tips

1. a friend suggested that before i re-drill my sloppy fitting bats that i
simply exchange the pin heads for new ones. sure enough the old pin heads were
worn to the point of making my bat holes fit sloppy! and here i was thinking i
was just using the wrong kind of bats! and also putting off the task of
re-drilling ALL my bats.

try it before spending the time drilling new bat holes. it's funny how most
ALL of my sloppy bats are suddenly ok again??


2. another friend showed me his method of making lids at the last minute - and
zapping them in his microwave for about 2 minutes to force them leather dry
real fast to trim RIGHT NOW. useful if you forgot to make a lid, or messed up
a lid.

he threw off the hump and essentually kept some of the huimp material as a clay
bat for later trim use.

the concept of using the microwave to trim something so fast from just thrown
is pretty neat.

see ya

steve


steve graber

"Slgraber" wrote in message
...
1. a friend suggested that before i re-drill my sloppy fitting bats that
i
simply exchange the pin heads for new ones. sure enough the old pin heads
were
worn to the point of making my bat holes fit sloppy! and here i was
thinking i
was just using the wrong kind of bats! and also putting off the task of
re-drilling ALL my bats.

try it before spending the time drilling new bat holes. it's funny how
most
ALL of my sloppy bats are suddenly ok again??


2. another friend showed me his method of making lids at the last
minute - and
zapping them in his microwave for about 2 minutes to force them leather
dry
real fast to trim RIGHT NOW. useful if you forgot to make a lid, or
messed up
a lid.

he threw off the hump and essentually kept some of the huimp material as a
clay
bat for later trim use.

the concept of using the microwave to trim something so fast from just
thrown
is pretty neat.

see ya

steve


steve graber

Steve:
A very interesting concept, but I have a question or two:
How does your friend address the moisture content in the clay when put in
the nukebox?
The moisture has to go somewhere, since most nukeboxes don't vent well, and
thrown clay
(especially what is left as the hump) has additional moisture as a result of
being thrown.
Is here a method you use to remove it prior to heating or just mop out the
inside of the oven
afterward? Seems to me that it would be hard to get the clay to leather
hard if it were dripping wet.
What am I missing here?
May I assume that plastic or wood bats are being used, and that the clay is
not removed from them before putting it in the oven?
That would make it much easier to trim afterward, since it is still "stuck"
to the bat.

Wayne in Key West

don't worry about the moisture - but also don't nuke the pot for "too long".
30 seconds to 2 minutes seems to work out ok. even a couple of shots at 30
seconds is a good way to sneak up on leather. overall the clay seems to be
robust enough to handle that. (we were using cone 10 soldate 60).

i haven't tried to simply nuke a pot till it explodes in the microwave. i
think my wife would shoot me if i did that...

see ya

steve






Subject: tips
From: "psci_kw"
Date: 7/13/2003 7:40 AM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:


"Slgraber" wrote in message
...
1. a friend suggested that before i re-drill my sloppy fitting bats that
i
simply exchange the pin heads for new ones. sure enough the old pin heads
were
worn to the point of making my bat holes fit sloppy! and here i was
thinking i
was just using the wrong kind of bats! and also putting off the task of
re-drilling ALL my bats.

try it before spending the time drilling new bat holes. it's funny how
most
ALL of my sloppy bats are suddenly ok again??


2. another friend showed me his method of making lids at the last
minute - and
zapping them in his microwave for about 2 minutes to force them leather
dry
real fast to trim RIGHT NOW. useful if you forgot to make a lid, or
messed up
a lid.

he threw off the hump and essentually kept some of the huimp material as a
clay
bat for later trim use.

the concept of using the microwave to trim something so fast from just
thrown
is pretty neat.

see ya

steve


steve graber

Steve:
A very interesting concept, but I have a question or two:
How does your friend address the moisture content in the clay when put in
the nukebox?
The moisture has to go somewhere, since most nukeboxes don't vent well, and
thrown clay
(especially what is left as the hump) has additional moisture as a result of
being thrown.
Is here a method you use to remove it prior to heating or just mop out the
inside of the oven
afterward? Seems to me that it would be hard to get the clay to leather
hard if it were dripping wet.
What am I missing here?
May I assume that plastic or wood bats are being used, and that the clay is
not removed from them before putting it in the oven?
That would make it much easier to trim afterward, since it is still "stuck"
to the bat.

Wayne in Key West


steve graber

"Slgraber" wrote in message
...
don't worry about the moisture - but also don't nuke the pot for "too
long".
30 seconds to 2 minutes seems to work out ok. even a couple of shots at
30
seconds is a good way to sneak up on leather. overall the clay seems to
be
robust enough to handle that. (we were using cone 10 soldate 60).

i haven't tried to simply nuke a pot till it explodes in the microwave. i
think my wife would shoot me if i did that...

see ya

steve


Thanks Steve. I'm going to try that, as soon as I pick up a "used"
microwave
from a yard sale. Gotta keep the SO happy :)
Wayne in Key West

A propane torch also works nicely to quickly dry out pieces if needed.
Works nicely while still spinning on the wheel so you don't get one
spot too hot. I have used this on occasion to save pieces that were
getting to soft while throwing. Microwaving sounds interesting too
however I would be careful not to heat too long or you could pop-out a
spot (like chicken does).

"psci_kw" wrote in message .. .
"Slgraber" wrote in message
...
don't worry about the moisture - but also don't nuke the pot for "too
long".
30 seconds to 2 minutes seems to work out ok. even a couple of shots at
30
seconds is a good way to sneak up on leather. overall the clay seems to
be
robust enough to handle that. (we were using cone 10 soldate 60).

i haven't tried to simply nuke a pot till it explodes in the microwave. i
think my wife would shoot me if i did that...

see ya

steve


Thanks Steve. I'm going to try that, as soon as I pick up a "used"
microwave
from a yard sale. Gotta keep the SO happy :)
Wayne in Key West

I use a heat gun, you know for stripping paint.
Leave the piece on the wheel turning slowly and point the heat gun at it.
This is really useful if you want to alter your thrown piece you can quickly
get it to just the right stage so that the outside is dry enough to touch
without marking but it is still flexible enough to alter.
Annemarie

"Brad Panek" wrote in message
m...
A propane torch also works nicely to quickly dry out pieces if needed.
Works nicely while still spinning on the wheel so you don't get one
spot too hot. I have used this on occasion to save pieces that were
getting to soft while throwing. Microwaving sounds interesting too
however I would be careful not to heat too long or you could pop-out a
spot (like chicken does).

"psci_kw" wrote in message
.. .
"Slgraber" wrote in message
...
don't worry about the moisture - but also don't nuke the pot for "too
long".
30 seconds to 2 minutes seems to work out ok. even a couple of shots
at
30
seconds is a good way to sneak up on leather. overall the clay seems
to
be
robust enough to handle that. (we were using cone 10 soldate 60).

i haven't tried to simply nuke a pot till it explodes in the
microwave. i
think my wife would shoot me if i did that...

see ya

steve


Thanks Steve. I'm going to try that, as soon as I pick up a "used"
microwave
from a yard sale. Gotta keep the SO happy :)
Wayne in Key West