Nina Jones on wed 6 oct 99
Hi, everybody! Okay. Sitting to throw seems to be getting a really,
really bad rap here, so I don't know if I'll get a positive response
to this question, but: Since the traditional way to sit and throw
seems to be so gawd-awful for the back, does anyone know a way to make
it more back-friendly?
I have been sitting throwing for over a year now. If I feel my back
or shoulders getting "tired" I get up and do stretching exercises or
tend to some other task that needs to be done. I have heard from
other sources besides Clayart that standing to throw is the best way
to do it, and I am too much a baby in this area of the craft to
authoritatively state otherwise. My question is sincere. Can anyone
suggest an in-the-long-run, back-safe way to throw sitting? I'm going
to try the standing-to-throw method, but my legs will literally go
from under me when my ankles give, so standing for long periods to
throw is not a reasonable option for me.
Any suggestions?
Thank you,
Nina D. Jones
Southside Chicago
@ njones@winston.com
June Perry on thu 7 oct 99
Dear Nina:
A lot of back problems from throwing sitting down come from long,
uninterrupted sessions or from having your hip too low in relation to your
legs, or both. If you raise your hips a bit, when you bend forward, you get
more of a release of pressure on your back. I learned this from a friend who
was having back problems and had an expert in ergonomics??? watch her throw.
I would suggest breaking up your throwing session with other chores and make
sure that your chair raises your hips higher than your knees.
I hope I'm explaining this so it can be understood! :-)
Warm regards,
June
Steve Dalton on thu 7 oct 99
Nina,
My teacher always had us concave our backs with our butts basically out.
Hunching your back is what causes the problems.
I've gone to throwing standing up, but it wasn't because of my back.
Steve Dalton
----------
> From: Nina Jones
> To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
> Subject: Standing up throwing
> Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 14:57:45 EDT
>
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi, everybody! Okay. Sitting to throw seems to be getting a really,
>really bad rap here, so I don't know if I'll get a positive response
>to this question, but: Since the traditional way to sit and throw
>seems to be so gawd-awful for the back, does anyone know a way to make
>it more back-friendly?
>
>I have been sitting throwing for over a year now. If I feel my back
>or shoulders getting "tired" I get up and do stretching exercises or
>tend to some other task that needs to be done. I have heard from
>other sources besides Clayart that standing to throw is the best way
>to do it, and I am too much a baby in this area of the craft to
>authoritatively state otherwise. My question is sincere. Can anyone
>suggest an in-the-long-run, back-safe way to throw sitting? I'm going
>to try the standing-to-throw method, but my legs will literally go
>from under me when my ankles give, so standing for long periods to
>throw is not a reasonable option for me.
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>Thank you,
>Nina D. Jones
>Southside Chicago
>@ njones@winston.com
Jim Cullen on thu 7 oct 99
Nina, If you ever get out Naperville way you can try standing at my wheel.
I'm not trying to sell you on standing, but you could try it without making a
change to your own setup.
Send me an e-mail if the Western suburbs are ever in your plans.
KEEP CENTERED
Cullen
Naperville, Illinois
jcullen845@aol.com
Jennifer Boyer on thu 7 oct 99
Hi Nina,
I tried standing to throw for about 6 months once, and found
that I had as many problems with my legs and feet as I'd had
with my back. I think the height of your seat is critical. It
probably differs for everyone, but my like my seat just a little
lower than my wheel head. Also I keep my wheel set up very high
off the ground. I have a Pacifica and went to the local steel
supply co and got pipe cut to fit in the legs as extensions. I
think it helps to not bend your knees too much.
Hope this helps:
Jennifer at the end of a studio moving marathon. The kiln
bricking is above the burner ports. All is square, straight and
level. YESSSSSS!!! Up goes the arch next week.
Nina Jones wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi, everybody! Okay. Sitting to throw seems to be getting a really,
> really bad rap here, so I don't know if I'll get a positive response
> to this question, but: Since the traditional way to sit and throw
> seems to be so gawd-awful for the back, does anyone know a way to make
> it more back-friendly?
>
> I have been sitting throwing for over a year now. If I feel my back
> or shoulders getting "tired" I get up and do stretching exercises or
> tend to some other task that needs to be done. I have heard from
> other sources besides Clayart that standing to throw is the best way
> to do it, and I am too much a baby in this area of the craft to
> authoritatively state otherwise. My question is sincere. Can anyone
> suggest an in-the-long-run, back-safe way to throw sitting? I'm going
> to try the standing-to-throw method, but my legs will literally go
> from under me when my ankles give, so standing for long periods to
> throw is not a reasonable option for me.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thank you,
> Nina D. Jones
> Southside Chicago
> @ njones@winston.com
--
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jennifer Boyer jfboyer@sover.net
Thistle Hill Pottery
Vermont USA
http://www.vermontcrafts.com/members/ThistleHill.html
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
CINDI ANDERSON on thu 7 oct 99
No way I can throw standing up because I have orthostatic hypotension
(blood pressure drops when I stand.) But after a 5 day throwing class
where at the end of the first few days I could hardly stand, I came up
with the following (with the help of the awesome teacher Mary Law).
1. While I am centering, I am kind of hunched over when I pull the clay
up. But when I push the clay back down at a 45 degree angle to center
it, I always sit up very straight. Don't even think about it now, it's
just a habit. This 3-4 cycles of bending/straightening each time I
start a new pot makes all the difference to my back.
2. Plus, I put my chair as high as I can. It seems like this would make
you hunch more, but instead seems to make me bend at the waist more.
