Got New Holland Anvil

[Glenn]

Was forging several years ago and something just did not look right.  Finished up but the something is not right lingered.  Then the light bulb moment !!   The anvil had been turned to better access the horn and was not returned to the original position.  Grabbed hot metal and started hammering with the anvil turned the wrong way.   I was hammering with the off hand.  Discovered I was ambidextrous.

Chelonian:  Your lead hand was not born with a hammer in it, you had to teach it how to use and control the hammer.  You off hand is just as smart, you just need to teach and train it to use a hammer.  Get a box of nails (50  pounds) and hammer each nail into wood using your off hand.  By the time you finish the box of nails, your off hand should know what it is doing.

 

[SLAG]

Folks,

you can indeed be taught how to do a skill using your non dominant hand. Or teach yourself.

My mother was solidly left handed, but in her day, (late twenties and early thirties), the teachers insisted that children write with their right hand. Her hand writing eventually became excellent. It was better than at least 99.9 percent of the population. (it was really calligraphy).

My parents were a mixed marriage. since my father was completely right handed. My brother and myself were/are ambidextrous and thoroughly conflicted.

Mr. Glenn's idea of banging a box full of nails into a board is an excellent idea.

Regards,

SLAG.

 

[pnut]

I've tinkered around forging with my non dominant hand a few times since my shoulder started giving me trouble. I must say the results were less than satisfactory. 

Pnut

[Glenn]

Try eating dinner with your off hand.  Writing something as simple as writing a phone number with the off hand causes you to think of how each number is formed, and the brain reverts to drawing as it is easier.

There are many tools built for left handed users, pencils, rulers, hammers, beverage cups, etc. Accept the challenge and teach or train your off hand to work for you.  Like anything else it may take a while but the new knowledge and practice can come in handy (pun intended).

[JHCC]

I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.

[ThomasPowers]

That is one way to do it!  I've known a number of people who had very bad breaks in their dominant arm and so learned to use the nondominant arm.  As to not being good with it:  How many years have you "practiced" with your dominant arm?  Spend the same number of years using your non-dominant arm and then tell us you are not good with it!

[Frosty]

You can teach your brain to use either hand for whatever task you set it. There are two issues to overcome: first is dominant eye, it's harder to learn to use your off eye as dominant or train you brain to use your dominant out of position. 

The biggest hurdle is not TRY to do it left handed. Once you get used to writing off handed the only thing you have to learn to do without thinking is write the right direction. Virtually anybody can sign their name recognizably with their off hand if they just do it without thinking. The rub though is it'll be backwards. 

Swinging a hammer is easier than holding the tongs off handed, it's hard to get your brain not to want to swing the tongs.

The major tricks are: don't THINK about or TRY to be "Left / right" handed, just do it. Secondly, practice like you were beginning it'll come to you more quickly than you'd think.

I dislocated my left collar bone years ago and oddly enough it made doing things right handed painfully difficult but I could use the injured arm for light weight work like writing and such. It took less than a week to become functionally ambidextrous for light tasks. I briefly played with hammering left handed at the anvil for some reason I don't recall and it felt like it'd come quickly. 

There is a lot about training your brain related to TBI and Stroke recovery. Brains are funny things, you can trick your own brain or give it orders. Weird stuff but useful.

Frosty The Lucky.

[SLAG]

Mr. JHCC,

You traded your right arm away for ambidexterity, about a year ago.

  I, also,  seem to remember that you offered same on another thread before that .

Are you, now, truly ambidextrous?

SLAG.

[LeeJustice]

Such a trade is impossible.  Without that right arm he would only be one armed!  I suppose that is a tongue in cheek remark.

[JHCC]

It's my disarming manner.

[ThomasPowers]

I thought you did that at your disarming manor?

[Frosty]

How many right arms are you down to now, John?

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

One fewer, and you can start calling me "Zaphod".

[Frosty]

I don't think you're two faced enough for the moniker. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

Friday:  John, there are  voluntary organizations that exist to help you recover from Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters....

[Jesse L]

I was really interested in this anvil, but I would need the shelf to be on the other side. 

[FlatLiner]

I know I don't have as much experience as others but I am not a fan of the shelf. That's why I like Holland's Swedish pattern anvil.