David Hendley on sun 28 mar 04
Bruce, I recommend that you stand up to throw. It's much more
relaxing and easier on your back. You can simply set your wheel
up on cinder blocks to try it, and if you like it, build a real stand.
For me the right height is 18 1/2", which is a cinder block (16")
and a firebrick 2 /12").
Actually "throwing standing up" is somewhat of a misnomer. What I,
and most other standing throwers, do is actually "throwing while leaning".
To me, it is actually pretty tiring to stand. Leaning, with bent knees
and most of my weight on one leg, however, is relaxing.
You need to position your wheel so you have a wall, shelf, or some
other stationary object to lean against.
The best article to read on the subject is on line at the Studio Potter
website, at http://www.studiopotter.org/articles/?art=art0008
In it John Glick shows you how to build a brace to lean against.
David Hendley
david@farmpots.com
http://www.farmpots.com
----- Original Message -----
> I have thrown on a Kick Wheel for umpteen years. I purchased a standard
> wheel and have been throwing on it for a several weeks. I feel a little
> scrunched up after sitting almost upright on a kick wheel. I have a padded
> drum's type adjustable seat. I notice that I have a pain on the inside of
> both knees a little bit below the center, again on the inside. When I get
up
> from the wheel my knees ache and are a little stiff. I do NOT squeeze the
> wheel with my knees. It remains achy all day and at night have been
putting
> a pillow between my knees and this helps but the problem still persists.
>
> Does anyone have the same problem or suggestion? It would be greatly
> appreciated.
DEBBYGrant@AOL.COM on sun 28 mar 04
Hi Bruce,
I have had the same problem for years but have never thought to blame it on
my Randal wheel which always seemed to be very comfortable. I had arthroscopic
surgery on my left knee 6 years ago but it has never gotten any better. As it
hapens, I do not kick with my left leg so I don't really think the wheel is
at fault. Rather, I think it is a question of old age as I am in my 70s. I am
also having pain in my thumbs which I do blame on throwing. The doctor has
just put me on a new non steroidal pill called Bextra. I have taken it for two
days and the results have been remarkable and have not upset my stomach. Check
your knee out with your doctor.
Debby Grant in NH
Bruce Freund on sun 28 mar 04
I have thrown on a Kick Wheel for umpteen years. I purchased a standard
wheel and have been throwing on it for a several weeks. I feel a little
scrunched up after sitting almost upright on a kick wheel. I have a padded
drum's type adjustable seat. I notice that I have a pain on the inside of
both knees a little bit below the center, again on the inside. When I get up
from the wheel my knees ache and are a little stiff. I do NOT squeeze the
wheel with my knees. It remains achy all day and at night have been putting
a pillow between my knees and this helps but the problem still persists.
Does anyone have the same problem or suggestion? It would be greatly
appreciated.
bruce freund
pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on sun 28 mar 04
Hi Bruce,
If I understand you correctly here...my thought would be for
you to try making the Wheel, and your Stool, a little
taller...maybe several inches...with the Wheel being made
proportionately 'taller'...
In other words, duplicate the old ratios...for your posture
to be about the same as it was...
Phil
Las Vegas
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce Freund"
> I have thrown on a Kick Wheel for umpteen years. I
purchased a standard
> wheel and have been throwing on it for a several weeks. I
feel a little
> scrunched up after sitting almost upright on a kick wheel.
I have a padded
> drum's type adjustable seat. I notice that I have a pain
on the inside of
> both knees a little bit below the center, again on the
inside. When I get up
> from the wheel my knees ache and are a little stiff. I do
NOT squeeze the
> wheel with my knees. It remains achy all day and at night
have been putting
> a pillow between my knees and this helps but the problem
still persists.
>
> Does anyone have the same problem or suggestion? It would
be greatly
> appreciated.
>
> bruce freund
>
>
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sdr on sun 28 mar 04
Bruce said:
I purchased a standard
> wheel and have been throwing on it for a several weeks. I feel a little
> scrunched up after sitting almost upright on a kick wheel. I have a padded
> drum's type adjustable seat. I notice that I have a pain on the inside of
> both knees a little bit below the center, again on the inside. When I get
up
> from the wheel my knees ache and are a little stiff.........
