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bad backs and handbuilding

updated wed 9 dec 09

 

lili krakowski on sun 6 dec 09


A friend with recently acquired serious back problem and pains wants me =3D
to teach her to throw. We can't do that till next Summer anyhow so that =
=3D
is not the problem now.

However handbuilding is. Would those who have been there and done that =3D
give me few clues about whats and whatnots? I realize that how she =3D
feels is part of it all--but wedging for instance...and rolling things =3D
out...good, bad, do it by "ear"?
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage

bill lee on sun 6 dec 09


Lili,
=3DA0I handbuild exclusively standing up, and I never have back pain like w=
he=3D
n I am sitting down at a desk all day or going for a long walk.=3DA0 Bill

Bill Lee, Clay Artist=3D20
111 Lynnview Dr
Knoxville, TN 37918
(865) 566 2710www.billleeclay.com=3D20
www.southernhighlandguild.org/billlee=3DA0workshops available

--- On Sun, 12/6/09, lili krakowski wrote:

From: lili krakowski
Subject: Bad backs and handbuilding
To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Sunday, December 6, 2009, 10:33 AM

A friend with recently acquired serious back problem and pains wants me to =
=3D
teach her to throw.=3DA0 We can't do that till next Summer anyhow so that i=
s =3D
not the problem now.

However handbuilding is.=3DA0 Would those who have been there and done that=
g=3D
ive me=3DA0 few clues about whats and whatnots?=3DA0 I realize that how she=
fee=3D
ls is part of it all--but wedging for instance...and rolling things out...g=
=3D
ood, bad, do it by "ear"?
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A

John Connolly on sun 6 dec 09


Unless you are reclaiming clay, wedging is not the issue for handbuilding t=
=3D
hat it is for throwing. Generally I just cut a large piece from a pug and u=
=3D
se it for either several rolls or applications to the form.


John Connolly in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

--- On Sun, 12/6/09, lili krakowski wrote:


From: lili krakowski
Subject: Bad backs and handbuilding
To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Sunday, December 6, 2009, 7:33 AM


A friend with recently acquired serious back problem and pains wants me to =
=3D
teach her to throw.=3DA0 We can't do that till next Summer anyhow so that i=
s =3D
not the problem now.

However handbuilding is.=3DA0 Would those who have been there and done that=
g=3D
ive me=3DA0 few clues about whats and whatnots?=3DA0 I realize that how she=
fee=3D
ls is part of it all--but wedging for instance...and rolling things out...g=
=3D
ood, bad, do it by "ear"?
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A

Randall Moody on sun 6 dec 09


I rarely wedge my clay for hand building. If you cut it off of the fresh
bagged lump of clay there is no need. (My opinion of course) It is only
after you have trimmings or leavings that you will need to wedge them .


--Randall in Atlanta--



-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of lili krakowski
Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2009 10:34 AM
To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Bad backs and handbuilding

A friend with recently acquired serious back problem and pains wants me to
teach her to throw. We can't do that till next Summer anyhow so that is no=
t
the problem now.

However handbuilding is. Would those who have been there and done that giv=
e
me few clues about whats and whatnots? I realize that how she feels is
part of it all--but wedging for instance...and rolling things out...good,
bad, do it by "ear"?
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage

Snail Scott on mon 7 dec 09


On Dec 6, 2009, at 9:33 AM, lili krakowski wrote:
> ... handbuilding is...Would those who have been there and done that
> give me few clues about whats and whatnots? I realize that how she
> feels is part of it all--but wedging for instance...and rolling things
> out...good, bad, do it by "ear"?
>

I never wedge unless I'm throwing on the wheel.

Rolling: when doing slabs, I tend to make pancakes
of clay a bit thicker than I need, lute the edges loosely,
then roll with a rolling pin. Flip over only if the clay
is the fussy sort. If flipping, just pick up the whole piece
between two pieces of cloth (the one you rolled it on
first, and the fresh one), and do a 'flop'. This is only if
the panckaes tend to separate on the bottom side.
Still easier than rolling one thick lump into a flat slab.
However, I seldom use slabs. I coil-and-pinch almost
exclusively.

