Sarah House on thu 11 apr 02
I just filled out Brad's tool poll and it made me wonder about dipping
tongs. I've been using the Kemper red handled tongs, and glazing just hurts.
I'm holding on so tight, that i can't unbend my hand afterward. Has anyone
used the channel lock tongs, or are there others? My husband suggested
puting some big cushy grips on the ones i have to see if that helps.
Also is it my imagination or are the newer Kemper tongs really bad. I have
some older ones with the shorter head, but the newer ones seem longer and
narrower. Every time i try to grip something the tongs twist and bind up.
Anyone else have this problem? Anyone from Kemper listening?
Sarah House
--
www.SKHPottery.com
PO Box 84
Little Switzerland, NC 28749
828-756-1191
Jim Bob Salazar on thu 11 apr 02
> Has anyone
> used the channel lock tongs, or are there others?
hey sarah,
i have a pair of those channel lock tongs. i think they work pretty well.
they
are real strong, when i first got them i punched through several pots
because i was
use to "holding on so tight" with the red handled tongs. the only draw back
if
there is one....the channel lock tongs have a shorter reach...you can't get
the
tongs down into the pot very far. i have only had a few times that this
made a
difference, mostly on bigger things. hope this helps.
jim bob
Bill Weaver on thu 11 apr 02
Sarah,
I had the same problem, weak wrists from rheumatoid arthritis. I =
switched to the channel lock tongs a when they first came out. Overall I =
like them. Someof the problems I have noticed are that the channel =
doesn't always lock and takes some fiddling, because of their design =
they don't penetrate deep enough into a pot which can put stress on the =
rim. Heavy large peices are also difficult and usually require the use =
of two or a support from the free hand. Finally, my major gripe is that =
they rust which would be hard to prevent since they are dropped forged(I =
think). I have found that if I wash them after every glaze session and =
dry them the rust is less. Overall they beat the other ones hands down.=20
Bill Weaver
bweaver1@qwest.net
http://www.palemoonstudio.com
Judith Frederick on thu 11 apr 02
Sarah,
I do alot of cut out work on my pots and I have trouble with the tongs also.
I've broken pots and dropped pots into the glaze. I wish there were ones
with smaller heads.
Judy in baltimore
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Ted Whittemore on thu 11 apr 02
The "Brown Tool" modified channel locks work very well
indeed.
Because it is rigid, no pressure needs to be
applied to compensate for flex, as in the cheaper
tools.
But because the tool is rigid, too much pressure will
break your pot.
The contact prongs are just a little larger than those
on the Kemper and others, but smooth and do not damage the
surface of the bisque.
It is very well made, and comfortable to use.
Ted Whittemore
bivaletz ginny on thu 11 apr 02
sara - i use the chanel lock tongs i purchased from a
company advertising in one of the ceramic mags. i
have also used the other stainless steel type which is
most likely what you are using. i did not like them
at all. i used to drop small things in the glaze
bucket all the time. i really prefer the chanel lock
ones and if you want the address, i can find it for
you. ginnyB
=====
ginny from orcas island, washington.
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Polly Harris on thu 11 apr 02
If someone really wants to do pottery a real favor, they will come up with a
better dipping tool than the two on the market. Kemper stinks!! The poorly
welded channel lock tools are a time drain and non functional. What would
really work is a spring loaded (Like clippers) tool that would release the
pot when you ceased to hold it tightly. That isn't too advanced engineering
- why cannot someone do it. The Kemper's have to have the nut tightened
often to stop the binding up. The expensive channel locks or hard to find
the right
channel to put the tool into. I glaze thousands of pots every year and
break
some from the poorly designed glazing tongs..... someone get to work out
there.
p
Gillian Evison on fri 12 apr 02
Hi Sarah,
I use tongs for all of my glazing - and surgical gloves too. It
saves endless misery with ones hands. I don't know what sort mine are - they
have a red handle, are very old and are quite loose and wackley, but I take
my time to make sure the pot is secure before I dump it in the glaze.
Holding too tight doesn't work as a) you are liable to put the tongs right
through a pot, and b) your hands get sore and tired!
I could never glaze at the speed I do without tongs - I love them. Good
luck, and persevere,
Jill
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Jennifer F Boyer on fri 12 apr 02
And I wish they were non rusting! I end up sanding the tips of
the Kempers since they get a rusty residue if left wet.....I use
them on a white glaze, and the rusty tips can actually leave
little brown spots in the fired glaze.
Jennifer
Polly Harris wrote:
>
> If someone really wants to do pottery a real favor, they will come up with
a
> better dipping tool than the two on the market. Kemper stinks!! The
poorly
> welded channel lock tools are a time drain and non functional. What would
> really work is a spring loaded (Like clippers) tool that would release the
> pot when you ceased to hold it tightly. That isn't too advanced
engineering
> - why cannot someone do it. The Kemper's have to have the nut tightened
> often to stop the binding up. The expensive channel locks or hard to find
> the right
> channel to put the tool into. I glaze thousands of pots every year and
break
> some from the poorly designed glazing tongs..... someone get to work out
> there.
>
> p
>
>
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Lili Krakowski on thu 16 feb 06
I cannot use them as I suffer from "discouraged thumb syndrome".
However would someone out there with good thumbs try canning tongs which =
come in a number of varieties. Some are long wooden scissor like =
thingies to help fish the lids and such out of the boiling water. =
Others are wider to grab canning jars. =20
Seems to me that, while this is impro territory, someone should be able =
to modify , use, these guys, or one or the other of specialized =
pliers....
Lili Krakowski
Be of good courage
Carole Fox on fri 17 feb 06
On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 16:50:11 -0500, Lili Krakowski
wrote:
>However would someone out there with good thumbs try canning tongs which
come in a number of varieties. Some are long wooden scissor like thingies
to help fish the lids and such out of the boiling water. Others are wider
to grab canning jars.
Lili - I have tried a pair of the canning tongs designed to pick up a jar
from the boiling water. For those who have never seen them, I will try to
describe: each half of the pair looks like the set of curved lines that
define the outline of a vertical half of a cylinder. The two halves are
bent slightly at the center to allow them to cross, where the pair
hinges. There is no hinge pin on mine, only the pressure of the two parts
to keep the halves together.
Anyway, they work great for gripping a small bowl or mug by the footring,
because the two half circles at the business end are covered with some
kind of grippy plastic, and the ends almost completely encircle the foot
ring. They don't work for gripping any pot by the side, because the shape
of the gripping end contacts too much of the pot. They also don't work for
pieces with large diameter foot rings, because they don't open wide enough.
Carole Fox
Dayton, OH
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