Taylor Hendrix on fri 14 oct 11
I must reaffirm my hatred of the bat pin. While I understand their
use, I detest them. I wish they were never born.
I spend a little time the other day throwing some test pieces for our
pottery class here at the art center and was forced to use a plastic
bat for throwing. I decided to use the metal wheel head for trimming
as the pots seem to slide and stick well when centering. True, I only
rapped my knuckle a few times, but once is ENOUGH. The problem with
institutional wheels is that they rarely receive enough love to
prevent their bat pins from rusting fast to the wheel head. Couldn't
get the buggers out.
I now have a stack of bats (wooden, masonite, plastic) that I agreed
to re drill because they no longer fit snugly on the bat pins or they
were not drilled straight in the first place. Do you realize what I
will have to do with those bats all because we are forced to bow to
the will of the bat pin? ENOUGH already.
Surely you can see the pitifulness of the scene played out thousands
of times a day all across the globe: student casts about looking for
something, swallowed in inactivity. What's up? Can't throw. You've got
a wheel, there's your clay, I see your tools--Why not? No bats left.
So bow to them if you like. Bow to them. Bow to the bat pins of slime,
the pat pins of filth, the bat pins of putrescence! Boo! Boo! Rubbish!
Filth! Slime! Muck! Boo! Boo! BOO!
To recap, I dream of a day when all wheel heads are free from the
tyranny of bat pins. Until then, I will continue to voice my
discontent.
AND on the off chance that someone in management is listening, for my
birthday, I would love to have a replacement wheel head sans bat pin
holes for my Shimpo Whisper. My mailing address is 1543 FM 1781,
Rockport TX 78382.
ta ta now,
Taylor, in Rockport TX
wirerabbit1 on Skype (-0600 UTC)
http://wirerabbit.blogspot.com
http://wirerabbitpots.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirerabbit/
Mayssan Farra on sat 15 oct 11
I also hated bat pins and never used them when I had my druthers in my own =
=3D
studio, but life changes, and I moved closer to grand babies, into an "acti=
=3D
ve senior" community and I no longer have my studio but am part of our comm=
=3D
unity studio.=3D0A=3D0AOf course all six wheels in the studio have bat pins=
, an=3D
d studio rules are to use them, and now, forced to use them, I love them. I=
=3D
bought the Medex bats and drew concentric circles on one for trimming and =
=3D
use the rest for throwing. And like Vince said they are great solid, absorb=
=3D
ant enough but not too much, they keep their shape and they are easy on the=
=3D
fingers unlike the plastic bats that ate my nails to the quick.=3D0A"For s=
o =3D
many assembly, decorating, or finishing processes, there are =3D0Agreat adv=
an=3D
tages to being able to take a pot off the wheelhead, let it =3D0Astiffen a =
bi=3D
t, and then put it back on to finish the process.=3DA0 With bat =3D0Apins t=
he p=3D
ot is perfectly centered when placed back on the wheelhead."=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0=
Right =3D
on Vince. :)=3D0A=3D0AMayssan,=3D0A=3D0ABack in the saddle, in a different =
area, di=3D
fferent studio and different circumstances, but finding my way back into cl=
=3D
ay. Yeay=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A>_______________________________=
_=3D0A>From: Vin=3D
ce Pitelka =3D0A>=3D0A>"So Taylor hates bat pins.=3DA0 I have no problem wi=
th peo=3D
ple who do not like bat pins, but as someone with 40 years of professional =
=3D
experience in ceramics, including teaching in four different colleges and u=
=3D
niversities, with the last 17 years at Tennessee Tech's Appalachian Center =
=3D
for Craft, from my own point of view bat pins in an institutional setting o=
=3D
r a private studio are just wonderful."=3D0A>=3D0A>"For so many assembly, d=
ecor=3D
ating, or finishing processes, there are great advantages to being able to =
=3D
take a pot off the wheelhead, let it stiffen a bit, and then put it back on=
=3D
to finish the process.=3DA0 With bat pins the pot is perfectly centered wh=
en=3D
placed back on the wheelhead".=3D0A>=3D0A>"A 14"-diameter, 1/2"-thick Mede=
x ba=3D
t on a 14" wheelhead is as good a working surface as (or some would say eve=
=3D
n better than) an aluminum wheelhead."=3D0A>
Carl Cravens on sat 15 oct 11
On 10/14/2011 11:15 AM, Taylor Hendrix wrote:
> I must reaffirm my hatred of the bat pin. While I understand their
> use, I detest them. I wish they were never born.
