Paul on sat 29 nov 03
Hello,
Is there any recommended time frame for when to get rid of plaster bats used
for drying out reclaim? Mine were under constant use for two years and then
i switched to another method of reclaiming clay, so i don't use them as
much. I still want to have some around so my thought was to throw them away
and make some new ones. But after they sat around for a few weeks unused,
they finally had time to dry out and now, when used, they work very well. Of
course, the main concern is that i don't want any plaster getting into the
clay. So should i pitch them now and pour new ones or what? thanks,
Paul B
Falmouth,KY
Jeff Longtin on sun 30 nov 03
Paul,
Your subject line made me chuckle for a moment: Isn't it funny that we think
that material that came from the Earth, that is...what, a few billion years
old, could, in some way, become lifeless in our lifetime?
(Yes, certain things, Albany slip for instance, become extinct but rare is
the ceramic item that becomes "lifeless".)
It sounds like your plaster bats are fine. As you have only used them for
reclaiming they'll probably last a lifetime. :-)
Plaster only, really, gets worn out when used with slip casting. The
defloculant in slip actually does cause the mold surface to breakdown. With throwing
bodies there is little caustic material that would adversly affect the plaster.
If the bats develop a light fuzz just take a scraper and scrap that stuff
off.
On the issue of clay contamination I would say thats a non starter. When I
transitioned from throwing to slip casting I worried about that but now I
realize that is a minimal issue. Unless you're an absolute brut with your bats I
can't forsee any reason why they would just start to break apart on you. If the
bats were weak to begin with, a poor mix ratio for instance, they would have
broken down long ago. If they've made it this far with you than they were
probably made fairly well and you can expect years of service.
take care
Jeff Longtin
David Hendley on sun 30 nov 03
At 2 years old, your bats are still youngsters, but I have
found that my plaster drying bats are, indeed, wearing out
after more than 10 years of use.
I don't use them constantly, just every few weeks to dry out
slaked trimmings and mistakes.
All of a sudden, in the last few months, layers of material are flaking
off the bats, mostly on the exterior surface that never comes in
direct contact with the clay (they are trough shaped).
David Hendley
david@farmpots.com
http://www.farmpots.com
----- Original Message -----
> Is there any recommended time frame for when to get rid of plaster bats
used
> for drying out reclaim? Mine were under constant use for two years and
then
> i switched to another method of reclaiming clay, so i don't use them as
> much.
Milla Miller on sun 30 nov 03
COULD THEY HAVE BEEN WET THEN FROZEN AT SOME POINT?
> All of a sudden, in the last few months, layers of material are flaking
> off the bats, mostly on the exterior surface that never comes in
> direct contact with the clay (they are trough shaped).
>
>
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