John Baymore on sat 9 oct 99
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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?
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Nina,
Hi. There are so many issues involved......... such things as individual
genetic predisposition to back problems, level of physical fitness, how
often you actually throw, your body part dimensions, and so on....... that
anytime someone says =22this is the only way=22....... they are probably not
taking ALL possible cases into account. You need to evaluate your personal
situation and make intelligent decisions from there.
If you have bad knees or ankles for example, and you MUST throw....... then
for you the risks to the back from sitting to throw may be less of a
concern than the risks to the knees or ankles in standing to throw. Of
course not throwing at all is the least risky to any part of the
body.......... but as we all know here on CLAYART, an addiction is a
terrible thing =3Cg=3E.
If you throw sitting down or standing up, utilizing the best posture
possible and a little critical looking at the biomechanics of HOW you work
would be a good idea. I find that when teaching throwing to intermediate
potters I end up doing a lot of fine tuning of hand/arm/body position to
allow people to utilize their physical capapbilities to the best level
possible advantage.... and to eliminate situations that place undue,
unnecessary stress on various body parts. (Beginners get clued in to
biomechanics right off.) Stand 10 potters side by side and you'll find the
dimensions of things like leg length, arm length, and so on all different.
So the =22working setup=22 has to be tailored a bit to the individual.
Repetitive stress injuries are just that...... induced from constant
repetitive motions. Doesn't mean that you can't screw up your wrist badly
on one single botched centering job on a lump of clay.... but most problems
are incremental and chronic. So breaking up what you do certainly is a
good start. Vary tasks all day. Take a break. Take a walk.
Getting into and maintaining reasonable physical fittness is probably one
of the best preventatives for physical injuries. A lot of back problems
can be traced to poor muscle tone in the back, upper legs, and abdomen.
You also can't completely seperate other studio tasks from throwing as
possible back stressors. The totality of the insults from all sources will
add up. Nothing like lifting a top layer kiln shelf into the back of a
front loader for stressing out the back =3Cwg=3E. (I use a back belt when
loading kilns, cutting/stacking wood and so on.)
Also, if you want to play =22machine=22 and try to throw a gazillion pieces =
a
year and sell them for next to nothing.... you are probably stressing your
body more than if you make only a few pieces and sell them for a big bundle
each. Part of the strategizing about what it is that you want to make and
what the =22costs=22 of production are =3Cg=3E. If you are willing to take =
the
risks... then the high volume approach is OK. If not.... maybe reconsider.
I have come across many a =22piecework thrower=22 over the years that has
incredible throwing skills and also hand/wrist/back problems to go with the
skills aquired through the huge numbers of repetitions of forms. Of
course, I also know plenty of old timers that crank em' out with great
skill and have no such problems. Probably back to the luck of =22fishing in
the gene pool=22 =3Cg=3E.
If you sit to throw..... I think it is best to try to bend forward from the
hip, not the waist/lower back. If you don't actually have to lean far
forward for some specific reason dictated by what you are doing at the
time, stay more upright.
BTW....... I am VERY happy with the saddle-like potters stool with the
adjustment for pelvic tilt and the lower back support (I think it is
Creative Industries and sells in the =24150 range). Had it for about 3 =
years
now out of 30 as a potter. Takes some getting used to at first... but it
is great for helping (not solving the problem) to keep a reasonable curve
in the lower back when sitting and throwing. Bend the back support bracket
a little more forward than the way it comes to get a better supportive fit.
Play with the saddle tilt angle for your build and the height you like to
sit relative to the wheel head top surface.
A few thoughts... I'm sure you'll get more.
BEst,
....................john
John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086 USA
603-654-2752
JBaymore=40compuserve.com
John.Baymore=40GSD-CO.COM
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