Well, Bruce, I suggest either raising the wheel
so you can throw standing - my preference - or
getting a tall stool (I use a 24" stool for throwing,
if I throw sitting down). A tall stool will relieve
your knees, and keep your back stretched out
instead of curved over when you center. Plus,
it's easier to throw tall forms from a tall stool.
regards
Dannon Rhudy
Culling on mon 29 mar 04
Hi Bruce,
Is it possible your knees are angled out /feet angled in? I find this
happens to me with the venco machines I often demo on and all I need is a
way of extending the peddle out further to get my lgs straighter - my
husband worked out an extentsion and made it much more comfortable -much
less stress on my joints.- rased the wheel up too so I sit straighter.
Good luck
Steph
Mitch Kotula on mon 29 mar 04
If you keep your foot on the pedal while you throw
your body is off-balance and strained because the
opposite foot is on the floor. Put a brick under the
non-pedal foot and you eliminate the strain.
Mitch
=====
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Development Plus
PO Box 2076
Hamilton, MT 59840-4076
406-961-5136 (Home)
406-546-6980 (Cell)
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John Jensen on mon 29 mar 04
I'm another person who has been standing to throw, and I have had no
problems with back, knees, ankles, or any other body part. I set up my
wheel so that I would have a place to lean, but I never use it. I work
with one foot on the foot pedal and the other foot on the floor. Though
it sounds unbalanced and uncomfortable, I feel fine. I do lean in
toward the work...I have a sort of splash guard I rigged up and I tend
to lean into that. This year I built a second work area and in that
studio I rigged the wheel to operate from seated position. I have a
fairly tall stool (24 inches) and rigged to wheel to feel comfortable at
that height. Right now the wheel head is about 26 inches from the floor.
So far so good. I find that I like to rest my left leg up on a box
while the other is on the foot pedal. It's a work in progress. The
standing rig has been unchanged through many tens of thousands of pots
and works fine.
John Jensen, Mudbug Pottery
mudbug@toadhouse.com , http://www.toadhouse.com
Lee Love on mon 29 mar 04
Bruce Freund wrote:
>Does anyone have the same problem or suggestion? It would be greatly
>appreciated.
>
>
>
Bruce, I found that I lost many of my throwing aches and pains when
I switched to a Korean kickwheel. The leg exercise helps keep them
limber and the throwing platform helps posture too.
What I did with my Shimpo back in St. Paul is set it on
crates. I then used a bar stool as a seat. This allowed me to
extend my legs, but there was space on the crate that the Shimpo did not
take up, where I could put my feet when I needed the stability for
centering or trimming. Not sure if crates would work for your type of
wheel. Would cement blocks or something else?
-- Lee In Mashiko http://mashiko.us
Jennifer Buckner on mon 29 mar 04
As someone who finds it hard to stand straight after little more than half
an hour sitting at a Pacifica wheel, albeit one raised to the highest
extension of its 10" legs, I'm interested to see several experienced
potters write about throwing standing up. I may modify my working
conditions to allow for this in my own studio.
However, David Henley said (I think) his wheel is up on 18" blocks, and
John Jensen said his wheel head stands 26" from the floor. As I don't know
how tall you gents are this gives me no idea of where that puts the wheel
in relation to you. John Glick's article says navel height works best. Is
this about where it is for you two?
Jennifer (Lake Champlain Islands, VT)
Jennifer G. Buckner jenniverre@earthlink.net
John Jensen on mon 29 mar 04
Hoping I don't contribute to any confusion: When I referred to the 26
inch height that was in reference to the wheel I use when seated on a 24
inch stool...putting the wheelhead two inches above my seat. The wheel
I use when standing is 41 inches, which is just a couple of inches below
my navel...sort of just where my hands rest when centering with my
elbows almost at ninety degrees.
John Jensen, Mudbug Pottery
mudbug@toadhouse.com , http://www.toadhouse.com
Bruce Freund on mon 29 mar 04
Hi Debby,
I just sold my Randall wheel. It was a beaut... Position on the wheel was
hurting my back. Got a standard wheel and now my knees are killing me. Maybe
should not have sold the wheel.
Thank you for the concern. It is much appreciated that you would take your
time and try to help me out.
Best of the best,
bruce freund
Ivor and Olive Lewis on tue 30 mar 04
Dear Mitch,
Go one step further.
Use bricks for both feet, but just support the heel of the pedal foot
on the brick.
Then change your seating. Raise the seat of the chair or stool so that
the surface which forms when you sit on it is level with the wheel
head. Having a seat platform which slopes down towards the wheel head
helps as well.
Best regards
Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia
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