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making plaster bats

updated thu 20 sep 01

 

Snail Scott on tue 4 sep 01


At 06:30 PM 9/4/01 EDT, you wrote:
>What does hydrocal refer to?

Hydrocal is a very hard plaster. -Snail

MaryBeth Bishop on tue 4 sep 01


Marianne,
You might consider by-passing the whole plaster issue and ordering
hydro-bats. They have an ad in CM this month and a website:
www.hydrobat.com. They sold out at NCECA and although I haven't bought them
yet, they are on my wish list. Friends who have them can't say enough good
things. Better than plaster is all I hear.
Mary Beth Bishop

Earl Brunner on tue 4 sep 01


Get some brass tubing that fits snugly over the bat pins, cut it into
small cylinders (smaller than the thickness of your bats) plug the ends
with a little clay to keep out the plaster and cast the bats with the
brass tubing becoming part of the bat. If you are going to use the bat
pins, the plaster won't hold up at the pin holes. Alternatively, remove
the pins and use slip to attach the bats to the wheel head.

Marianne Lombardo wrote:

> Well, I've had enough of cutting pots off of wooden bats with a wire. I want to make some plaster batts.
>
> If I open a thick bottomless ring of clay on my wheelhead to contain the plaster, coat the wheelhead, pins, and clay with wax resist, do you think I can then pour the plaster into that? Will the wax resist be enough to release my pins?
>
> Has anyone tried this? How long does it take to dry?
>
> Marianne Lombardo
> Omemee, Ontario, Canada
> email: mlombardo@nexicom.net
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.


--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec/
bruec@anv.net

C TRIPP on tue 4 sep 01


Hi Marianne,
Please get a copy of Pottery Making Illustrated Spring 2001 in which you
will find an article "Making Plaster Bats". I might add that if you are not
already subscribing to this magazine, then you should be. And all the back
issues are worth getting too. It is full of useful information.
(www.potterymaking.org)
It is well worth the money. No, I don't work for them.
Good luck,
Carol






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Rikki Gill on tue 4 sep 01


Hi Marianne, I have always used plaster bats. What I did long ago, was to
use metal pie plates as molds. They have the right shape. Now you can buy
plastic bat molds, probably from a ceramic supply house, or there are adds I
have seen in ceramic monthly. These work well, and won't tie up your wheel.
Also getting plaster in the wheel head might not be great. I also used a
very good plaster, hydrocal, and the bats, still in use, are very strong.
Good luck, Rikki Gill rikigil@cwnet.con

-----Original Message-----
From: Marianne Lombardo
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 4:59 AM
Subject: Making Plaster Bats


Well, I've had enough of cutting pots off of wooden bats with a wire. I
want to make some plaster batts.

If I open a thick bottomless ring of clay on my wheelhead to contain the
plaster, coat the wheelhead, pins, and clay with wax resist, do you think I
can then pour the plaster into that? Will the wax resist be enough to
release my pins?

Has anyone tried this? How long does it take to dry?

Marianne Lombardo
Omemee, Ontario, Canada
email: mlombardo@nexicom.net

____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org

You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/

Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.

Celia Littlecreek on tue 4 sep 01


Marianne, I havent tried this yet. You sound more desperate than I am (at
the moment). Maybe you will want to give it a try and let us know what
happens.

I love shopping at the dollar stores, I bought a bunch of serving trays;
they are about the size of a wheel head and have about a scant inch of rim.
I thought I would fill it with plaster, and after it was dry, turn it upside
down and drill bat pin holes through the tray and plaster. Sounds easier
than your method. As I say, I haven't tried it yet, just a thought I had
trying to solve the same problem about bats.

---- Original Message -----
From: "Marianne Lombardo"
To:
Sent: Monday, September 04, 2000 5:27 AM
Subject: Making Plaster Bats


Well, I've had enough of cutting pots off of wooden bats with a wire. I
want to make some plaster batts.

If I open a thick bottomless ring of clay on my wheelhead to contain the
plaster, coat the wheelhead, pins, and clay with wax resist, do you think I
can then pour the plaster into that? Will the wax resist be enough to
release my pins?

Has anyone tried this? How long does it take to dry?

Marianne Lombardo
Omemee, Ontario, Canada
email: mlombardo@nexicom.net

____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org

You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/

Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.

WHC228@AOL.COM on tue 4 sep 01


I like to use the Randell system. You can still get the molds from them. To
adapt your wheelhead to that system call Steve Jepson 800 742 3055.
He made an adapter when he was still building wheels.
The molds are easy to make and easy to use. No more searching for that
elusive pin on the wheelhead.
Bill

Fabienne Micheline Cassman on tue 4 sep 01


At 09:51 AM 09/04/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>Marianne,
>You might consider by-passing the whole plaster issue and ordering
>hydro-bats. They have an ad in CM this month and a website:

They are made of hydro-stone a US Gypsum product; here is the link in case
you wanted to investigate this alternate to plaster and still want to do
them yourself.

http://www.usg.com/literature/lit_index.asp?sp=true&typ=msds

Fabienne
--
Milky Way Ceramics http://www.milkywayceramics.com/

Yes, I have learned from my mistakes...
I can reproduce them exactly.

