Lili Krakowski on thu 15 nov 07
Sieves, also called screens, are very easy and cheap to make. And I had a
piece in Pottery Making Illustrated about them. And others have had ideas
about them too.
However.
1. Build a frame out of 2x1 or 3x1. Deeper becomes clumsy. Make the frame
well. Use outdoor or marine glue, and one or two brass wood screws. Make
the frame to size to fit your pans or buckets. Buy something called a
"paint sock" at a paint or hardware store Get the big size. Or you can get
silkscreen fabric. Cut the sock or fabric so that you can stretch it over
your frame and hold it on with pushpins or thumbtacks. Make sure the
fabric is stretched tight. Now put epoxy glue on the frame, gluing down the
stretched fabric as well as the overhang, which you have trimmed down to
about 3/4". Let the thing dry. Remove tack. I used to staple the fabric
as well...waste of time, and risk of rust. A dear little eye screw affixed
to the outside of frame allows it to be hung up.
2. Take a piece of white plastic pipe. You generally can get a piece from a
plumber, or the street maintenance guys. You can use any size. Mine go
from 3 to 8 or 10 inches. Wearing goggles and gloves cut the pipe evenly
and file it smooth. My sieves are from 4 to 6 deep. Just about. This
ain't no science.
Buy some hose clamps (automotive store). Cut out your fabric and drape it
over one end of the pipe. Tighten the fabric as though you were making a
drum. Slip a hose clamp over the fabric and pipe, tighten, but not
completely, and pull your fabric as tight as you can. Screw the hose clamp
really really tight. Apply epoxy all over the rim and about 1/4 -1/2 inch
down the sides. Do not worry if there are folds on the outside. The epoxy
will make them hold too. When the glue is dry, remove hose clamp and keep
for next use. Here you cannot affix an eye screw. Just drill a hole and
attach a string...and you can hang the thing up.
3. I have not done this, others have. Cut the bottom out of a round
plastic pan, or a plastic bucket. Stretch fabric over the hole and glue
down. I do not know how the fabric is held in place, stretched, in the
process, but obviously it is and can be done.
I use plastic nail brushes to "scrub" the glaze through the sieve. And OH!
is it a revelation when one is doing this for a class...One finds all sorts
of debris, from bisque crumbs, to handles, to chewing gum...Where oh where
is that gold doubloon?
Wear rubber gloves when you are sieving glaze.
And one more thought. If you mix the glaze and let it settle for a day or
so, it will be well slackened, and much easier to sieve.
NB: Some materials do not go though the "normal" sieve. You can grind them,
or you can just return to the bucket and stir well.
The point of sieving --except as above, for garbage removal--is to mix the
glaze well.
If you teach--it might be an idea to have each new class make sieves.
Remember Mother Anne's "Be careful of your hands, so you have more to give
the poor." In the case of potters PoorIsUs.
Yes the fabric wears out. It costs pennies and minutes to replace.
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
David Hendley on thu 15 nov 07
Hey, we're potters, aren't we?
I suggest you forget about buckets, boards, and brass wood
screws and stick to clay.
Why not throw your sieve frames? That's what I've used
exclusively for the last 15 years.
My large sieves are about 15 inches diameter on the top and
10 1/2" on the bottom. This large size quickly takes care of a
5 gallon bucket of glaze. This is the same shape as the Talisman
sieve, although I had never heard of it when I first made my
frames.
Mine were thrown bottomless, upside down on large bats, but
they could also be thrown right-side-up - either way makes sense.
Be sure to make a nice wide gallery and beaded lip around the
small end, to accommodate the hose clamp that will hold the sieve
material in place. Make a hole near the top (wide) end for hanging.
For small batches or tests, I also have small sizes - about 7 inches
on the top and 4 1/2" on the bottom.
The bottom diameters are not random measurements. They were
designed with brass sieve screen in mind, which comes on a 12 inch
wide roll. A 12 X 12 inch pieces covers a large frame with no
waste, and the sieve fits atop a 5 gallon bucket. A 12 X 12 will
also make 4 pieces for the small frames. When a large screen
develops a small tear it can be fixed by slathering the area
with E6000 contact cement/glue. When it gets too bad, usually
a 6 X 6 inch section is still in good condition and can be salvaged
for use as a small sieve.
Real brass sieve material is not too expensive in roll form and
it lasts quite well. I get mine from Trinity Ceramic Supply in
Dallas - they have any mesh size a potter could want.
http://www.trinityceramic.com/retail%20page.htm
If you can't find an extra large hose clamp you can always buy
2 or 3 of the longest size available and attach them end to end.
I also use an extra- extra small sieve to make 100 gram batches
of overglaze colors. These are totally free because you can always
salvage a small good section from an otherwise worn out screen.
The frame is a liquid laundry detergent cap. Cut out the top, so
it is an open cylinder (coping or jewelers saw, or X-Acto knife).
Cut a section of brass sieve slightly larger than the cap and set it on
a piece of steel. Gently heat the steel and the sieve with a propane
torch. Do not heat the screen with a direct flame - you will melt
it. Now simply set the cap, cut side down on the screen. The heat
of the steel plate will melt the plastic and permanently lock the
screen in place.
The great thing about the detergent cap is that the top is rounded,
so it will sit atop another cap, which is perfect to sieve your glaze
into. They also make great containers for tri-axial blend glaze tests.
You might wonder about the fragility of a ceramic sieve frame.
Of course I treat my sieves gently, as I would any glaze sieve,
but I have never broken one in 15 years of use.
It is a good idea to glaze most of the frame, for easy clean up, but
it is helpful to make sure you include a thick bulging lip on the
top edge and leave it unglazed, so you can get a good grip on it
even when it's wet.
