regular checks are important. Sadly, most men don't do that. Macho thing. But, his weekend was a grind. Sounds like he just wore hisself to a frazzle. If fatigue is a problem with little to no work, time to see the doc.
 
Gotta go with what's already been said here. I know there are a lot of times that I want to do just one more thing and there's just no time. Also it seems like sometimes that I'm being pulled in 15 different directions and of course, physics just doesn't let that happen.

So, do a little work, spend a little time with loved ones, and take a little time for yourself and call it a day. Good luck
 
Thanks everyone for your ideas, though I did figure out what the problem was...I am pregnant. :eek:

Okay, so that was a joke as I am certainly a guy and to get pregnant would take a domestic activity that...well...we will leave it at that!!

In all seriousness, it seems as I was just sick. I am not sure if all the running around I have been doing wore me out and I got sick, or if being sick wore me out. Either way ever since Sunday I did not feel very good and spent all of Tuesday out of work and sleeping on the couch. It was just the 24 hour flu I think.

Either way I hope it is behind me. Tomorrow, after weeks of lining up contractors and getting things into place, the Earthwork Guy will be coming over to get our new addition started. Now the fun really begins!!
 
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