QotW: Whether hand building or throwing, assembling or decorating, do you stand or sit?

[Pres]

Hi folks, no new questions in the pool. . . but I have been thinking, and doing some reading.

Often when working I stand, especially when handbuilding, Standing gives me much more leverage when wedging, rolling out slabs or coils. Later, when assembling I find myself standing over the banding wheel while working and while analyzing and planning the next stages of the piece. I stand when putting handles on thrown mugs and other forms. I stand when decorating with brush work and other forms. For me standing gives me more control over my view of the pot from different angles, up and down. I think much of this comes from standing in front of an easel when working with canvas or stretched watercolor paper.  

However, when it comes to throwing, I still sit with an adjustable chair that has a tilt leaning me towards the wheel. I often will change the height of the chair when throwing as the pot gets taller or if throwing off the hump. I often will end up standing in final stages of tall pieces so that I can reach with a straight arm down into the form. Everything seems quite natural, and I have not had back problems in many years, so do as I have come to be used to.

So I will ask this: QotW: Whether hand building or throwing, assembling or decorating, do you stand or sit?

 

best,

Pres

[Hulk]

My wedging area is a good height for standing, and I find it easier that way - leverage? The glaze mixing space - at the exhaust fan intake - requires standing. When glazing, I'm standing when stirring and dipping. There are several other tasks that require standing, and I get up from the wheel fairly often.

Otherwise, I'm looking to have a seat - several lil' nagging conditions make being on my feet a lot uncomfortable.

Also, at the wheel I'm dependent on the splash pan and my knee area for bracing arms/hands.

Your question has me reflecting on the many adjustments made, over the years, t' work around, aaah, limitations. I'm very fortunate!

[Denice]

Sit for throwing,  mostly standing for hand building,  usually up and down like a yo yo.   Use to sit a lot because of my bad feet, now that I am older everything hurts so I just keep moving.  Denice

[neilestrick]

My wheel and primary work table are set for standing. Occasionally I will sit on a tall stool while decorating, but for the most part I do everything while standing. Back when I set up my wheel for standing I realized just how much of my energy was going into getting up and down from a seated position. Working in a standing position I can move about more and take advantage of a larger work area instead of always moving things into and out of a small seated work area.

[Min]

I stand for both throwing and handbuilding, only exception is when I'm putting handles on mugs. When I originally started throwing while standing it was because of an injured sciatic nerve running down the back of my leg (piriformis syndrome) and thought I'ld go back to sitting while throwing after it healed, with a better stool, but it didn't take long to realize how much I prefer to stand so I continued to do so. Don't know if anyone else has injured their sciatic from leaning on the edge of a stool while throwing but that's how I did it, took around 5 years to stop tingling/hurting while nerve damage healed. Still have some nerve damage/numbness down the back of that leg.  Apart from saving getting up and down like a yoyo it seems there are heart health benefits from not sitting too much so theres that bonus too. 

Edited June 10, 2021 by Min

[LeeU]

The only time I sit is for glazing and only in time limited sessions. I stand for everything else (no longer do much wheelwork, tho if I do I use a chair). My body prefers that I stand, but even that not for too too long. I get consistent bi-weekly chiropractic adjustments and that has been a life-saver for being able to keep working at all! I did not know this was possible, but the chiro has even reduced--yes, reduced--some arthritis in my left shoulder that was restricting my neck movement! The other major assist was getting the Thermal-lite shelves for my large L&L short kiln, so I can load/unload the shelves with relative ease now. 

 

[Chilly]

I don't throw.

I stand for 99% of the time, moving around from this bench to that, finding a tool, stamping my feet to warm them in the winter.  Moving in or out of the shade in summer.  

I sometimes sit when glazing, but not in my studio, only at the centre. 

I did sit last summer, but only because I put a low table under a gazebo to create shade when it was really bright.