Making your own pottery equipment... Cheap

[Lawrence Weathers]

In getting my studio set up after a 40 year detour, I did not want to spend a huge amount of money. I began making all varieties of things myself. It turned out to be much simpler, easier than I initially anticipated. Three of my projects ended up being published in ceramics journals. They are attached to comments to this topic. I also have a number of other projects for which I have not not been written up for publication that I will be adding as comments to this topic.  I invite others to add descriptions of their projects to this topic.

[Lawrence Weathers]

If you find yourself losing your throwing tools while you are sitting at the wheel, attached is a description of how to use small magnets to keep them visible, organized and out of your slot.

[Lawrence Weathers]

If you're into making ash glazes, you know what a pain it is to sift raw ash. Attached is an article describing a power ash sifter that I built  that sifts large amount of raw ash through 120 mesh screen quite easily. It Is also useful for sifting large amounts of glaze..

[Norm Stuart]

I've been tempted to attach corks to our tools, or something else that would float, so they don't get tossed-out with the sediment in our settling tanks.  I think I could equip an entire studio with tools just by running my hand through the muck at the bottom before we dry it.

[Lawrence Weathers]

A careless hand can easily break a top firebrick on a kiln. I got a great deal on the used Skutt 1227 that had just such a broken brick. I did not want to go to the trouble of buying and replacing the whole brick. I fixed the brick using the technique described in this article.  The article uses an old firebrick to demonstrate the technique that was used on my kiln without removing the brick. Somehow that point got lost in the final edit of the article.

[Lawrence Weathers]

attached is a PDF of how to make some cheap affective raku tongs

[George Lewter]

I have a Do-It-Yourself Kiln Vent page at http://cone6pots.ning.com/page/doityourself-kiln-power-vent

Some while later I made the vent fan and ducting serve a second function of exhausting a compact spray booth. The page is at  http://cone6pots.ning.com/page/cheapskate-spray-booth

[Norm Stuart]

I'm still fascinated by automated pottery throwing wheel.

These machines stop one step short of being the sort of turning equipment a major automated factory like Lenox is fitted with.      Plate throwing machine    Bowl throwing machine

I've become more sophisticated using  the two part Phosphoric Cement made with Wollastonite with Phosphoric Acid.  Another approach is using Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate which just needs water to start the chemical reaction.  Both set at room temperature but develop full strength after being fired above 500 F or so.

http://cone6pots.ning.com/photo/wollastonite-phosphoric-acid

The wood loading ring is helpful, but one of the bricks near the hinge is now broken because someone closed the kiln lid without first remove the plywood loading ring.  It's tough to make tools foolproof.

[Lawrence Weathers]

Here is another cheap, easy, effective vent for top loading electric kiln.

To get more even temperature distribution in my Skutt 1227, I decided to build a "EnviroVent". Since my kiln sets in a large well ventilated shop, I did not bother to plumb the exhaust outside, though that could easily be added if you are installing such a beast in your basement.

The cheapest fan I could come up with that had a metal blade was the 240 CFM 6 inch model pictured. This is probably way overkill for both and pipe diameter and power. I would rather have too much than too little. To deal with this, I put a rheostat on the motor so I can adjust airflow Real-Time.

Since I was not able to find a short piece of 6 inch tubing that was crimped on both ends, I had to snip it to fit the register box. This will fitting was the hardest part of the whole project. If you can get a tube crimped on both ends you be well ahead of the game.

In the side view, you can see an example of the little flat metal spring that is mounted on the underside of the duct near the register end. In the under kiln view you can see how this spring lifts the register to gently press against the underside of the kiln. This contraption does not actually fastened to the kiln, thus it can be quickly removed just by lifting it out of place.

The register does not seal perfectly against the bottom of the kiln and you want it that way so that a little cool air leaks in and mixes with the hot air coming out of the kiln. These springs are used by picture framing services to hold a picture firmly forward in an extruded aluminum frame around the picture.

The blower was purchased from eBay for $27 delivered.

The ducting came from HomeDepot for about $6 each piece. I had the rheostat so I don't know what they cost, but they're pretty cheap. The whole project should come in under $50

[Lawrence Weathers]

Cheap, easy vent for top loading electric kilns

To get more even temperature distribution in my Skutt 1227, I decided to build a "EnviroVent". Since my kiln sets in a large well ventilated shop, I did not bother to plumb the exhaust outside, though that could easily be added if you are installing such a beast in your basement.

The cheapest fan I could come up with that had a metal blade was the 240 CFM 6 inch model pictured. This is probably way overkill for both and pipe diameter and power. I would rather have too much than too little. To deal with this, I put a rheostat on the motor so I can adjust airflow Real-Time.

Since I was not able to find a short piece of 6 inch tubing that was crimped on both ends, I had to snip it to fit the register box. This will fitting was the hardest part of the whole project. If you can get a tube crimped on both ends you be well ahead of the game.

In the side view, you can see an example of the little flat metal spring that is mounted on the underside of the duct near the register end. In the under kiln view you can see how this spring lifts the register to gently press against the underside of the kiln. This contraption does not actually fastened to the kiln, thus it can be quickly removed just by lifting it out of place.

The register does not seal perfectly against the bottom of the kiln and you want it that way so that a little cool air leaks in and mixes with the hot air coming out of the kiln. These springs are used by picture framing services to hold a picture firmly forward in an extruded aluminum frame around the picture.

The blower was purchased from eBay for $27 delivered.

The ducting came from HomeDepot for about $6 each piece. I had the rheostat so I don't know what they cost, but they're pretty cheap. The whole project should come in under $50

[Lawrence Weathers]

To grind the bottom of pots smooth, I got a 14 inch silicon carbide cement cutting disc and center it on a 14 inch plastic bat by fastening a 1 inch OD washer into the center of the bat. You can then just lay the grinding disc on the bat so that hold the center hole slips over the washer. it works well for smoothing bottoms of pots but it is not aggressive enough to grind big lumps of glaze off. A bench grinder still works best for that.

[Nadine Mercader]

Lawrence,

There is an excellent video on this site of creating a grinding wheel which uses water.  You should check it out.

[Lawrence Weathers]

Mine cost about $15 versus $100 for Lin's. Mine can be taken on and off the wheel in a few moments whereas his takes significant set up and take down time. His may do a better job but mine does very a very good job.

And embarrassingly, I forgot that I posted this else on this forum more than a year go.

Duh!