elaine clapper Posted October 28, 2020 Report Share Posted October 28, 2020 Does anyone get bumps, calluses or blisters on the knuckle of throwing hand? I guess I must drag my knuckle on the bat as I am centering. Never noticed it hurting. I have been throwing for 20 years, but this has only been happening in the last year. Anyone have any ideas to treat to prevent this? Maybe just getting old? I am 66, but I heard the 60's are the new 40's. Stopping my work on the wheel is not going to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sorcery Posted October 28, 2020 Report Share Posted October 28, 2020 2 hours ago, elaine clapper said: Stopping my work on the wheel is not going to happen Mic Drop. Sorce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liambesaw Posted October 28, 2020 Report Share Posted October 28, 2020 I never get callouses or blisters, but my hands get dry occasionally and will split. Especially during the winter. It feels fine once I get clay on my hands so I try to just keep my hands covered in clay as much as possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted October 29, 2020 Report Share Posted October 29, 2020 I now wear thin disp. gloves as I wear away my finger nails to the raw flesh when picking up the clay from wheel head..Too old to learn new tricks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted October 29, 2020 Report Share Posted October 29, 2020 All finger joints are larger and arthritic -lumby finger joints -45 years of heavy pottery work-so yes I'm 67 and been into clay since 18 full time since 76-hands are shot. I get cramps in fingers where they just will not work.No blisters In terms of a contact I occansionally drag a finger on bat while trimming a 40 bowls for example and my skin getts thin maybe bleeds. I tend to do this in cycles -I'm aware and stop it I space it and och. Sure no skin for fingerprints (no I phone print on and off-passwords only) Dry finger tips that bleed-usually always -I use suoper glue to glue them and it works great. get the locktite brand as it keeps for a year and does not dry out. I used to get raw fingers but now aboutr 1/2 time use a really beater (3 inch round sponge) to make the contact with the clay on the inside. Porcelain shows the blood so much better than stoneware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted October 29, 2020 Report Share Posted October 29, 2020 But of iron flashing in the glaze, keep up the iron tablets. Yeh cramps a beech! Magnesium....lick the matte glazed plates:-)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted October 29, 2020 Report Share Posted October 29, 2020 14 hours ago, liambesaw said: I try to just keep my hands covered in clay as much as possible *Imagines a person walking around in public, opening doors getting groceries, with hands coated in clay* I rarely get blisters or anything of the like anymore. The clay I use is relatively smooth. Like others have said, my hands will get dry and crack, especially in the Winter months. To avoid this, I just rinse my hands with water, not wash with soap, until I am DONE, done for the day, and use lotion before I start, part way through, and when I am done. I did have a sore spot on the side of my hand, in my College Ceramics course. The studio clay had some aggressive grog in it, and when it takes you awhile to center, it was like setting your hand on a sanding belt. Covering it with Liquid Band-Aid did nothing to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted October 29, 2020 Report Share Posted October 29, 2020 Am not throwing enough to wear through skin to blood (yet - have gone through ten fingers smoothing caulking, back in the trade days), but enough to encourage callousing fingertips and along the edge o' th' hands though, and enough to be mostly aware of keeping fingernail edges away from clay, for they wear away. In my wettest days (my own swimming, instructing others, maintaining a public pool, and several hot showers, ebery day), was taping nails to keep 'em curved down, for they would curl up when finally drying out. In my workiest days, would build a layer of two part epoxy (such a blessing when the five minute kind came out) on fingernails to give growth a chance to keep up with wear - experimenting with several coatings, saw dust was a good one, fine dust, not little chips ("What have your done with your fingernails?" meh, either way, frazzled stumps or glue festooned Halloweeners, what to do...). Have got close to gluing up when throwing a lot (haha, for me), then I just take a day off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elaine clapper Posted October 29, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2020 I am going to try putting waterproof bandaides on the top knuckles of my throwing hand. We will see if that works. That for the commiseration, misery does love company! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted October 29, 2020 Report Share Posted October 29, 2020 If you're not using said knuckles for somethin' skill, try waterproof adhesive tape over a bit of gauze (well greased with Neosporin or polysporin...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted October 29, 2020 Report Share Posted October 29, 2020 I was throwing some Laguna Speckled buff and it was sanding my skin off because my knuckle was against the wheel head. I started working the pot about a quarter of a inch above the wheel head, this left a ridge of clay I had to trim. I don 't mind throwing in latex gloves, I just tend to go through them pretty fast. Denice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnolia Mud Research Posted October 29, 2020 Report Share Posted October 29, 2020 Consider using a wooden rib about the size of a finger instead of your real finger to move clay away from where the wheel and the clay meet. Made mine from yaupon tree trimmings about the size of a finger; was easy to make with a grinding wheel. LT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liambesaw Posted October 29, 2020 Report Share Posted October 29, 2020 34 minutes ago, Magnolia Mud Research said: Consider using a wooden rib about the size of a finger instead of your real finger to move clay away from where the wheel and the clay meet. Made mine from yaupon tree trimmings about the size of a finger; was easy to make with a grinding wheel. LT There's a tool called a sculptors thumb for this and I tried so many times to use it and have given up. I wasn't using it for this, but for trying to move more clay when throwing big. It looks like a wooden slug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted November 1, 2020 Report Share Posted November 1, 2020 On 10/29/2020 at 5:15 PM, liambesaw said: There's a tool called a sculptors thumb for this and I tried so many times to use it and have given up. I wasn't using it for this, but for trying to move more clay when throwing big. It looks like a wooden slug. I have one, but I mainly only use it to add a more defined groove, when I adding surface decorations, or use it to pop out the square insert in my Wonderbat (They get a bit snug after absorbing some water). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted November 1, 2020 Report Share Posted November 1, 2020 On 10/29/2020 at 1:10 PM, Denice said: I was throwing some Laguna Speckled buff and it was sanding my skin off because my knuckle was against the wheel head. I started working the pot about a quarter of a inch above the wheel head, this left a ridge of clay I had to trim. I don 't mind throwing in latex gloves, I just tend to go through them pretty fast. Denice try the nitrile gloves thay last much longer-I'm now glazing in them as I can get a few days from one pair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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