Snail Scott on tue 4 sep 01


At 06:27 AM 9/4/00 -0400, you wrote:
>If I open a thick bottomless ring of clay on my wheelhead to contain the
plaster, coat the wheelhead, pins, and clay with wax resist, do you think I
can then pour the plaster into that? Will the wax resist be enough to
release my pins?
>

Never actually made bats, but I have made a lot of plaster molds.
I think your idea should work, but I'd make the bat-pins into
a more tapered shape by putting a little clay around them near the
base. They can be the normal size at the top, ensuring a tight fit,
but if they're equally thin all the way down, it will be hard to
get the bat off after the plaster sets up. Surround the pins 'til
they look like little truncated cones, and the new plaster bat
should come off just fine, without accidentally splitting out the
hole around the pin. Since the top of the hole will still be the
correct size, the bat won't wiggle in use. (They don't need much
of a taper; just a few degrees off vertical will do it, to let the
plaster release from the pin more easily after it sets.)

By the way, plaster won't stick to wet clay, so no need to coat it
with wax. Also, do you really want wax on your wheelhead? A thin
coating of liquid soap will release the plaster just fine. You can
buy special 'mold soap' for the purpose, but hand soap and dish
soapwork just fine. ('Murphy's Oil Soap' is what I like best.) And,
a little soap residue won't hurt your clay.

-Snail

SusanRaku@AOL.COM on tue 4 sep 01


In a message dated 9/4/2001 12:44:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
rikigil@CWNET.COM writes:


> . I also used a
> very good plaster, hydrocal, and the bats, still in use, are very strong.
>

Whaat does hydrocal refer to?

Susan

Marianne Lombardo on wed 5 sep 01


Well, I've had enough of cutting pots off of wooden bats with a wire. I =
want to make some plaster batts.

If I open a thick bottomless ring of clay on my wheelhead to contain the =
plaster, coat the wheelhead, pins, and clay with wax resist, do you =
think I can then pour the plaster into that? Will the wax resist be =
enough to release my pins?

Has anyone tried this? How long does it take to dry?

Marianne Lombardo
Omemee, Ontario, Canada
email: mlombardo@nexicom.net

William Moody on wed 5 sep 01


The New wheel I just bought (Thomas Stuart) has the option of buying a
plaster bat mold to go along with the wheel. You can buy it separately but I
am not sure if it is designed to be used with this wheel head specifically
or not. BTW, great wheel! I bought the pro and probably over bought but I
doubt that I will ever regret it!
--Randall--
----- Original Message -----
From:
To:
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 2:15 PM
Subject: Re: Making Plaster Bats


> I like to use the Randell system. You can still get the molds from them.
To
> adapt your wheelhead to that system call Steve Jepson 800 742 3055.
> He made an adapter when he was still building wheels.
> The molds are easy to make and easy to use. No more searching for that
> elusive pin on the wheelhead.
> Bill
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.

Des Howard on wed 5 sep 01


Marianne
When pouring jigger moulds I coat clay formers,
metal cottles & resin cups with emulsion wax resist,
the plaster separates without problems.

The pins are another story, I would slip short pieces
of plastic tubing over the pins & cast them into the bats.
The tubing will allow the plaster to lift easily,
plus, give some wear protection to the plaster.

Drying time depends on your ambient temperature,
here it takes about a cuppa long.
Des

Marianne Lombardo wrote:

> Well, I've had enough of cutting pots off of wooden bats with a wire. I want to make some plaster batts.
>
> If I open a thick bottomless ring of clay on my wheelhead to contain the plaster, coat the wheelhead, pins, and clay with wax resist, do you think I can then pour the plaster into that? Will the wax resist be enough to release my pins?
>
> Has anyone tried this? How long does it take to dry?

--

Des & Jan Howard
Lue Pottery
LUE NSW 2850
Australia
Ph/Fax 02 6373 6419
http://www.luepottery.hwy.com.au

ALEXIS EVANS on wed 5 sep 01


I made several that I love....made plaster bats in a cheap plastic beer tray [got it at Big Lots} that was the same size as my wheel and about 1 1/2" deep. When the bats were done and cured I marked my pins with colored chalk [wet brown clay works too]and placed the bat on the head to locate the holes I needed to make...I just carved them out with a masonry bit. Eventually they get bigger but a dab of clay in the hole tightens them up. I made all sizes with all the tupperware and plastic buckets I had....anything that will bend enough to release the mold. Used up 100 pounds in no time!!!




--


Potter & Master Gardener, Augusta, GA
Love, like a garden, grows sweeter with time.

http://www.flummoxed.org/lexxey/index.htm


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Ross Hartman on fri 14 sep 01


FWIW:

United States Gypsum (USG) makes several products that are consumed in the
'pottery' world these are:

1) USG #1 Pottery Plaster
2) USG Hydrocal (more dense than plaster, used as a production mold material
(like for RAM presses) and so forth, and which mold makers sometimes use for
'plugs' which are castings from intermediate molds to sculpt on/in to
sharpen/define relief etc.)
3) USG Hydrostone (which is very dense and is used for some of the things in #2
and mostly for mold makers it is a material to make case molds for the casting of
production molds for the slip casting process)

L8R/Ross

SusanRaku@AOL.COM wrote:

> In a message dated 9/4/2001 12:44:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> rikigil@CWNET.COM writes:
>
> > . I also used a
> > very good plaster, hydrocal, and the bats, still in use, are very strong.
> >
>
> Whaat does hydrocal refer to?
>
> Susan
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.