Centa Uhalde on mon 28 jan 08
I'm curious about peoples experience with jiggermolds. How wide can you go
in terms of making bowls/platters. Any recommendations for studio jigger
machines? I would like to find some way of producing because I am not a
production potter and have bad wrists. Bud I'd like to embellish forms with
hand building and surface design. Is there an advantage of jiggering over
casting in terms of studio work?
Thanks,
Centa
John Rodgers on tue 29 jan 08
Shimpo makes a serious Jiggering Arm Attachment for their potters
wheels. I've seen the pictures, but never seen one in person or in
action so cannot speak to their effectiveness.
The Shimpo attachment is expensive - last time I looked - over $750. You
can have two or three shop built units for that amount. But the Jigger
arm is just the beginning. Jiggering machines have a threaded shaft to
readily accept multiple bucket wheel heads. To run ware of different
sizes, requires molds of different sizes, and that requires different
sized bucket wheel heads to accommodate the different molds, all of
which must be capable of being simply unscrewed and another screwed on
in a very efficient manner.
All that said, Axner sells the Pure and Simple Molds system and this is
readily adapted for jiggering of simple forms - plates and shallow
bowls. I use it for plates, and I do some hand decorations as you would
like to do. I also have the Axner Power Arm, whih serves as a jiggering
arm, but I don't like it. there are better available. Potters wheels
tend to flex under the force of a jiggering arm and the Axner unit has a
very long arm on the fulcrum and multiplies the force sufficiently to
flex my Brent CXC wheel, and it is the heaviest one made. This flexing
makes it really difficult to make things.
But it can be done. and I do it, but it takes a lot of futzing with it
to get it done.
I also do some slip cast work that I finish up with hand decorating.
It's just a matter of how you set up. Both forms work OK, but I don't
try to slipcast plate forms. I prefer potters plastic clays for my
plates as opposed to slip casting clays, although I use the same basic
lay for both, they are just made up differently. My slip clay comes dry
bagged, and I mix it as a slip, and the potters clay comes already mixed
and pugged ready for the wheel. Both clays I use are cone 5 B-mix. There
are slight variations between them - one making the slip clay, the other
making the throwing clay - they are so close that it makes it very easy
to mix and match parts and pieces. So combination works composed of
thrown, slip cast and slabbed rolled parts become possible.
Good luck on your hunt.
Regards,
John Rodgers
Chelsea, AL
Centa Uhalde wrote:
> I'm curious about peoples experience with jiggermolds. How wide can you go
> in terms of making bowls/platters. Any recommendations for studio jigger
> machines? I would like to find some way of producing because I am not a
> production potter and have bad wrists. Bud I'd like to embellish forms with
> hand building and surface design. Is there an advantage of jiggering over
> casting in terms of studio work?
>
> Thanks,
> Centa
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Clayart members may send postings to: clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list, post messages, change your
> subscription settings or unsubscribe/leave the list here: http://www.acers.org/cic/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots2@visi.com
>
>
>
Steve Donker on tue 29 jan 08
Hi Centa - I just checked my message about Super Standard Porcelain when I
saw your's about jiggering vs casting. Well I can not say too much in reply
to your question but would just say that jiggering is for ware likes plates
(flatware) and jolleying is a very similar technique but for cups, bowls and
the like (holloware.) Sorry if that is not any help :-)
Cheers,
Steve Donker
(ps I am using a temporary email as I don't know Clayart and I am wary of
using a proper address because of spam.)
| |
|
