Sunday, June 19, 2016

Going "bat-ty"...

I'm baaaaccckkk!  I know you all thought I had disappeared, but I've just been so busy with the real world I haven't been able to escape to Pottery-land.  Well there is no better time than Father's Day weekend to spend a few days with dad!  

You know those "5 year projects" the ones that don't take more than a day or two but don't get done for 5 years because they keep getting pushed to the bottom of the "to do list" over and over?  Well, check "making new bats" off that list!!! 

Now don't get me wrong, I didn't actually make any bats, dad did all the work...but I documented it for publication...ha!  

Step 1...acquire all the tools found in a professional level machine shop. (men and their power tools...)

Step 2, cut the particle board into squares.  Use saw to cut into circles. 


Step 3, drill pin holes in the exact position to fit the wheel head.  You could measure twice and drill once...or you can use and old bat and clamp it to the new one, and drill through both. 


Step 4, put the freshly drilled bat on the lathe and finish up those edges. Good to go!  


Done-zo!  Wait, no...one last step.  Brand new bats fit really well, which means they wobble a lot less, but they are also harder to pick up.  Problem...solved!  Insert "finger notch" so you can pick it up.  Pretty nifty thinking dad...


So somehow for Father's Day I ended up with all the gifts...but the most precious one is the time with dad.  Happy Father's Day 2016!  Now there really are NO EXCUSES for not making pottery!  (No pressure there, ha!) 


No comments:

Post a Comment