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drying racks for pots

updated tue 13 jan 04

 

John Rodgers on mon 12 jan 04


In setting up my new shop I had determined that I was going to have
EVERYTHING on wheels, so I could simply move things around without
haveing to "lift and tote" everything to a new position. This was
expecially needed since I have thousands of pounds of boxes of clay,
scores of 50 & 100 lb. bags of chemials, and a few thousand lbs in 100
lb. bags of plaster. So, I made a bunch of wheeled "Flats". Good in
theory. And now good in paractice.

I also needed to have mobile ware carts. I first considered making my
own from lumber and plywood, and put locking wheels on them. Then I
discovered that Sam's, Lowes, and other's carry a line of VERY strong
wire frame, chrome plated, pastry racks. These are 6 feet long, 6 feet
tall, and are 18-24 inches wide (can't remember exactly at the moment.)
They have 4 adjustable shelves, and carry 600 lbs. They have full
swivel, locking type wheels and are very easy to roll. Assembly is by a
special jamb-lock mechanism which absolutely does not give once in
place. Requires no tools for assembly, and maybe a plastic or rubber
mallet for disassembly just to loosen the connections. Being wire frame
construction, they make very good drying racks. Cost for one unit was
$75. There was no way I could match or beat that cost by doing it myself.

I now have four, and in my use of them I simply sit my bat with the pot
on the shelf until the pot self-releases from the bat (I use plaster
batts") Then I sit the pot on a piece of gypsum wall board until leather
hard, then sit the pot directly on the shelves to finish drying. Rate of
drying is controlled by draping a plastic sheet around the rack to
control air movement. I leave the top and bottom open, I air dry
principally, but a small electric forces air space heater could be
placed on the bottom shelf to enhance the drying . If a cover were put
over the top of the rack, a warm, moist yet moving air environment could
be provided that, in the end,, may well speed up drying without cracking.

Just thought I would pass this on. It works well for me.

Regards,

John Rodgers
Chelsea, AL

Carl Finch on mon 12 jan 04


At 09:12 AM 1/12/04 -0600, John Rodgers wrote:

>I also needed to have mobile ware carts. I first considered making my
>own from lumber and plywood, and put locking wheels on them. Then I
>discovered that Sam's, Lowes, and other's carry a line of VERY strong
>wire frame, chrome plated, pastry racks. These are 6 feet long, 6 feet
>tall, and are 18-24 inches wide (can't remember exactly at the moment.)
>They have 4 adjustable shelves, and carry 600 lbs. They have full
>swivel, locking type wheels and are very easy to roll. Assembly is by a
>special jamb-lock mechanism which absolutely does not give once in
>place. Requires no tools for assembly, and maybe a plastic or rubber
>mallet for disassembly just to loosen the connections. Being wire frame
>construction, they make very good drying racks. Cost for one unit was
>$75. There was no way I could match or beat that cost by doing it myself.

Yup, yup, and currently just $70 at Costco!

--Carl
on Medford, Oregon