3. I don't sit 10 balls of clay next to me anymore. I only sit 2-3
maximum, so I have to get up and get clay on a regular basis. The other
benefit of 2 and 3 is that my knees don't lock up anymore either.
Cindi
Nina Jones wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi, everybody! Okay. Sitting to throw seems to be getting a really,
> really bad rap here, so I don't know if I'll get a positive response
> to this question, but: Since the traditional way to sit and throw
> seems to be so gawd-awful for the back, does anyone know a way to make
> it more back-friendly?
>
> I have been sitting throwing for over a year now. If I feel my back
> or shoulders getting "tired" I get up and do stretching exercises or
> tend to some other task that needs to be done. I have heard from
> other sources besides Clayart that standing to throw is the best way
> to do it, and I am too much a baby in this area of the craft to
> authoritatively state otherwise. My question is sincere. Can anyone
> suggest an in-the-long-run, back-safe way to throw sitting? I'm going
> to try the standing-to-throw method, but my legs will literally go
> from under me when my ankles give, so standing for long periods to
> throw is not a reasonable option for me.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thank you,
> Nina D. Jones
> Southside Chicago
> @ njones@winston.com
Thomas M. Aitken on fri 8 oct 99
Les Manning (used to run Banff centre in Alberta, Canada) has done alot
of research into how a person throws and how to sit when throwing. He is
an excellent teacher, he is doing a weekend throwing workshop at the
Gardiner Museum in Toronto, Canada (Oct. 23/24) the telephone number is
416- 586-8080.
Thomas Aitken
tma@interlog.com
June Perry wrote:
-----Original message-----
>
> A lot of back problems from throwing sitting down come from long,
> uninterrupted sessions or from having your hip too low in relation to your
> legs, or both. If you raise your hips a bit, when you bend forward, you get
> more of a release of pressure on your back. I learned this from a friend who
> was having back problems and had an expert in ergonomics??? watch her throw.
> I would suggest breaking up your throwing session with other chores and make
> sure that your chair raises your hips higher than your knees.
Paul Carlson on fri 17 dec 99
Nina Jones wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi, everybody! Okay. Sitting to throw seems to be getting a really,
> really bad rap here, so I don't know if I'll get a positive response
> to this question, but: Since the traditional way to sit and throw
> seems to be so gawd-awful for the back, does anyone know a way to make
> it more back-friendly?
>
Hi Nina,
I believe it is a matter of choice and what you are able to endure.
Both have high and low points. I was taught to throw from a sitting
position and made pots like that for years. I also realized that I was only
able to throw for a few hours before my back would start screaming. I
usually dropped a few Tylenol and called it a day. Once my throwing
abilities improved and demand for work increased, a few hours of throwing
was not enough. I recalled a workshop by John Tilton who is a stand-up
thrower. He throws fantastic pots while standing. I jacked up my wheel and
tried it out! I quickly discovered that I could throw late into the night.
Back problems disappeared and my work took a turn for the better. Way more
control with a few adjustments. I could stand back and look at my pots more
often. My only complaint is that I tend to lean on my left ankle in order
to control the foot pedal. It is a distraction more than anything. Get
two wheels and split the difference. Your back will appreciate it.
Paul Carlson
Paul Carlson Pottery
SCOX on sat 18 dec 99
Hi there Paul and others, I put my wheel on 4x4s and that small rise, compared
to standing, made throwing more pleasent. Sue Cox
Paul Carlson wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
> Nina Jones wrote:
>
> > ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> > Hi, everybody! Okay. Sitting to throw seems to be getting a really,
> > really bad rap here, so I don't know if I'll get a positive response
> > to this question, but: Since the traditional way to sit and throw
> > seems to be so gawd-awful for the back, does anyone know a way to make
> > it more back-friendly?
> >
>
> Hi Nina,
> I believe it is a matter of choice and what you are able to endure.
> Both have high and low points. I was taught to throw from a sitting
> position and made pots like that for years. I also realized that I was only
> able to throw for a few hours before my back would start screaming. I
> usually dropped a few Tylenol and called it a day. Once my throwing
> abilities improved and demand for work increased, a few hours of throwing
> was not enough. I recalled a workshop by John Tilton who is a stand-up
> thrower. He throws fantastic pots while standing. I jacked up my wheel and
> tried it out! I quickly discovered that I could throw late into the night.
> Back problems disappeared and my work took a turn for the better. Way more
> control with a few adjustments. I could stand back and look at my pots more
> often. My only complaint is that I tend to lean on my left ankle in order
> to control the foot pedal. It is a distraction more than anything. Get
> two wheels and split the difference. Your back will appreciate it.
>
> Paul Carlson
> Paul Carlson Pottery
Marshall Winer on sat 18 dec 99
Try putting a 2x4 under the back legs of your stool, makes it easier to
center and throw and is kinder to your back. Also get up and walk around
every 45 minutes then back to the wheel
Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year to all
Marshall Winer
Marshwin@aol.com
Bonnie Staffel on fri 9 may 03
Dear Clayarters,
I would suggest that you raise your wheel onto cement blocks or other such
substantial base. A friend of mine had hers built on a wooden platform.
She was asking me why her trimming looked chattered. Well, there was
vibration of the motor on the wooden platform that transferred to the pot
for trimming, hence a chatter pattern. Now if that is what you would like,
seems like a good plan for it.
I worked on a stand up kick wheel for twelve years so my ex bolted a 1 x 6
board for me to lean against. That gave me the push for centering. I did
get a crooked back from this though as I had to push the treadle a lot with
my left foot while standing on my right leg.
Regards, Bonnie Staffel
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