Question for Guys 60+

[10thumbs]

Hello Seniors,

Man, I've been realizing the touch I used to have is slipping away, and I make small mistakes more often on models than even a year or two back.  I'm 65 and have been doing tedious type work for a living, so this kind of stuff is not new.  Just the blunders occur more often.  I don't find it irritating, actually kind of amuses me, it's just the way things are.

Does this ring a bell?

Any of you guys in the same boat?

I'm working now on the last stages of a current project, and I'm getting glue all over the place, lol.  This has never happened before. 

Just kind of curious.

Anyone have a story to tell?

Michael

[Snake45]

I was doing some detail painting last week and noticed a lot more shake in my hands than I ever had before. But I managed to rest both hands (the one holding and the one painting) on the table and pretty much controlled it that way.

Of course I have to do pretty much EVERYTHING model with an Opti-Visor on now, and have for several years now.

[10thumbs]

Yep, the eyes.  I don't have enough room around my neck to hang all of the different eyeglasses needed to get through the day.  Optical enhancement friends are a must.  

 

 

 

[Mike C]

I'm 61 and I'm still doing OK. My hands are steady. My eyes haven't changed in decades. I'm nearsighted and take my glasses off to do close work. Of course I do use a magnifier light, but I've been using one since the 90's anyway.

[Snake45]

Yep, the eyes.  I don't have enough room around my neck to hang all of the different eyeglasses needed to get through the day.  Optical enhancement friends are a must.  

 

I have four pair of glasses in addition to the optivisor. One for reading, one for the computer, one bifocal safety glasses for work, and nonprescription sunglasses for driving and outdoors (I can see distance just fine).

[Tesla]

Definitely the eyes! I find myself using the optivisor more as time goes on.

Edited July 22, 2016 by Tesla

[Tesla]

And one more thing...anyone find themselves saying: "now where did I put those parts?"

[Snake45]

And one more thing...anyone find themselves saying: "now where did I put those parts?"

I just go out and buy some more.

And then every so often I go digging in the Snakepit and discover some wondrous thing I don't even remember buying or owning! (Usually when I'm looking for something else entirely.)

[wayne swayze]

My eyesight isn't that great but O.K. with the octovisor which I've used for a long time. Just wish I could locate my enthusiasm to build!  I'm a few months short of being 70.

[Agent G]

Eyes are ok, an Optivisor is definitely required. 

Long ago in a galaxy far away I received a gunshot wound ti my upper torso in the area of my left shoulder. Decades later, apparent nerve damage has slowly eroded the feeling in my left arm/hand. While not profound, it effects the fine motor skills somewhat.

G

 

[10thumbs]

And one more thing...anyone find themselves saying: "now where did I put those parts?"

Ha!  Twice today.  1st time the sucker had fallen to the floor.  2nd time, it was hiding under the paper towel used for blotting up the spilled glue!  Duh.

[Tom Geiger]

Remember that Twilight Zone episode about the guy who loved to read and he wished everyone would go away so he could read in peace?  Then he got his wish and had his glasses get smashed so he couldn't read at all?

I have a touch of arthritis in my hands.  Enough to notice, but the only thing now is my left pinkie finger is out of time when I type and I miss the ! key and leave 1s instead.  My nightmare is that I finally get to retire and hope to spend my retirement building great models.  Only my hands cramp up and I can't build at all!

 

[Ramfins59]

My eyesight isn't that great but O.K. with the octovisor which I've used for a long time. Just wish I could locate my enthusiasm to build!  I'm a few months short of being 70.

Like Wayne, my Optivisor is a great help for tiny close-up work, and I've also been using it for over 20 years.  I'm 9 months away from hitting 70, and also hope to soon resume my enthusiasm to work on models.

[Vince Nemanic]

Michael, do you have Diabetes? I do, and my ophthalmologist explained to me that the disease causes abnormal, thin-walled veins to from in the retina, and the extra sugar in my blood causes them to burst and bleed into the eye.  I have had numerous laser treatments to cauderize  the veins in both eyes, and have even had to have the fluid in one eye removed and replaced. PLEASE have yourself  tested for Diabetes and act accordingly. Diabetes is the number one cause of blindness in America and has many other consequences. It would be q good idea to see an ophthalmologist for a thorough exam. Good luck to you.

[plastic trucker]

And one more thing...anyone find themselves saying: "now where did I put those parts?"

Or you begin to think that someone broke into your house just to steal that one part.

[10thumbs]

@Wayne and Rich, thanks for the good news!  I like reading active modellers pushing hard on the Seven-O, I hope to get there also.  The big picture is though, piece by piece, I'd rather do projects that are finished in shorter times, my current is becoming too long.  I enjoy, but recently the mistakes and mishaps are gaining dominance.

@Agent G, Wayne, I hope you can get around the numb feeling that comes around.  I got through that Galaxy without, just I can't sit longer than 2 hours,  leg and foot get numb and tingle from an old disc issue.  No problem,  if that's all then I'm just lucky.

@Vince, I'm due soon for a big blood checkup, as well as other areas.  I had high blood pressure and getting things situated was a real ordeal, but now things are OK.