I can respect that. I always work off a bat, and I use CI/Speedball bats t=
hat don't have through-holes on the surface. I even trim on a bat, because=
the Clay Boss wheel head is steel with a composite cover, and the surface =
is rough, with grooves kind of like a vinyl record. It's hell on rims when=
tap-centering.
> The problem with institutional wheels is that they rarely receive
> enough love to prevent their bat pins from rusting fast to the wheel
> head. Couldn't get the buggers out.
The annoying thing about that is there is no reason for it... socket cap sc=
rews are available in stainless steel, brass, silicon bronze, aluminum, tit=
anium, plastic and more. One of these materials should be a suitable repla=
cement that will be durable and won't rust. And that's all "bat pins" are.=
.. standard socket cap screws. (Don't buy replacement "bat pins" from a ce=
ramic supply for a dollar or two each. Those standard screws cost about fi=
fteen cents down at your hardware store.)
http://www.mcmaster.com/#socket-head-cap-screws/=3Dei5d4l
The "right" screw is going to cost more, but what's a couple extra dollars =
on a pair of screws for a machine that costs hundreds to thousands of dolla=
rs? Why do manufacturers of quality equipment skimp on such simple details=
to save a couple bucks? (I know the market in replacement "pins" isn't th=
at big.) The brass screws are about $1.50 each.
Heck, Ultra Corrosion-Resistant Coated Alloy Steel, known as "armor coat," =
cost eighteen cents each... just pennies more than the standard rust-prone =
ones.
> I now have a stack of bats (wooden, masonite, plastic) that I agreed
> to re drill because they no longer fit snugly on the bat pins or
> they were not drilled straight in the first place.
This is the one thing I'm wondering about the CI/Speedball bats... will the=
y wear out and stop fitting the pin tightly? They can't exactly be redrill=
ed. While they're significantly cheaper than other commercial plastic bats=
, I don't like the idea that they'll wear out and I'll have to buy more. B=
ut that's about my only regret concerning bat pins... you have to invest in=
a reasonable number of bats, but even that isn't too bad from my perspecti=
ve if they don't wear out.
That's something else I've wondered... why *do* the holes in Plastibats (et=
c) elongate? They have to have a fairly close fit to start with, but there=
must be enough movement that the knurled surface of the screw cap chews aw=
ay at the edge of the hole. Maybe that could be solved by choosing screws =
that don't have a knurled cap. Or maybe it's just a problem with the mater=
ial the standard plastic bats are made of.
> What's up? Can't throw. You've got a wheel, there's your clay, I see
> your tools--Why not? No bats left.
That's not a problem with bat pins, that's a problem with not keeping an ad=
equate stock of tools. Really no different than having five students and f=
our wheels... somebody didn't plan ahead properly for the class load. Can'=
t really blame that on bat pins.
> So bow to them if you like. Bow to them. Bow to the bat pins of
> slime, the pat pins of filth, the bat pins of putrescence! Boo! Boo!
> Rubbish! Filth! Slime! Muck! Boo! Boo! BOO!
Okay, so maybe you shouldn't marry Bat Pin Humperdink. Doesn't sound like =
you get along anyway, and I suspect he has plans to kill you.
--
Carl D Cravens (raven@phoenyx.net)
PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER!...ittybittylivingspace...
