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clamping

updated fri 13 feb 98

 

Mel Jacobson on wed 11 feb 98

i have placed on my webpage a drawing of some alternative methods
of clamping braces on a kiln without welding.
several of you have asked about this, so i thought you would better
understand with a drawing.

the first (or top) drawing is of aircraft cable around the kiln and the
angle iron corners....bring together with a stout turnbuckle with cable
attached with cable clamps....(any hardware store)....this is a great
system for cantenary bottoms.

second drawing is a kurt wild strap.........he inserts eye bolts into a
hole drilled in the angle iron....and drawn up with nuts....use aircraft
cable and clamps between eye bolts...(all the way around.)

the third is a variation on the oregon system. plumbers strapping.
with bolts attached through the holes.

i imagine clennell in canada has a goofey system...and david in texas
will make it out of bed springs he got free from the dump.

and i can't wait for vince to put up his 34 drawings of better ways.

and i love the method of six people just hugging the kiln all at once with
arms linked , very tight.

and of course there is always the course in welding at the area
vocational/technical school. (in texas, just call wes...great welder.)

mel. mn. over the sydney, australia flu...that i got in st. petersburg from
charlie parker. 5 days in bed........ick.

p.s. if any of you out there want to model a really great clay center...
call charlie....hot alley.........what a great concept.
'

http://www.pclink.com/melpots

David Hendley on thu 12 feb 98

At 10:25 AM 2/11/98 EST, Mel wrote:
>
>i imagine clennell in canada has a goofey system...and david in texas
>will make it out of bed springs he got free from the dump.
>

Ha. You almost got it right, Mel.
I use bed FRAMES from the dump,
a cheap and common source for light weight angle iron.
Actually, I have real angle iron on my kiln, but bed frames
running up corners of the stack.
And they would work fine for a small kiln.

Another rule I use to save $$ on my kiln frames is to
never buy 'all threads' to hold it together.
Just pick up some short pieces of re-bar at the scrap metal
yard and weld 1/2" bolts on each end.
You're only using an inch or two of the threads on each end,
so why pay for something that's been threaded its entire length?
Short (less than 6') pieces of re-bar are very common at
the junk yard, and you can usually find the bolts, too.
Pick up a few valve springs (also VERY common) and your
angle iron, and the junk yard is your place for
ONE STOP SHOPPING for kiln frames.

Aircraft cable? Plumber's strapping?
If you want fast and cheap, use pallet strapping.
You know, the metal bands that hold stuff together for shipping.
Just wrap it all around and connect the ends.
Borrow the crimping tool from your friend who sells you clay
some evening (be sure to return it bright & early the next morning).
If you don't have a friend, drill a few holes at each end and attatch
bolts, a la plumber's strapping.
Lasts a surprisingly long time.

David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
See David Hendley's Pottery Page at
http://www.sosis.com/hendley/david/




At 10:25 AM 2/11/98 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>i have placed on my webpage a drawing of some alternative methods
>of clamping braces on a kiln without welding.
>several of you have asked about this, so i thought you would better
>understand with a drawing.
>
>the first (or top) drawing is of aircraft cable around the kiln and the
>angle iron corners....bring together with a stout turnbuckle with cable
>attached with cable clamps....(any hardware store)....this is a great
>system for cantenary bottoms.
>
>second drawing is a kurt wild strap.........he inserts eye bolts into a
>hole drilled in the angle iron....and drawn up with nuts....use aircraft
>cable and clamps between eye bolts...(all the way around.)
>
>the third is a variation on the oregon system. plumbers strapping.
>with bolts attached through the holes.
>
>i imagine clennell in canada has a goofey system...and david in texas
>will make it out of bed springs he got free from the dump.
>
>and i can't wait for vince to put up his 34 drawings of better ways.
>
>and i love the method of six people just hugging the kiln all at once with
>arms linked , very tight.
>
>and of course there is always the course in welding at the area
>vocational/technical school. (in texas, just call wes...great welder.)
>
>mel. mn. over the sydney, australia flu...that i got in st. petersburg from
>charlie parker. 5 days in bed........ick.
>
>p.s. if any of you out there want to model a really great clay center...
>call charlie....hot alley.........what a great concept.
>'
>
>http://www.pclink.com/melpots
>
>