[Vince Nemanic]

I hope all turns out well for you. Good luck.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I guess I've been lucky. I'm about the same age as the OP, but other than needing more light to work, and sometimes the aid of a magnifying lamp, I'm functioning about the same as I did 20 years ago. 

Part of it may be due to the fact that I make things for a living, day in, day out, building 1:1 hot-rods and doing a wide range of custom work. I guess that may keep all of the circuits tuned and the hand muscles and joints lubed too. Whatever the reason, I'm profoundly grateful I can still do the things I enjoy most.

I do have arthritis in my right hand, but I've also found that when I'm getting plenty of exercise, the pain and stiffness in my hand pretty much go away.

I've also noticed that my vision is sharper when I'm exercising frequently.

I can not stress enough how much better overall I believe people would feel if they would keep themselves at close to their "ideal" weight...or not more than 20 or so pounds over it...and get frequent cardio exercise that raises their heart rate for at least 20 minutes a day. Even every other day. I've let myself go to pot several times, and each time it's a little harder to get fit again...but it is SO worth it.

A parked car deteriorates faster than one that's in use, and a human who is sedentary goes downhill a lot faster than one who's very active.

PS: I've always been bad about putting something down and immediately forgetting where I put it, especially if I put it somewhere "special" so I'd be sure to remember. Always. Not creeping dementia, just sometimes a distracted idiot. 

[Snake45]

Remember that Twilight Zone episode about the guy who loved to read and he wished everyone would go away so he could read in peace?  Then he got his wish and had his glasses get smashed so he couldn't read at all?

 

Burgess "Penguin" Meredith starred in that episode, and IIRC he played all the parts in it.

[Snake45]

... even had to have the fluid in one eye removed and replaced.

I didn't know that was possible! In the last year or so I've developed a bad "floater" in my right eye. I've had annoying little ones for decades, but this one is like a frosted-glass cloud that floats around and through the center of my vision for a while before it floats away again. I didn't think anything could be done about it. I'm going to check into this.

[MrObsessive]

I didn't know that was possible! In the last year or so I've developed a bad "floater" in my right eye. I've had annoying little ones for decades, but this one is like a frosted-glass cloud that floats around and through the center of my vision for a while before it floats away again. I didn't think anything could be done about it. I'm going to check into this.

Richard, I would get that floater checked out ASAP! I had a large floater a few months ago, and it too went away since I've had them in times past, and I thought nothing of it. Well my eye Dr. told me that's what caused my retinal detachment, and it can be common among folks who are nearsighted. In my case I'm VERY nearsighted and this may have just been a matter of time before this happened.

Please get this checked out as soon as you can!

[Snake45]

Richard, I would get that floater checked out ASAP! I had a large floater a few months ago, and it too went away since I've had them in times past, and I thought nothing of it. Well my eye Dr. told me that's what caused my retinal detachment, and it can be common among folks who are nearsighted. In my case I'm VERY nearsighted and this may have just been a matter of time before this happened.

Please get this checked out as soon as you can!

Thanks for the details! I'm not nearsighted at all, never have been. Had perfect 20/20 vision till into my 50s, now I'm getting typical senior presbyopia and need glasses for anything close up but far vision is still fine.

[Ace-Garageguy]

... I'm getting typical senior presbyopia...

I thought that was when you could no longer see a particular kind of church elders...

Edited July 23, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[modelercarl]

I am 75 and restarted model building about 15 years ago, had built models when I was a teenager many, many years ago.  In the last couple of years I have found that when gluing/assembling pieces that don't locate by pin-in-hole method I have to take special care, often needing to have both hands resting on something solid.....not a show stopper but I need to be aware of this.  I am also experiencing the "the now where did I put that piece?" syndrome, and I am forced to work around it until it magically reappears. I can perform all of the tasks required for model building from preparing models for priming, spray paint them, assemble them, polish them, etc. but I find that as I age it takes a little longer to do so.

Even though I worked as an engineer all my adult life, which can be a somewhat sedentary job, I was pretty much "hands on" and closely followed projects often getting involved in the build, tryout and service of projects.  In addition, I got involved in the hobbies and sports of my 3 kids which kept me very active.  I have been a gym member for the last 10 years and go about 3 days a week, park as far as I can from the door when shopping and walk frequently when not doing something else.

I have learned that all of the attention put on exercise by health care professionals is valid.  I have friends from my childhood (just had one visit yesterday) who retired in the true sense of the word and to witness their physical and mental deterioration is disturbing.

All of this is to convince you "kids" who might read this missive to establish  some sort of exercise program and stick to it.......it doesn't have to be time a consuming regimen, make it something that you feel comfortable doing....... after 4-6 months it will become habit and you will be amazed at how well you will feel.

 

 

[Yenkocamaro]

I'll be 66 in a month, and the most trouble some problem I have is my sight. I wear glasses(all my life), and am a recent Diabetic. I've found that increased lighting at my workbench, has been a blessing. I also have one of those magnified headband lights that helps with fine detail work. I went from 1/25 plastic models for 35+ years, to modding 1/18 diecast, and the increase in the size of the model has helped. I have noted a slight shaking in the hands at times, as well as arthritis pain in my fingers, but so far its not affecting my build time. My biggest problem is, being retired, I thought I could get a ton of building done. HA!

 

Cheers,

Lance