Personal Strain Relief at "Kalrail"
Rick Fletcher - NSW Australia
8-Apr-2016

This is about personal strain!

With advancing age it becomes increasingly difficult to work under the layout. There are some alternatives such as tilting or fold-up layouts but they have disadvantages. I didn't want a portable layout so my layout is screwed to the walls and supports. The layout height is 1020mm (3'4") with a floor to head clearance of 840mm (2'9") under the layout. Having the seat close to the floor was mandatory.

So I had to figure out a way to work with at least some comfort under the layout. I tried a very low stool on rollers but on my lino floor it was just too prone to sliding around (rocketing around might be a better explanation) and had no back support. The back support is what I need along with a stable base.

This is the prototype (and final product) to allow me to drag it around the floor. Made from workshop offcuts (pineboard and MDF) and some old fabric padding.

The other bit of padding on the floor looks like an offcut and it is - but I use it to kneel on while I roll (collapse) into the seat.

I just experimented with the back angle, hence the hinges plus they were also laying around the workshop. The other gadget visible in this photo is a locking clamp to which I have attached a roll of solder.

This is clamped up under the layout on some appropriate part of the frame and provides solder at a level close to the work.
When soldering under a layout DON'T have any part of your body UNDER THE SOLDERING AREA for obvious reasons.