vince pitelka on wed 4 jul 01
This has been discussed frequently in the past on Clayart, but here goes
again. Someone else mentioned an abrasive flap wheel, often just referred to
as a flap wheel. This device is the size and shape of a grinding wheel, but
is composed of a central core with hundreds of strips of heavy-duty abrasive
cloth cemented to it. The flap wheel is the very best way of getting a
silky smooth foot on large numbers of pots, and is practically essential for
salt and wood-fired pots. If you ever have to grind the bottoms of such
pots, the flap wheel will do a great job of polishing the ground spots. It
also does an excellent job of smoothing and rounding wood an metal tools.
The wheel can be mounted on one end of any stationary bench grinder, or you
can purchase an inexpensive arbor that will fit the shaft of any recycled
1/4 to 3/4 HP electric motor. With a normal bench grinder, on the end where
you are going to mount the flap wheel take off the tool rest and the guard,
so that you can easily get the pots in there against the flap wheel. There
is absolutely no reason to have the tool rest or guard in place with a flap
wheel.
You can get good flap wheels from Graingers for about $16, and they last a
long time. We have a flap wheel mounted on an old motor out back and my
students use it all the time. One flap wheel lasts a few months, so you can
imagine how long it would last the individual potter. I use a 120-grit
wheel that is 1"-wide and 6" in diameter and has a 1" arbor hole. You have
to purchase a separate set of inexpensive bushings to adapt the center hole
to your shaft size, so be sure to measure your shaft size before contacting
Grainger. You can easily find their website, but it is very hard to find
the flap wheels on the website. It might be better to just get the phone
number off the website and call them and tell them what you want.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Ron Roy on sun 8 jul 01
Just in case anyone still does not understand - a flap wheel has to be
about the best thing I can think of for filling the air with fine silica
particles - not what you want winding up in your lungs. Wear a proper mask
and take a shower after you grind - this is one of those tasks best done
outside with the wind at your back.
I grind all my feet by placing the ware upside down on my wheel, usualy
using my trusty Giffen Grip, and bear down with one of those softstone
knife sharpeners. The stone is wet and the clay has some water sponged on
it. Silky smooth is how it ends up.
RR
> Someone else mentioned an abrasive flap wheel, often just referred to
>as a flap wheel. This device is the size and shape of a grinding wheel, but
>is composed of a central core with hundreds of strips of heavy-duty abrasive
>cloth cemented to it. The flap wheel is the very best way of getting a
>silky smooth foot on large numbers of pots, and is practically essential for
>salt and wood-fired pots. If you ever have to grind the bottoms of such
>pots, the flap wheel will do a great job of polishing the ground spots.
Ron Roy
RR# 4
15084 Little Lake Rd..
Brighton,
Ontario, Canada
KOK 1H0
Residence 613-475-9544
Studio 613-475-3715
Fax 613-475-3513
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