Hit 200 shutters in a week and my thumbs are shot

I had a run last month where I rebuilt 200 shutter units in 5 days. That's 40 a day straight. Most were Canon A-1 and AE-1 models coming in from a local camera shop's bulk buyout. I knew I was fast but hitting that number made me realize how repetitive this work can get. My thumb joints felt like rubber by Friday and I had to ice them. Has anyone else burned out on a specific model run and had to switch things up?

2 comments

2 Comments

eva_ward8828d ago

Needle nose pliers for shutter springs? That sounds like overkill for a routine A-1 job. I've been doing these things for years and never needed special tools for basic spring work. 40 units a day isn't exactly a marathon either, you see guys doing that volume every week in high volume shops. A little joint soreness is just part of the trade, not something you need to schedule breaks around. @hayden587 makes it sound like you're recovering from surgery or something. Just stretch your hands out while you're waiting for coffee to brew and get back to it.

hayden58729d ago

I mean, the "thumbs felt like rubber" line hit close to home. I've done similar runs on those same A-1 models and what helped me was switching to a pair of small needle nose pliers for the shutter button springs instead of using my thumbs to press them in. Also, I started breaking up the day by doing 20 units in the morning and 20 after lunch with a 15 minute hand stretch break in between. Keeps the joints from locking up as bad.