Vince Pitelka on sat 15 oct 11
So Taylor hates bat pins. I have no problem with people who do not like =
=3D
bat pins, but as someone with 40 years of professional experience in =3D
ceramics, including teaching in four different colleges and =3D
universities, with the last 17 years at Tennessee Tech's Appalachian =3D
Center for Craft, from my own point of view bat pins in an institutional =
=3D
setting or a private studio are just wonderful. If you purchase or make =
=3D
proper bats to begin with, and if they are used with respect and care, =3D
the holes almost never get loose or wobbly. If they are very slightly =3D
loose, six or eight dabs of clay on the wheelhead in a circle concentric =
=3D
with the bat pins will stop the wobble, and with occasional misting with =
=3D
a spritz bottle, the same dabs of clay can be used all day long. When we =
=3D
put a bat on the bat pins, it is instantly centered and positively held =3D
in place, and of course so many forms that would otherwise be damaged or =
=3D
destroyed when removed from the wheel are easily removed on a bat. =3D20
For so many assembly, decorating, or finishing processes, there are =3D
great advantages to being able to take a pot off the wheelhead, let it =3D
stiffen a bit, and then put it back on to finish the process. With bat =3D
pins the pot is perfectly centered when placed back on the wheelhead.
As I have stated many times in the past, I feel that the best bats by =3D
far are made from 1/2" "Medex" waterproof MDF. It is a product of =3D
Sierrapine Industries, and can be purchased or ordered from most =3D
commercial building-suppliers. The Medex bats we made 10 years ago are =3D
still in fine shape and fit snuggly on the bat pins. We made our own =3D
bats, and instructions for making them are in my book, but North Star =3D
makes Medex bats in a variety of sizes for reasonable prices. =3D20
A 14"-diameter, 1/2"-thick Medex bat on a 14" wheelhead is as good a =3D
working surface as (or some would say even better than) an aluminum =3D
wheelhead.
Taylor, you are a smart guy. I have always believed this to be true, =3D
but if you really admit to having trouble with a loose bat on bat pins =3D
more than one time, or bruising your knuckles against exposed bat pins =3D
more than one time, I am going to start having my doubts about you. I =3D
think you have a lot more good sense and resourcefulness than that.
I love bat pins. I dream of the day when all institutional wheels are =3D
equipped with bat pins, and every institutional studio has an abundant =3D
supply of bats. In the mean time, any student worried about the =3D
inadequacy or availability of bats in a certain institution can easily =3D
provide their own supply of bats boldly emblazoned with their name. Is =3D
that really such a problem?
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpitelka@dtccom.net
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
=3D20
Steve Mills on sat 15 oct 11
An interesting little rant!
Now what I would like is a nice cast iron wheel-head like I had on my Leach=
T=3D
readle Wheel. Strong, friendly, and resistant to wear, unlike the current a=
l=3D
uminium one which is thin, gutless, and as soft as butter. UGH!!
:-)
Steve M
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
www.mudslinger.me.uk
Sent from my Ipod touch
On 14 Oct 2011, at 12:15, Taylor Hendrix wrote:
> I must reaffirm my hatred of the bat pin. While I understand their
> use, I detest them. I wish they were never born.
>=3D20
> I spend a little time the other day throwing some test pieces for our
> pottery class here at the art center and was forced to use a plastic
> bat for throwing. I decided to use the metal wheel head for trimming
> as the pots seem to slide and stick well when centering. True, I only
> rapped my knuckle a few times, but once is ENOUGH. The problem with
> institutional wheels is that they rarely receive enough love to
> prevent their bat pins from rusting fast to the wheel head. Couldn't
> get the buggers out.
>=3D20
> I now have a stack of bats (wooden, masonite, plastic) that I agreed
> to re drill because they no longer fit snugly on the bat pins or they
> were not drilled straight in the first place. Do you realize what I
> will have to do with those bats all because we are forced to bow to
> the will of the bat pin? ENOUGH already.
>=3D20
> Surely you can see the pitifulness of the scene played out thousands
> of times a day all across the globe: student casts about looking for
> something, swallowed in inactivity. What's up? Can't throw. You've got
> a wheel, there's your clay, I see your tools--Why not? No bats left.