You can really save significant $$$ by making your own sieves.
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
david(at)farmpots(dot)com
http://www.farmpots.com
----- Original Message -----
> Sieves, also called screens, are very easy and cheap to make. And I had a
> piece in Pottery Making Illustrated about them. And others have had ideas
> about them too.
Leigh Whitaker on thu 15 nov 07
In a message dated 11/15/2007 3:22:15 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
mlkrakowski@CITLINK.NET writes:
Sieves, also called screens, are very easy and cheap to make. And I had a
piece in Pottery Making Illustrated about them. And others have had ideas
about them too.
However.
1. Build a frame out of 2x1 or 3x1. Deeper becomes clumsy. Make the frame
well. Use outdoor or marine glue, and one or two brass wood screws. Make
the frame to size to fit your pans or buckets. Buy something called a
"paint sock" at a paint or hardware store Get the big size. Or you can get
silkscreen fabric. Cut the sock or fabric so that you can stretch it over
your frame and hold it on with pushpins or thumbtacks. Make sure the
fabric is stretched tight. Now put epoxy glue on the frame, gluing down the
stretched fabric as well as the overhang, which you have trimmed down to
about 3/4". Let the thing dry. Remove tack. I used to staple the fabric
as well...waste of time, and risk of rust. A dear little eye screw affixed
to the outside of frame allows it to be hung up.
2. Take a piece of white plastic pipe. You generally can get a piece from a
plumber, or the street maintenance guys. You can use any size. Mine go
from 3 to 8 or 10 inches. Wearing goggles and gloves cut the pipe evenly
and file it smooth. My sieves are from 4 to 6 deep. Just about. This
ain't no science.
Buy some hose clamps (automotive store). Cut out your fabric and drape it
over one end of the pipe. Tighten the fabric as though you were making a
drum. Slip a hose clamp over the fabric and pipe, tighten, but not
completely, and pull your fabric as tight as you can. Screw the hose clamp
really really tight. Apply epoxy all over the rim and about 1/4 -1/2 inch
down the sides. Do not worry if there are folds on the outside. The epoxy
will make them hold too. When the glue is dry, remove hose clamp and keep
for next use. Here you cannot affix an eye screw. Just drill a hole and
attach a string...and you can hang the thing up.
3. I have not done this, others have. Cut the bottom out of a round
plastic pan, or a plastic bucket. Stretch fabric over the hole and glue
down. I do not know how the fabric is held in place, stretched, in the
process, but obviously it is and can be done.
I use plastic nail brushes to "scrub" the glaze through the sieve. And OH!
is it a revelation when one is doing this for a class...One finds all sorts
of debris, from bisque crumbs, to handles, to chewing gum...Where oh where
is that gold doubloon?
Wear rubber gloves when you are sieving glaze.
And one more thought. If you mix the glaze and let it settle for a day or
so, it will be well slackened, and much easier to sieve.
NB: Some materials do not go though the "normal" sieve. You can grind them,
or you can just return to the bucket and stir well.
The point of sieving --except as above, for garbage removal--is to mix the
glaze well.
If you teach--it might be an idea to have each new class make sieves.
Remember Mother Anne's "Be careful of your hands, so you have more to give
the poor." In the case of potters PoorIsUs.
Yes the fabric wears out. It costs pennies and minutes to replace.
I also saw some brass and copper wireform (80 mesh) last time I was a
Michael's Craft Store. Oh, here is a link to what I saw:
_http://www.misterart.com/store/view/001/group_id/7063/Amaco-WireMesh-Woven-Fa
bric.htm_
(http://www.misterart.com/store/view/001/group_id/7063/Amaco-WireMesh-Woven-Fabric.htm)
I was wondering if this would work to make a sieve as well. I might give it
a try.
Leigh
************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
Lili Krakowski on fri 16 nov 07
David, dear David, we are in one of those ClayArt whirlpools. Them what can
throw big big bowls have potted long enough to know how to make their own
sieves. Maybe sieve making should be added to the MFA programs!
But a question: how much do those sieves weigh? That is what I have
(besides cost) against some of the patented commercial ones.
As to copper screening. People who repair water pumps generally have it. I
prefer fabric because the screens tend to clog with verdigris, and the ends
"sting".
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
Taylor Hendrix on fri 16 nov 07
Mama,
I asked David about his cool sieve when I saw it during one of my
visits a few years ago. I went home to Waco and made me one.
My throwing skills were not up to the task and my sieve body isn't
quite round enough to keep from falling into the 5 gal buckets. It is
awfully heavy too. I do use my small prototype I threw. It's just a
bit bigger round than a soup can.
The metal lawn does indeed bite at the ends especially if you have
drawn up a bunch with that pipe clamp David talked about.
My plastic bowl sieve is heat welded similar to how David makes his
detergent cap sieves. It is light and sits quite well over a 5 gla
bucket. If I had taken the time to cut a nice circle from the brass
sieve cloth, I wold not get bitten now and again when cleaning it.
When I need a new one, I will be sure and do that.
Taylor, in Rockport TX
On 11/16/07, Lili Krakowski wrote:
> David, dear David, we are in one of those ClayArt whirlpools. Them what can
> throw big big bowls have potted long enough to know how to make their own
> sieves. Maybe sieve making should be added to the MFA programs!
>
> But a question: how much do those sieves weigh? That is what I have
> (besides cost) against some of the patented commercial ones.
>
> As to copper screening. People who repair water pumps generally have it. I
> prefer fabric because the screens tend to clog with verdigris, and the ends
> "sting".
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