I think I may have developed my habit for coilbuilding
when I had limited workspace, and for coiling all I need
is my bin of clay and my work pedestal. I don't roll my
coils; l just squeeze them out in my hands, irregular and
thickish, and plop them into place. Rolling, like slabbing,
takes up workspace, and I don't see the need for round
coils. I'll be pinching the whole piece into shape as I go,
so thickness becomes height (aka fewer coils), and
unevenness just gets worked in.

I occasionally had back problems after a car accident,
and sitting/leaning over for hours was bad. Standing
every now and then and varying my posture worked
wonders. Although my back problems are my very own
(I do best if I lift heavy objects the wrong way on a
regular basis), I suspect that varying work postures is
a good thing for most people.

I also worked sitting on a kneeler-type chair (where your
weight rests on shin pads) which was very helpful after
the accident. I noted than they are not created equal,
however - some designs are worse than a church pew!

I find that working close to the body is often better than
continually reaching and leaning, but again, that's
personal; no one's back is like mine (or hers).

Your friend will best know her own back's needs, but
keeping a straight spine rather than hunching over is
usually a good place to start, and may involve trying
various chairs, stools, standing, and/or alternate
table heights. Height can make a huge difference!
Working with a board on her lap, feet up on a stool,
may even be an option worth trying.

-Snail

Lis Allison on tue 8 dec 09


On Monday 07 December 2009, Snail Scott wrote:

> Rolling: when doing slabs, I tend to make pancakes
> of clay a bit thicker than I need, lute the edges loosely,
> then roll with a rolling pin. Flip over only if the clay
> is the fussy sort. If flipping, just pick up the whole piece
> between two pieces of cloth (the one you rolled it on
> first, and the fresh one), and do a 'flop'. This is only if
> the panckaes tend to separate on the bottom side.
> Still easier than rolling one thick lump into a flat slab.

For those of you with the kind of slab roller that moves the roller over
the clay, have you tried this: put a sheet of cotton (ripped up old bed
sheet) on the slab roller bed. Put your chunk of clay on top. Cover with
another sheet of cotton and flip the canvas over it. Roll. Now flip back
the canvas, peel off the top cotton, replace it turned 90degrees, turn and
flip the clay so that the bottom cotton is now the top and it is now at
90degrees to the direction of the rolling. Remove the top cotton, and
either replace with a slightly thicker cotton (an old canvas works great)
or just replace it turned to match the bottom cotton. Re-roll.

No need for rolling pins, which always, in my experience, leave dents, and
real quick to do. Perfect slabs, every time.

Lis


--
Elisabeth Allison
Pine Ridge Studio
www.Pine-Ridge-Studio.blogspot.com

Snail Scott on tue 8 dec 09


> On Monday 07 December 2009, Snail Scott wrote:
>> Rolling: when doing slabs, I tend to make pancakes
>> of clay a bit thicker than I need, lute the edges loosely,
>> then roll with a rolling pin...

On Dec 8, 2009, at 8:11 AM, Lis Allison wrote:
> For those of you with the kind of slab roller that moves the roller
> over
> the clay, have you tried this...


I should have been clearer: no slabroller, this
is just my rolling pin, a tabletop, and me.

I make large slabs by overlapping and lightly
luting small, slightly thicker slabs that are just
rough-cut from the pug or chunk. I find it's kinder
to roll a slab that's already halfway to flat than
to cudgel a big thick chunk into a wide flat slab.

Sometimes this leaves traces of seams on the
back side, so in those cases I flip the slab before
it's rolled to final thickness, but not all clay bodies
require this. My handbuilding clay is very forgiving
of half-assed joining, so I seldom have trouble with
this, but many clays need both sides rolled.

-Snail