>=3D20
> So bow to them if you like. Bow to them. Bow to the bat pins of slime,
> the pat pins of filth, the bat pins of putrescence! Boo! Boo! Rubbish!
> Filth! Slime! Muck! Boo! Boo! BOO!
>=3D20
> To recap, I dream of a day when all wheel heads are free from the
> tyranny of bat pins. Until then, I will continue to voice my
> discontent.
>=3D20
> AND on the off chance that someone in management is listening, for my
> birthday, I would love to have a replacement wheel head sans bat pin
> holes for my Shimpo Whisper. My mailing address is 1543 FM 1781,
> Rockport TX 78382.
>=3D20
> ta ta now,
>=3D20
>=3D20
> Taylor, in Rockport TX
> wirerabbit1 on Skype (-0600 UTC)
> http://wirerabbit.blogspot.com
> http://wirerabbitpots.blogspot.com
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirerabbit/
Rimas VisGirda on sun 16 oct 11
Dear BAH,
When I was teaching, my solution to the pin no-pin dilemma was to put bat p=
ins on the students' personal tool kit... On the first class day they were =
given an orientation, studio rules, etc and a list of tools to come back wi=
th for the second class meeting. I had the bookstore stock the basic cerami=
c stuff, needle tool, cut-off wire, etc; but they had to go to the hardware=
store to get their bat pins. Any bat pins still on the wheel head "disappe=
ared" if left on a wheel... Worked well.
And regarding your Shimpo, some masking tape on the bottom and a little PC-=
7 should fix your wheel head...
Best of luck, -Rimas
C. Tullis on sun 16 oct 11
Don't like them either. I've always used a layer of clay, about 1/2", t=
=3D
hrown=3D20
pretty much like you would a plate. No rim of course. I make concentric g=
=3D
rove in=3D20
it with a course serrated rib and wet it now and then as needed. I stick=
=3D
particle=3D20
board, masonite, plastic, plaster bats and my Giffen Grip to the wheel he=
=3D
ad with=3D20
this system. And it makes a good pad to trim on if you cover it with a pi=
=3D
ece of t-
shirt material cut to fit. Cover it with a plastic shopping bag and it wi=
=3D
ll last for=3D20
weeks if you like. You will have to be able to tap on center if it is im=
=3D
portant to=3D20
you that your bat is centered.
Oh, and have a stick or a screw driver handy to release the bat from the =
=3D
pad=3D20
when your finished with the piece.
Patty Kaliher on sun 16 oct 11
My wheel (Brent) came with bat pins and wing nuts to screw on under the
wheel to hold them in place. I've never used the wing nuts. Seems silly,
gravity holds the pins in place. I throw almost everything on bats. I tri=
m
on the wheel head and remove the pins before trimming so they never have a
chance to get stuck in the wheel. When done with trimming the cleaned pins
are put back into the cleaned wheel as they are less apt to get lost sittin=
g
in the wheel. I have a spare pair, but have never needed them. In fact
when attending classes at an art center I accumulated a couple of extra bat
pins.
Patty Kaliher
Hank Murrow on sun 16 oct 11
On Oct 16, 2011, at 11:05 AM, C. Tullis wrote:
> Don't like them either. I've always used a layer of clay, about 1/2", =
=3D
thrown=3D20
> pretty much like you would a plate. No rim of course. I make =3D
concentric grove in=3D20
> it with a course serrated rib and wet it now and then as needed. I =3D
stick particle=3D20
> board, masonite, plastic, plaster bats and my Giffen Grip to the wheel =
=3D
head with=3D20
> this system. And it makes a good pad to trim on if you cover it with a =
=3D
piece of t-
> shirt material cut to fit. Cover it with a plastic shopping bag and it =
=3D
will last for=3D20
> weeks if you like. You will have to be able to tap on center if it is =
=3D
important to=3D20
> you that your bat is centered.
> Oh, and have a stick or a screw driver handy to release the bat from =3D
the pad=3D20
> when your finished with the piece.
