[Clayart] SANDY BOTTOMS

[vpitelka at dtccom.net]

I wrote about this in one of my Clay Times columns.  I am always looking for
efficient ways of doing things without sacrificing quality and
craftsmanship.  I soda fire to cone-8 and sand the bottoms or feet of every
piece.  I've always done that, and when I was a production studio potter in
Northern California that was a hell of a lot of pots. I discovered abrasive
flap wheels around 1975 and since them have always used them to sand the
bottoms.  

Search Amazon for "Norton Metalite R265 Abrasive Flap Wheel, 1" Arbor, Round
Hole, Aluminum Oxide, 6" Dia., 1" Face Width, Grit 120, 6200 Max RPM" but be
sure to also get "Norton Aluminum Reducing Bushing for 4 - 6 Abrasive Flap
and Convolute Wheel, Reduces Hole Size to 1/2, 1 Arbor Model: 66261080523."
Those are the bushings you need to adapt to the 1/2" arbor on your bench
grinder.  You'll only have to buy the bushings once, because they fit all
flap wheels with a 1" center hole.  

If you happen to have a spare 1/4 to 1/2 HP electric motor around, you can
get a "motor shaft arbor extension" to fit the 1/2" or 5/8" motor shaft.  It
features a 1/2" arbor to mount the abrasive flap wheel.  That's what I did
when I had Railroad Stoneware.  I mounted the motor on a stand, and sanded
the bottoms of every pot as I unloaded the car kiln.  

If you don't have a an appropriate electric motor lying around, you are best
off buying a bench grinder, because they are no more expensive than a new
electric motor.  They are very reasonably priced, and you can use them to
sharpen your trimming tools and shape your modeling tools.  The Skil 6"
bench grinder I got for my studio does not seem to be available, but the
"G9717 6" Bench Grinder with 1/2" Arbor" from grizzly.com for $57 is a good
deal.  Grizzly Industrial does a good job of maintaining high quality on the
products they sell.  Mount the grinder on a table or workbench in your
studio or buy a stand for it.  I have a bench grinder in my workshop and a
second one in my studio that has a grinding wheel on one end for grinding
off glaze runs and soda deposits, and a abrasive flap wheel on the other end
for sanding the bottoms.  It makes quick work of the sanding.  

I bought two of the "WEN 4288T Cast Iron Bench Grinder Pedestal Stand" from
Amazon for $56 apiece for my bench grinders, and they worked out great.
They are a bargain.  

If you buy a bench grinder for this application, remove the grinding wheel
from one end and save it as a spare, and then remove the guard and the tool
rest from that end as well in order to give maximum access to the flap wheel
when sanding your work.  NEVER REMOVE THE GUARD ON A GRINDING WHEEL, but
with a flap wheel, the guard is just in the way.  The grit and bits of
fabric thrown off by a flap wheel will do you no harm as long as you ALWAYS
WEAR PROPER EYE PROTECTION whenever using any sort of grinder or sander.  

Here's a bit of common sense shop safety protocol for bench grinders.  This
is not so important in your own studio or workshop, but a very good habit to
develop for the occasions when you use a bench grinder somewhere else.  If
someone was walking through the workshop or studio with a length of angle
iron or a long two-by-four and accidently whacked one end against the
grinding wheel on a bench grinder and cracked it, the wheel would likely
explode from centrifugal force upon startup.  So, as standard protocol,
always stand off to the side when you start a bench grinder with a grinding
wheel.  That way you're out of the line of fire.  Staying out of the line of
fire is very important whenever people are using power tools or machine
tools and equipment.   
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Potter, Writer, Teacher
Chapel Hill, NC
vpitelka at dtccom.net
www.vincepitelka.com 
https://chathamartistsguild.org/ 

-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart <clayart-bounces at lists.clayartworld.com> On Behalf Of Mike
Gordon
Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2022 6:22 PM
To: Clayart international pottery discussion forum
<clayart at lists.clayartworld.com>
Subject: [Clayart] SANDY BOTTOMS

Does anybody else have this problem??? All the feet on my bowls, cups have
to be sanded smooth. Otherwise they feel like sand paper! Mike Gordon Cone 6
in a gas kiln.=