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chattering over s cracks: my

updated sun 22 apr 01

 

Philip on fri 20 apr 01


Dear Will,


The Tools are good.
The 'Chattering' some Potters may get, is a function of viscousity , sticky
Clay and wheel speed...and perhaps that the Tools are 'sharp'.

Damp gummy Clay may be Trimmed if they slow their Wheel...at least 'gummy'
within reason...one can also wait, let it dry a little more...or trim when
conditions are more nealy optimum, as to being of 'leather hard'.
Why not aquire the habit, circumstances permitting, of Trimming when the
Piece is 'ready' TO be Trimmed?

Many Potters Trim (or attempt to) with far too fast a Wheel Speed.
This may derive from haveing just wanted to get it over with?
I do not know why one would wish to Trim with a 'fast' wheel, but I have
often seen this.
I have also seen that they are allways happier TO 'slow-it-down' for having
thought TO do so.

It does not get the 'Trimming' done faster, having a 'fast' Wheel speed.
'Skill' and practice does.

Anyway...in reading your conjectures below...I am moved to wonder at their
'logic' or perhaps their sincerity.

For your edification, I will annotate below:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "will edwards"
> To:
> Sent: Friday, April 20, 2001 6:34 AM
> Subject: Chattering over S cracks
>
>
> Hello,


> On the chattering - Well it wasn't too long ago I was reading from many of
> the
> same people all the pro's of Bison tools and was impressed by it. I held
off
> on buying them because I have a stash of tools right now. Then suddenly I
> see
> a whole pile of issues about chattering. I hope this doesn't effect this
> persons business in a bad way since I know first hand how hard it is to
> restore any negative commentary that can feed into the mechanism that
turns
> good intent into less than good.


Well, how is this 'negative commentary'?
Or are these the actual experiences of Potters who are learning that to
'Trim' with these Tools, one may not need to rush wet Clay, nor to revolve
their Wheel
unduely 'fast'?
Or that a 'Sharp' Tool will occasion certain 'adjustments' from those habits
which may have
evolved in adaptation or indifference with 'dull' Tools?
I see nothing 'negative' here.

These Tools are predicated on, and also invite, what for some, are different
'habits'.
This is fine!
This was my intention.
It is implicit IN the Tools.

For 'Trimmimg' to be a pleasure, rather than a 'chore'.
Something done with satisfaction, rather than grudgeingly, or hurried and
incidental.
I wanted to provide Tools for those Potters who wish TO 'Trim' with greater
intention, delicacy and sureness than may be possible with other Tools.
My Catalogue ( which you perhaps have not read? ) mentions this as the
premise.


> I wondered when I started reading all this if the tools might be so strong
> in
> tensile strenght that they ride any small bump and thus create chatter.

Ummm...no, this is not the case.

> Maybe
> that is the reason they are so good? Its like a soft metal that will be
> eaten
> away while tooling verses a very hard metal that takes a beating but will
> not

Ummm....no, not as that.

> give as much to abrasive effect when being used. If the tool is made with
> such
> a strong metal then the lasting effect of it would be worth the extra
money
> paid if one uses it and figures out how to control the chatter.

Or,,,phrased differently, Should one wish to learn to
TRIM...'intentionally'?

>Or they may
> buy 5 soft metal tools and compare the costs in the end? The economics of
it
> is debateable to me. It leaves me with wondering about performance over
> cost.

I wonder why your 'wonderings' did not lead you to more 'actual'
investigations, or more probable conclusions?
Or, why, as one who 'wonders', you would not trouble yourself to allow
'wondering' to lead you TO actually 'find-out'?

Possibly, because, like me, you are only 'Human'?
And sometimes are not thinking straight?

As far as '5 soft metal tools' and all the rest, the 'debatable' value lay
not IN the Tools, but in your acessment, without experience, though 'with'
presumption, of them.

On principle, would not that 'acessment' be more sincere, or more 'useful'
if you had actually had some experience with the Tools?
Or an understanding of them?

It may be nearer to 50 soft metal Tools...

And it leaves me 'wondering' about why otherwise intelligent People may
sometimes presume to foolish 'conjecture', out of their 'depth', in a
Public Forum, about matters they know not of!

I have done this!
Sooner or later, one tends to!



> Any day of the week I would prefer to support as often as I can a person
who
> is trying to grow a business over the larger establishments when and where
> possible. It creates good competition and keeps everyone on their toes.
> But, it either works or it don't. As I said it was working a few weeks ago
> according to the list replies I was reading. They were allot of good
> chattering going on about the product then???


Your last paragraph makes the least 'sense' of all.
Or, perhaps the most?
Lets see...today is Friday...and 'this' is your 'version' of 'support'?
How does it differ from your 'support' previous to this, on
"any-day-of-the-week"?

What 'exactly' are you 'saying' here, Will?




True with one's 'conjectures' as well...that 'it' either works, or it
don't...

Ummm...this one didn't 'work'!

Regards,

Philip
BISON STUDIOS
etc

> William Edwards
> Alchemy 101 - Chattering, why not? Its always good to swap ideas and
> information back and forth. Someone will always have an answer and another
> will always have a question.
>
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