I am with you Mr. Tullis;
My bronze wheelhead hosts a 3/4" clay pad that lasts for months if I =3D
cover it with a couple of clay bags and a towel. In return, it allows me =
=3D
to use 1/4" Sintra bats that have no annoying holes in them, and which =3D
last forever.=3D20
For trimming, I use my RingBat system of concentric stiff foam rings =3D
around a glued on center foam post. I select which rings fit the pots to =
=3D
be trimmed and tap into center and then sit on the foam to seal it to =3D
the cla pad. "Works a treat!", as my friend Ian Currie said. One can =3D
visit the archives to find David Hendley's take on it.
Cheers, Hank in Eugene
www.murrow.biz/hank=3D20
David Woof on mon 17 oct 11
Hi Taylor=3D2C
as I remember=3D3B this isn't your first rant against batt pins.
#1 if someone bangs their knuckles on a batt pin more than once shouldn't t=
=3D
hey quit pottery and go do something less harmful?
#2=3DA0 how many pots do you make in a week? month? year? If you are not in=
a=3D
production mode perhaps you do not need batts for your work or work style =
=3D
but it puzzles me why the venom spiked rant against them.=3DA0=3D20
I'm usually pretty good at getting at folks underlying issues over somethin=
=3D
g but this is so out of the Taylor I've met in person and come to "know" vi=
=3D
a Clayart.
Whats up ole man??? Or....as a writer did you just have to break out in a c=
=3D
reative rant the way
singers must break out in song because it feels so good and they can!!!
Love=3D2C
Woof
=3D
Ric Swenson on mon 17 oct 11
Hi mel and y'all
I will wander...as I oftten do. I'm' a 'Divergent thinker' afterall
Whatever works.....for some batt pins work....for others not so much... Is =
this a pissing contest? sorry.. I don't (can't) do that.
Figure your own way...a slurry of clay...batt pins....or a plaster batt tha=
t fits into a bucket head...whatever....
I have been doing this so long that I have tried many things.....on my Bren=
t CXC batt pins worked the best...now in JingDeZhen we use saggar clay batt=
s attached with slip....slurry...adapt. change your thinking... do NOT get =
stuck in your own rut. adapt...firing or throwing or handbuilding...or tea=
ching.....adapt to it.
I spent years doing electric firing at cone 5-6 for glazes....I did cone 10=
in my studio in Anchorage for a lot of years in my gas fired Olsen 24 kil=
n kit kiln... and at most Universities where I taught... a Denver old styl=
e kiln.....I did salt fire at UAA...we built the first salt kiln in Alaska=
in 1978.......and soda firing in grad school...now at cone 13 in China...a=
dapt and change your work to match the circumstances.
At Bennington Potters for 13 years when I was there.. as plant manager and=
VP......we used Ram Presses and casting and tunnel firing in 7 hours cool =
to cool..."once fired"
When I was the American Cermaic Society Design Division Chair in 1984-86...=
we tried to convince the ACS to support deisgn.....now they own CM....must =
have helped? who the hell knows?
adapt my friends...adapt....change is a good thing. Wood or soda or salt o=
r cone 13 once fired porcelain...one answer is never the ONLY answer.
adapt.
My favorite wheel was the 1972 Brent CXC...even Pete Voulkos used it in his=
demos for my classes at UAA. Speed? the speed is controlled by the foot =
pedal...like the sports car...it can go slow or fast....the potter controls=
the speed. My favorite possesion is one of Pete's platters. we spent a=
lot of nights singing together......he described throwing as a "dance or b=
allet ' with the clay.
another is a tile by Larry Rivers....another by Sung Moy of NYC....and Roma=
rd Beardon.... from a NYC subway station...many more works by guys who did =
ceramics....Ken Stevens, Carlton Ball, etc
Once I made a very large bowl...I made the huge mistake of leaving the whee=
l switch on...my irish setter, Sean walked around and accidentally (I hope=
) stepped on the pedal...whoooosh...the bowl volitolized into a mass of cla=
y that made him never come close to my foot pedal again...hehe..he was cove=
r with clay....and did NOT like it.
