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q: slab rollers for tile making

updated tue 12 feb 02

 

John Johnson on sat 9 feb 02


Greetings,

Clayart posters seemed to agree that to avoid warping in tiles cut from
rolled slabs, you must avoid bending the fresh slab while removing it from
the slab roller table.

I'm currently shopping for a slab roller for my home studio, and I do intend
to make some tiles, so the Bailey Mini-Might has caught my attention. It
requires the use of a shim board to set thickness, but the board travels
along with the clay - through the rollers and out the other side. Then you
simply remove clay and board together - without bending.

However, I'd rather not use shim boards when I have other kinds of slab
projects going.

My question is: What's to prevent me from running a thin masonite support
board through with the clay & canvas on any other dual-roller model, like a
Bailey DRD-II or a Northstar Standard?

Is this common practice, or am I overlooking something obvious? What
about just placing a support board on the table to receive the slab as it
comes out?

Thanks,

John Johnson
Ventura California

Brant Palley NMCLAY.com on mon 11 feb 02


The warping is not from gentle handling, it is from an improperly formed
slab. Slab rollers (and rolling pins) that are used on one side of the clay
only, cause warping in the slab, by unevenly lining up the clay particles.
The North Star slabrollers greatly reduce the warping by putting pressure
on both sides of the slab. I think that using a sheet of wood under the
slab would defeat the purpose of using two rollers.

Drying tiles slowly between sheets of drywall seems to help prevent uneven
drying.

Brant Palley
1-800-781-2529
brant@nmclay.com
http://www.nmclay.com

Pam Pasko on mon 11 feb 02


I have a Bailey 30 in. slab roller and most of the time use a thin board
under the clay when rolling out the slab in oder to handle the large slab
alone. I then cut and dry the tiles between dry wall board and do not have
a problem with them warping. Some are also 20 x 20 in size.
Pam Pasko

Craig Clark on mon 11 feb 02


Pam, what type of clay body are you using? What cone do you fire to?
Thankyou
Craig Dunn Clark
619 East 11 1/2 st
Houston, Texas 77008
mudman@hal-pc.org

----- Original Message -----
From: "Pam Pasko"
To:
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2002 12:55 PM
Subject: Re: Q: Slab rollers for tile making


> I have a Bailey 30 in. slab roller and most of the time use a thin board
> under the clay when rolling out the slab in oder to handle the large slab
> alone. I then cut and dry the tiles between dry wall board and do not
have
> a problem with them warping. Some are also 20 x 20 in size.
> Pam Pasko
>
>
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