How would you build this? A prosthetic attachment

[Evan]

Products for disabled people are frequently very overpriced. I think the problem is that the assumption is being made that somebody with deep pockets is paying the bill such as insurance companies or the government. The problem then is that the person without that kind of backing is left out in the cold.

[TGTool]

I'm reminded of a radio program I heard once in which they covered a conference of people with various disabilities. Interestingly they (conference attendees) referred to the rest of us as TAB's - Temporarily Able Bodied. We just assume we will continue to have all of our faculties and abilities because up to this point we always have, but anything could happen to any one of us at any time. No point in being too cocky or swell headed just because we've been lucky so far.

[SimpleSimon]

Finished product

So the old man and I made a day of farting around in the garage. I had my Atlas 618 lathe running overtime as I had to turn two slugs for the spring ends, and use two different turned and bored slugs for the club holder. I then tapped the spring slugs and TIG welded the pieces together. Here is what we ended up with, which worked great! We also chose to blast the final product with a plastic tool dip.

The part that challenged me the most was easily solved while brainstorming with my dad at the hardware store. Rather than have to bore the entire length of a 4" pipe, I made two different tapered slugs and fitted them into the ends of the rod holder. Problem solved!

Not bad for $35 bucks including about 20lbs of scrap steel leftover for my secret stash.

[Mike Burdick]

SimpleSimon,

Kind of an interesting task...

I wonder if one could follow the mechanics of a wire grip and make it light enough to hold a club...

[Your Old Dog]

Simon,
Are you sure this project is being "over-thunkted"?

I watched a guy giving demonstrations on driving. He had a club shank made of red rubber hose and made spectacular drives. On a right handed golfer, doesn't the wrist (which is what you are trying to make) simply align/guide the club face as the rearward motion of the shoulder pulls the club around?

I seriously think you should first make the receiver for the prosthetic and then the grip for the club and then experiment with different common auto parts store rubber hoses. You don't have to store any energy up in the left wrist grip. All the work is done by the unwinding of the torso and the shoulder coming around.

Don't over think this project.

[Your Old Dog]

Simon,
Are you sure this project is being "over-thunkted"?

I watched a guy giving demonstrations on driving. He had a club shank made of red rubber automotive radiator hose and made spectacular drives. On a right handed golfer, doesn't the left hand simply align/guide the club face to meet the ball as the rearward motion of the shoulder pulls the club around?

I seriously think you should first make the receiver for the prosthetic and then the grip for the club and then experiment with different common auto parts store rubber hoses. You don't have to store any energy up in the left arm grip. All the work is done by the unwinding of the torso and the shoulder coming around.

I wish your dad luck. It's a bear to have the time to do what you want but not be able to do it. I know of what I speak!

Don't over think this project.

[SimpleSimon]

Simon,
Are you sure this project is being "over-thunkted"?

I watched a guy giving demonstrations on driving. He had a club shank made of red rubber automotive radiator hose and made spectacular drives. On a right handed golfer, doesn't the left hand simply align/guide the club face to meet the ball as the rearward motion of the shoulder pulls the club around?

I seriously think you should first make the receiver for the prosthetic and then the grip for the club and then experiment with different common auto parts store rubber hoses. You don't have to store any energy up in the left arm grip. All the work is done by the unwinding of the torso and the shoulder coming around.

I wish your dad luck. It's a bear to have the time to do what you want but not be able to do it. I know of what I speak!

Don't over think this project.

Well its done now! I expect a progress report from hiim today from the driving range. He drove out of here yesterday like a kid who just got a BB gun under the tree for Christmas!

[Evan]

I look forward to his report. A very long time ago when very young I used to caddy at the local country club. A bag of clubs was a lot heavier back then.

[Black_Moons]

I look forward to his report. A very long time ago when very young I used to caddy at the local country club. A bag of clubs was a lot heavier back then.

Oh really?



"Thanks to modren technology, the drivers now have heads the size of infants."

[Evan]

Yeah, but the shafts are graphite and the heads are titanium.

[Black_Moons]

Yea, But the screw plugs are a Tungsten/Zirconium alloy to ensure they survive the "high temperature, corrosive environments" of golf.

http://periodictable.com/Items/074.7/index.html

[SimpleSimon]

SimpleSimon,

Kind of an interesting task...

I wonder if one could follow the mechanics of a wire grip and make it light enough to hold a club...

I've been thinking on the forces involved in this picture. I think I may do something similar with an eccentric that goes through the channel that holds the club. The only real problem we have now is that the club grips have different diameters (driver, iron, etc). The tapered slugs I used worked....but a more adjustable method would be nice.

[flametamer]

I think I may do something similar with an eccentric that goes through the channel that holds the club.

http://www.oandp.com/products/trs/sports-recreation/golf.asp

Scroll down to the bottom 4 pictures.


Dt

[Evan]

The tapered slugs I used worked....but a more adjustable method would be nice.

Like I wrote earlier I figure you will make it to about the Mk III model before it's all good.

[SimpleSimon]

Version 2 in the works

So....he went and hit it yesterday and couldn't get the ball in the air. We were thinking that it might be an issue with the spring length so I'm going to craft a shorter one. I also received some feedback that he wanted it lighter. I could have made it from aluminum but since I had some parts leftover, I started a second version.

In this version, I'm going to use an eccentric cam lock type mechanism since the forces generally only go in one direction. He can slip the club into the tube and pull downward causing the CAM to wedge the club in place.

The little Atlas was groaning trying to cut an eccentric. I had a slow speed with the back gear in place and I used a parting tool like I have seen others do when turning camshafts for hobby engines. I will red-locktite or fusion weld the eccentric onto the shaft later once make a lever and small riser in which to mount it to the tube.