I have used kick wheels in Spain that were much too small for my large fram=
e...length of legs...adapt... thank you Pablo Morales...good lessons. Puent=
e del Arthabispo....thanks. Talavera de la Reina .....
Kloppensteins wheels...balance....and as I have said.... Pete Voulkos told =
me...a kind of ballet/dance with the speed and the size of the wheel.
The Chinese wheels are huge....they make sections for 12 or 15 foot vases..=
... strong.....powerful...big.....
I still choose a smaller electric wheel similar to a shimpo...but with a pe=
dal on a lead cord.....I like to control the speed .....I like throwing for=
a quick result. 5-10 pounds is okay...although I wander to 25 lbs sometime=
s....for larger winged vessels.
Amaco number 0ne wheel and pot lifters...hated it....too much trimming....=
back to 1967....oye... Vince..remember?
shimpos with their footpedals so inaccesible to my long legs.....
I also like the the Pacifica....quiet...but their maker is "inaccesible"
The Brent is best IMHO...CXC or C model....some a bit noisy...but I can jus=
t turn up the music to cover any unpleasant noise. The B is a bit weak in t=
orque power.
Wheel head? Aluminum works for me. Heavy? steel...bronze,.... light? on=
ly torque matters. What can it do? smooth? a matter of pure opinion.
Vibration free? ok...good....I remember a Brent with direct drive shaft th=
at was very Noisy....Ken Steven's wheel was a bit noisy.....grinding sound.=
....but I really couldn't give a shit....just turn up the music.
lockerbie? slow and clumbersome....kick or motorized..slow and hard on the=
knees.
a pain in the ass .......and other places.... BUT good for demos. Be a tea=
cher.... BUT you pay the price.
Paul soldner's wheel oye....who would bother? Pain in the ass and pocketbo=
ok.
just my 2 cents....dollars....2 RMB....2 Eros....2 pesetas.... or whatever.=
..
and....
I never banged my hand or fingers on a batt pin..
check the height of the batt pin....level with the wheel head or what?
I have always used batt pins as much as I can...although not now common in =
China................they make my work easier.
I like easy....makes my life easy.....I like easy.
Even as a golf pro for 3 years or a stonewall maker for 2 years....... I l=
iked an easy life....or working in the Alaska Oil fields..... for three yea=
rs...... or a teacher for 30 years.....make life what it is
Mel is the mavin.... a mencsh....he knows a lot...but unfortunately he doe=
s not know all. He just know his own experiences....not mine....Minnesota i=
s not Alaska or Iowa...or Oregon or Washington. Mel has been stuck in a fe=
w single places and enjoys it...Japan and Minnesota....ok
hehe
Ric
Richard H. ("Ric") Swenson, Teacher,
Office of International Cooperation and Exchange of Jingdezhen Ceramic Inst=
itute,
TaoYang Road, Eastern Suburb, Jingdezhen City.
JiangXi Province, P.R. of China.
Postal code 333001.
Mobile/cellular phone : 86 13767818872
< RicSwenson0823@hotmail.com>
> Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:06:34 -0600
> From: woofpots@HOTMAIL.COM
> Subject: Re: Bat pins BAH!
> To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>
> Hi Taylor,
>
> as I remember; this isn't your first rant against batt pins.
>
> #1 if someone bangs their knuckles on a batt pin more than once shouldn't=
they quit pottery and go do something less harmful?
>
> #2 how many pots do you make in a week? month? year? If you are not in a=
production mode perhaps you do not need batts for your work or work style =
but it puzzles me why the venom spiked rant against them.
>
> I'm usually pretty good at getting at folks underlying issues over someth=
ing but this is so out of the Taylor I've met in person and come to "know" =
via Clayart.
>
> Whats up ole man??? Or....as a writer did you just have to break out in a=
creative rant the way
> singers must break out in song because it feels so good and they can!!!
>
> Love,
> Woof
>
>
>
>
| |
|
