Vince Pitelka on wed 20 oct 99
I haven't read ALL of these posts, but it is apparent that lots of you are
concerned about wood or plastic bats which are a little loose on the pins,
and also the possibility of the bat lifting off the wheelhead in a hard pull
on the clay. This really does not need to be a problem at all. When you
sit down to throw, place a dozen or so very small wads (half the size of a
marble) on the wheelhead evenly spaced along the same circle where the bat
pins are located. Flatten them down with the palm of your hand. Place your
first bat on the wheel, and whack it with your fist. Throw a pot. Pry the
bat off with an old, dull screwdriver. The flattened wads of clay will stay
on the wheelhead, and you can use the same ones all day long. The bats will
not wobble around, and they will never lift off in a hard pull.
I have never liked plaster bats on the wheel. But each to his/her own.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@DeKalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Vince Pitelka on mon 6 nov 06
Just to provide further clarification for what Mel said about bat pins, the
items you want to ask for are "Allen socket-head cap screws," not "cap
bolts." They are generally available from Home Depot or Lowe's in the
specialty hardware area. All of the commercial wheel manufacturer use 1/4"
coarse-thread Allen socket-head cap screws for bat pins. The length of the
screws will depend on the thickness of your wheelhead where the pins are
installed. Purchase 1/4" coarse-thread wing nuts to screw on under the
wheelhead to attach the cap screws.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
Janet Price on tue 7 nov 06
All,
On thomas stuart wheels--at least the kickwheel I have--the pins go in
the bats and there are just holes in the wheelhead. The wheel came with
a form for making the bats and the pins to put in them. Yes, the bats
take up space and would probably be no good for a production potter.
And the pins make the bats take up more space.
But, they work like a charm, and I can trim directly on the wheelhead.
Janet
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