Craig Martell on sun 13 jan 08
Hi:
Thanks for all the responses on and off Clayart.
I've been thinking again and as funky as these contraptions are, I think I
could still make things work alright. The thing is though, I'm not going
to be jiggering a lot of stuff. Just soupbowls and dinner plates only. My
bigger platters and decorative hanging plates will still be thrown. If I
were going into a huge production schedule, using the jigger arm for all or
most of it, I would probably 86 this thing and get a real jigger
machine. If I lived in the UK I would probably buy one from Gladstone
Engineering in Stoke. You can check out their stuff at
gladstone-engineering.com. The jigger machines are listed under
"miscellaneous equipment."
There are plans for a jolley arm or, as Harry calls it, a Monkey, in Harry
Davis book The Potter's Alternative. Harry didn't jigger ware though. He
used the arm for jiggering bowl setters mainly. I remember talking to him
about the whole process even though it was 28 years ago. Time passes does
it not?
I might mention that I've done two things to make the jigger arm work more
effectively. First, I placed a metal spacer and support between the wheel
table and the vertical bar that holds the arm and adjusts height. This
gives more support but does not totally eliminate flex. You have to take
it out to adjust height when changing forms to be made. I used the hardest
bolts I could get to bolt this vertical piece to the Unibracket. They
supplied a couple of soft steel 3/8 inch bolts for this originally and I
thought harder ones would be better. Then, I made a vertical stop that
attaches to the wheel table. It consists of a horizontal piece of wood
that spans the width of the table and is held where you want it with "C"
clamps. To the horizontal piece I attached a vertical piece of wood with a
steel plate on top. The vertical piece is the exact height for the
thickness of the piece. The vertical piece is held solidly by two
triangular plywood gussets. These keep the vertical piece at a right angle
to the table and prevent it from moving side to side with jigger arm
pressure. I made two of them. One for plates and one for the soup
bowls. They provide a fairly positive stop for the arm and also a visual
gauge for knowing when the arm is down enough for the correct thickness. I
watch the arm lower as I make the piece and as it contacts the stop I ease
up. Then I finish the bottom of the piece by throwing the foot just a bit
and ribbing some detail into the underside of the rim.
I guess I'll give this thing a chance and if it works out after some more
experimentation and modification, fine. If not I'll use it for a lever on
my tractor and call it good. I'm glad, at least, that I got this stuff for
$100 less at NCECA. Even at $250 bucks I don't think they are worth what I
paid. In hindsight, I think it would be better to make one yourself or
draw up a plan and have a machine shop make the equipment. The Unibracket
could be done very easily using Channel Iron and "U" bolts or you could
weld the pieces to the wheel legs. But, as Michael has said, perhaps we
should just throw pots and call it a day.
regards, Craig Martell Hopewell, Oregon
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