twist for flowerpot casting

watershed · Post by **watershed** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 1:39 am

One of my compatriots at the shop helped me with a problem, and provided a new use for a tool today.

Problem was, a flower pot had fallen over. I was looking to just pry it off, and he handed me the Pastorelli pipe. This is a long handled 2 pronged fork, used for vetntian style blowing. So I kind of hooked the downed pot, and hauled it out. Worked great.

Then I started thinking (always dangerous), took the pipe to some cold pots, discovered that the prongs fit just fine.... SO I went back in, and moved the remaining pots from the filled molds. I left them in the oven, in hopes to use them again. This should reduce my coldworking time (grinding pot from piece) and increase the yield (2 inches of glass in pot stuck to 2 inches of casting = cracked piece).

This was very easy in the roll out oven, but a pastorelli could be modified with a slight curve, to allow top loading uses. I don't want a patent, but pass along any good/bad if you try it.

Greg

charlie holden · Post by **charlie holden** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 11:21 am

Why don't you just let the pots empty completely?

Nikki ONeill · Post by **Nikki ONeill** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 11:42 am

Greg:
Neat idea! However two-pronged pastorelli carriers are quite expensive; in stainless steel they're over $200. Last week I ordered from a local pottery shop a long-handled raku tool that should serve a similar purpose. In addition to moving or removing pots, I'm hoping that the tool won't be too awkward to use for topping off cone shaped reservoirs above molds. I was wondering why there is a problem with your pots being connected to the sculpture. Can the pot be suspended higher or the hole enlarged? Or am I missing the idea completely?

Nikki
wishing to be at SOFA

watershed · Post by **watershed** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 7:24 pm

No Ed and Nikki, you aren't missing the point. I do not weigh and measure as I should. Also many of my molds are more than 1 pot full. So oftentimes I have ended up with too much glass, in a hot pot, in the oven. Leaves me with 2 choices, move the pot, or anneal the pot and the piece attached. With the pot attached, I have ended up with lovely checks, just in the area where the pot is. The pot glass has to be added to the annealed thickness, increaseing the cycle by a bunch.

Pastorelli holder. If I were venetian, and blowing that stuff everday, I might spend $200 for stainless. The one I'm using is pieces of black pipe welded together. Probably $25 in materials, then welding. Since it won't get really hot (in this use)(actually after use I tried quenching it, just for safety, and it didn't even sizzle) , it can be other than stainless (no scale without extended heat). Your Raku tongs will work, but you'll get a face full of heat from a top loader.

Also if anyone wants to move pots around, I would suggest, the hotter the better. If the glass starts getting taffy, you can pull part of the piece out with it.

I AM taking recommendations for full face shield that will take a 1500 degF blast....

Greg

charlie holden · Post by **charlie holden** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 11:58 am

Calculating glass volume and weight is not that hard. Fill your mold with rice, pour the rice into a metric measuring pitcher and that will give you the volume of your mold in liters. Multply that volume by the specific gravity of your glass and that will give you the weight of your glass, in kilograms. The specific gravity of Bullseye is 2.5. If you should happen to accidently leave a little rice in your mold it will burn out before the glass hits it.

Simple screen face shields will be enough for 1500.

ch

jerry flanary · Post by **jerry flanary** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 2:43 pm

Another tool for moving the pots could be foundry tongs or some blacksmith tongs they usually have long handles. The only reason I can think of having a SS pasterelli fork would be to heat in the furnace instead of a hole. That way, no scale in the nice fresh glass underneath...

watershed · Post by **watershed** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 2:48 am

Hey Jack, your buddy still got those lenses?

Charlie, I'll try and post a photo, that will explain why (other than laziness on my part) I cannot use the rice method.

And to all, I am NOT reccomending my Lack of precsion, to others. All I'm doing is suggesting a coping mechanism, for my faults. Maybe you have the same ones, maybe different, just a neat thing that I discovered.

Greg

Lauri Levanto · Post by **Lauri Levanto** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 3:16 am

Watershed,

can uou use a long handle scoop to add glass
into the flowerpot when needed.
My kiln has a venting hole, and I place
the flowerpot under it, so I can drop more glass
into the pot if I need.

-lauri

watershed · Post by **watershed** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 3:31 am

Yes, but usually I open the lid, or pull out the car to re-fill. The only problem I have had is the, previusly mentioned, half full pot when the mold is full, changing the annealing thickness.

And while I'm thinking of it; Is the Mesh face shield the SAME as the mesh shield for Chainsaw work? I'm just getting close to melting the standard shield , to my face. MAybe it's my pottery background rearing it's head. But if I'm going to get That close to the molds, I'm going to get THAT close...

Greg

Judi Charlson · Post by **Judi Charlson** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 9:12 pm

I always use raku tongs to either remove pot from kiln so that a nipple will not be left on the glass when removed. I place pot into old metal rinser for old washing machines that I found on a curb and I put sand on the bottom and have a metal lid. I use tongs to add more glass from another flower pot into thecrucible if more glass is needed. I always turn the kiln off first, wear a face shielsd, silver apron and long glaves as my kilns are top loading. I use an electric winch to op[en and close lid and operate this with my left big toe. Could this qualify as performance art??
Judi

Brock · Post by **Brock** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 9:29 pm

Judi Charlson wrote:I always use raku tongs to either remove pot from kiln so that a nipple will not be left on the glass when removed. I place pot into old metal rinser for old washing machines that I found on a curb and I put sand on the bottom and have a metal lid. I use tongs to add more glass from another flower pot into thecrucible if more glass is needed. I always turn the kiln off first, wear a face shielsd, silver apron and long glaves as my kilns are top loading. I use an electric winch to op[en and close lid and operate this with my left big toe. Could this qualify as performance art??
Judi

Possibly.

Have you ever received an NEA grant?

That would clinch it. Brock