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best slab roller for using with kids?

updated sat 5 may 07

 

Elizabeth Priddy on tue 1 may 07


The ones with the over under wires can trap and crush tiny fingers.

They all can to some extent, so I use dowels with training wheels.

the kids like throwing a slab, but the finished product is either
too thin or too thick and usually both.

So if you take a large wooden button and a dowel of roughly
a quarter inch lesser diameter, and then cut the dowel to about
10 inches, and then affix the button to either end of the dowel
with either a screw or liquid nails, you have a dowel that has
a built in depth guage.

Toss the slabs to about the right thickness, and then let them
roll until the buttons are level to the table. Perfect 10 inch wide
slabs 1 quarter inch thick.

The buttons come 20 to a pack and the dowels also come in
ten pack, but they are usually too long.

you can also buy round doll heads with a predrilled hole -6 for $3,
and just jam them on the end of the dowels.

you can make 10-20 of these for your kids classes for under $20.

And no cut or nipped fingers.

Elizabeth Priddy

Beaufort, NC - USA
http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7973282@N03/


----- Original Message ----
From: Kim Overall
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Sent: Tuesday, May 1, 2007 11:43:46 PM
Subject: Re: Best Slab Roller for using with kids?


I just purchased the one with the over-under knurled rollers and chain
driven simutaneous dual handled rising/lowering action from The Ceramic
Store in Houston who ordered it from I don't know where.

I love it. Slabs are evenly pressed.

Concerns of kids' fingers in rollers pops into my head if they're horsing
around. Since you've already got one paid for, can't an assistant roll the
slabs saving mishaps? Or teach 'em how to throw them almost to the desired
thickness and them rolling them out?

Vince Pitelka recommends a certain maple roller using various dimensions of
dowel rods as shims that I consider an excellent option for kiddos.

One thing I do when throwing slabs by hand is to throw them on newspaper.
Once the slab is picked up and peeled away from the newspaper, rotate it to
throw again, and if newspaper is damp, flip it or use fresh. Newspaper is
about the right size, there is plenty of it, it can sandwich slabs to keep
them moist and then easily discarded to avoid dust unlike canvas. Canvas
does have its place. Newspaper does too. After it's been read of course.

Kim Overall
Houston, TX

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Chic Lotz + keith Montgomery on tue 1 may 07


Our local Ceramics center wants to purchase a new slab roller as the
one we got from Brent is too particular for use with LOTS of kids.
Apparently, if you don't place the clay precisely in the middle, it
pulls one of the cables more than the other which pushes the roller
out of alignment........which happens daily. So.......we need a slab
roller that doesn't require such precision. We are looking at the
North Star Slab Roller and the one from Euclids. Any thoughts on a
slab roller would be best for using with kids?

Chic Lotz
http://www.PotteryPoet.com
Chic@PotteryPoet.com

Kim Overall on tue 1 may 07


I just purchased the one with the over-under knurled rollers and chain
driven simutaneous dual handled rising/lowering action from The Ceramic
Store in Houston who ordered it from I don't know where.

I love it. Slabs are evenly pressed.

Concerns of kids' fingers in rollers pops into my head if they're horsing
around. Since you've already got one paid for, can't an assistant roll the
slabs saving mishaps? Or teach 'em how to throw them almost to the desired
thickness and them rolling them out?

Vince Pitelka recommends a certain maple roller using various dimensions of
dowel rods as shims that I consider an excellent option for kiddos.

One thing I do when throwing slabs by hand is to throw them on newspaper.
Once the slab is picked up and peeled away from the newspaper, rotate it to
throw again, and if newspaper is damp, flip it or use fresh. Newspaper is
about the right size, there is plenty of it, it can sandwich slabs to keep
them moist and then easily discarded to avoid dust unlike canvas. Canvas
does have its place. Newspaper does too. After it's been read of course.

Kim Overall
Houston, TX

Doug Jones on wed 2 may 07


The best slab roller I have used is the original Bailey Slab Roller. They
have been making the same or similar model since 1974. Mine must have been
one of the first shipped. I purchased it used (very used) from Lee Shank and
it paid for itself the first week. It is a very heavy duty work horse. It
has twin rollers that are chain and gear driven that adjust with a single
crank. It is great.

Doug Jones
Amelia Island Pottery
http://www.ameliaislandpottery.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Chic Lotz +
keith Montgomery
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 11:53 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Best Slab Roller for using with kids?

Our local Ceramics center wants to purchase a new slab roller as the
one we got from Brent is too particular for use with LOTS of kids.
Apparently, if you don't place the clay precisely in the middle, it
pulls one of the cables more than the other which pushes the roller
out of alignment........which happens daily. So.......we need a slab
roller that doesn't require such precision. We are looking at the
North Star Slab Roller and the one from Euclids. Any thoughts on a
slab roller would be best for using with kids?

Chic Lotz
http://www.PotteryPoet.com
Chic@PotteryPoet.com

____________________________________________________________________________
__
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.

Bonnie Staffel on wed 2 may 07


I have one of Bailey's slab rollers such as you describe. What is happening
is that you do not have your cables tightened enough. I had the same
problem but when I straightened it out the last time, I really put the
wrench to them. So far the roller has stayed in its designated place for
over a year's use.

Bonnie Staffel

Kim wrote:.

>>I just purchased the one with the over-under knurled rollers and chain
driven simultaneous dual handled rising/lowering action from The Ceramic
Store in Houston who ordered it from I don't know where.

I love it. Slabs are evenly pressed.

Concerns of kids' fingers in rollers pops into my head if they're horsing
around. Since you've already got one paid for, can't an assistant roll the
slabs saving mishaps? Or teach 'em how to throw them almost to the desired
thickness and them rolling them out?

Vince Pitelka recommends a certain maple roller using various dimensions of
dowel rods as shims that I consider an excellent option for kiddos.

One thing I do when throwing slabs by hand is to throw them on newspaper.
Once the slab is picked up and peeled away from the newspaper, rotate it to
throw again, and if newspaper is damp, flip it or use fresh. Newspaper is
about the right size, there is plenty of it, it can sandwich slabs to keep
them moist and then easily discarded to avoid dust unlike canvas. Canvas
does have its place. Newspaper does too. After it's been read of course.

Kim Overall
>>Houston, TX


http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
DVD Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD Introduction to Wheel Work
Charter Member Potters Council

Gayle Bair on fri 4 may 07


Unless the North Star has changed the material they use for their gears
they likely will not stand up to the stresses kids might place on them.
You probably need something that can handle abuse.
See:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&pwst=1&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&c
d=1&q=NorthStar+slab+roller+gears&spell=1

Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
Tucson, AZ
http://claybair.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On Behalf Of Chic Lotz +
keith Montgomery
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 8:53 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Best Slab Roller for using with kids?


Our local Ceramics center wants to purchase a new slab roller as the
one we got from Brent is too particular for use with LOTS of kids.
Apparently, if you don't place the clay precisely in the middle, it
pulls one of the cables more than the other which pushes the roller
out of alignment........which happens daily. So.......we need a slab
roller that doesn't require such precision. We are looking at the
North Star Slab Roller and the one from Euclids. Any thoughts on a
slab roller would be best for using with kids?

Chic Lotz
http://www.PotteryPoet.com
Chic@PotteryPoet.com

____________________________________________________________________________
__
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.
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