Soldering arm rests?

[lukego]

Does anybody use arm rests (elbow/forearm support) while soldering?

I've noticed with 0402s that my hands are much steadier when my forearms are supported. The only trouble is that resting both of my forearms on the bench takes up a lot of space and doesn't leave much for tools etc. So I'm wondering about separate arm rests that would let me sit further back from the bench e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Packs-Rotating-Extension-Elbow-Armrest/dp/B00QMMMFU8/ref=sr_1_2

Any recommendations?

[eeviking]

We have used these for fixing/manual pick and place at work:
https://www.ergorest.fi/en/products/330-Series/

Works great when you have to work in the middle of a big board with no place to rest your hand.
Should also work fine for soldering with a magnifier lamp I guess.

I may have a spare one laying around somewhere.

[Sal Ammoniac]

Does anybody use arm rests (elbow/forearm support) while soldering?

No, never even thought about that. Thanks for the suggestion—I’ll give it a try.

[GreyWoolfe]

I either rest my elbows on my workbench or lean my arms against the edge.  0402 isn't a problem though the rests do look nice.

[lukego]

I experimented with sitting further back using improvised arm rests, but this turns out to be false bench space economy.

Once I'm sitting further back I also need to pull the microscope further over the bench, and the fume extractor, and the LED lights, and keep the stations in reach, etc, and then the front of my bench is crowded all the time. So unless I could attach everything to one gigantic boom arm - or have a second desk - I reckon I'll keep it as it was.

[GreyWoolfe]

So unless I could attach everything to one gigantic boom arm - or have a second desk - I reckon I'll keep it as it was.

I have a good sized workbench, 8 feet/2.4 meters with serious overhead lighting.  I have the TE on the left side and on the right side is all the soldering/desoldering equipment along with what I use for repairing/testing company equipment.  I like having the dedicated soldering space except when I have to clean up to fix something someone else broke.

[lukego]

I realize now that my question was naieve. The more time I spend soldering the more I need to focus on posture to avoid back strain. This leads me to pull the microscope close to the edge of the bench so that I can sit up straight instead of leaning over. It also leads me to raise the microscope from the desk using a PCB holder.

Still working on the optimal setup. I'm starting to watch soldering videos on Youtube and just look at the way people are sitting in their chair when they operate the microscope.

[Doctorandus_P]

I would not buy those big armrests.

There is a very simple way to get much more steadyness in your fine motor movements.

You can experiment with a simple cardbox box, wich you put upside down on your desk.
Size of approx. 20cm by 30cm and a height of approx 15cm. (Or whatever size you prefer of course).

The idea is that you rest your elbows on the table, and your wrist on the side of the box. Then you have the work area on the top of the box. This technique is also used by people who do lots of fine mechanical work such as for example watch makers.

A cardbord box is great for the first experiments, and getting an idea of the size that works best for you, but it looks clumsy and ugly, and decreases desk space.

Making some table from a few pieces of plywood n the form of a big C will leave the front open, and increase desk space, instead of decreasing it.

[Ian.M]

I'd expect that any free-moving arm rest would compromise your fine control.  If your forearm is resting on the bench surface, or on a non-moving padded block on the bench surface if working with board preheaters or other elevated work areas you gain a lot of fine control due to it decoupling your hand from most upper body movement.  A rest that skates around on an arm with bearings is going to remove much of that advantage as it will only steady your hand in the Z direction.   

Of course you have to be able to rest your forearms flat on the bench comfortably without slouching, or unnaturally lifting your shoulders, so your chair really needs to be adjustable height and easy to adjust.

Doctorandus's suggestion may well have merit, though for really fine work I generally prefer to have at least half my arm and the heel of my hand in contact with the bench surface.  The next time I have to work on something really tiny I'll try a small 1" thick platform under it, as I  expect it will improve the ergonomics.