David Hendley on mon 21 mar 11
----- Original Message -----
> Let's not forget the really excellent Hendley bat system (my name for
> it) for bats larger than the wheel head. Great for those of us who
> choose no pins. Archives will have great information.
>
> Taylor, in Rockport TX
Thanks Taylor, and David Finkelnberg, for mentioning my bat system that
I have been using for the last 35 years.
As I have stated on Clayart several times through the years, I hate bat pin=
s
and think they are a hindrance for the reason Taylor mentioned yesterday:
it makes no sense to have a nice wheelhead and then render it unusable
unless another surface is stuck on it or time is spent un-installing the
pins. Of course, beyond that, it is difficult to drill bats so they will
install
easily yet securely on bat pins. Then, if you did get it right, after a few
years of heavy use, the holes will be enlarged and you will have a loose
sloppy bat.
I know at this point that Vince will reply and tell me that my reasoning is
ridiculous and that bat pins are used on all wheels everywhere.
Of course it is true that, in the U.S. anyway, the bat pin system is used
almost everywhere there is a potters wheel.
That is why I have spent countless hours at dozens of studios trying to
line up good, tight, usable bats as I prepare for a workshop. Usually
any students or studio members who happen to be there will agree
that, yeah, most of the studio's bats are loose, warped or just no
good and they will give me a few from their personal stash of decent
bats. This is a horrible system for attaching bats to wheelheads but,
unfortunately, it's not going to change and it's what we have to work
with.
A professional potter's home studio is a different matter. There are
several better alternatives to bat pins if the potter has the desire to
custom make a system for him/herself. I am still using bats that I made
35 years ago. It is such an excellent system that Brian Giffen uses it for
his Giffen Grip (with built in recesses to accommodate those pesky
bat pins). Most of my bats are still perfect - easy to install, yet
tight-fitting. The few that have become loose through the years are
quickly fixed by gluing a piece of cardboard of thin strip of wood to
one of the cleats. No clay donuts or wads, no gripper pads are ever
needed. Just as pleasing, anytime I want to throw off-the-hump, that
nice metal wheelhead is readily available....
David Hendley
david@farmpots.com
http://www.farmpots.com
http://www.thewahooligans.com
Mike on tue 22 mar 11
These are the types of bats primarily sold in Japan, they are the cleat
type, like David Hendley uses.
You can see them here:
http://www.tougei.com/shop/goods/goods.asp?goods=3D705302
Here is another type with a base piece and bats:
http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/tourakubou/12253-405.html
Mike
in Taku, Japan
http://karatsupots.com
http://karatsupots.blogspot.com
Workshop in Taku, Spring 2012: To Be Announced
(2011/03/22 9:15), David Hendley wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
>> Let's not forget the really excellent Hendley bat system (my name for
>> it) for bats larger than the wheel head. Great for those of us who
>> choose no pins. Archives will have great information.
>>
>> Taylor, in Rockport TX
>
> Thanks Taylor, and David Finkelnberg, for mentioning my bat system that
> I have been using for the last 35 years.
> As I have stated on Clayart several times through the years, I hate
> bat pins
> and think they are a hindrance for the reason Taylor mentioned yesterday:
> it makes no sense to have a nice wheelhead and then render it unusable
> unless another surface is stuck on it or time is spent un-installing the
> pins. Of course, beyond that, it is difficult to drill bats so they will
> install
> easily yet securely on bat pins. Then, if you did get it right, after
> a few
> years of heavy use, the holes will be enlarged and you will have a loose
> sloppy bat.
>
> I know at this point that Vince will reply and tell me that my
> reasoning is
> ridiculous and that bat pins are used on all wheels everywhere.
> Of course it is true that, in the U.S. anyway, the bat pin system is used
> almost everywhere there is a potters wheel.
> That is why I have spent countless hours at dozens of studios trying to
> line up good, tight, usable bats as I prepare for a workshop. Usually
> any students or studio members who happen to be there will agree
> that, yeah, most of the studio's bats are loose, warped or just no
> good and they will give me a few from their personal stash of decent
> bats. This is a horrible system for attaching bats to wheelheads but,
> unfortunately, it's not going to change and it's what we have to work
> with.
>
> A professional potter's home studio is a different matter. There are
> several better alternatives to bat pins if the potter has the desire to
> custom make a system for him/herself. I am still using bats that I made
> 35 years ago. It is such an excellent system that Brian Giffen uses it
> for
> his Giffen Grip (with built in recesses to accommodate those pesky
> bat pins). Most of my bats are still perfect - easy to install, yet
> tight-fitting. The few that have become loose through the years are
> quickly fixed by gluing a piece of cardboard of thin strip of wood to
> one of the cleats. No clay donuts or wads, no gripper pads are ever
> needed. Just as pleasing, anytime I want to throw off-the-hump, that
> nice metal wheelhead is readily available....
>
> David Hendley
> david@farmpots.com
> http://www.farmpots.com
> http://www.thewahooligans.com
>
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