Wind n Wing Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 I recently saw a video where a heat gun was used to dry (slightly) the sides of a bowl on a hump mold for quicker removal. Has anyone used this method and if so are there any pointers you could share? I will be using a cone 6 stoneware or a cone 6 porcelain. What kind of heat gun do you use and does it have a variable temp setting. I am looking at a gun with 12 settings : 400F-800F on the low side and 570F-1160F on the high side. Also when layering glazes have you used a heat gun for partial drying between layers and were the results what you were looking for. Trying to get all my ducks in a row for Winter cause the snow gets DEEP and its Cold out there here in Montana. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. Love this site ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawn523 Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 I have used a heat gun to dry my work. Please consider that it is a heat gun. No matter what temperature you get it can burn you or anything the gun is place upon like paper or wheels that are not metal based. also consider that you should keep the heat moving or if work on a wheel turning slowly. the gun can dry too much. the gun you are looking at sounds to complicated. keep it very simple. i do not have any experience with using a heat gun with glazes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 I recently saw a video where a heat gun was used to dry (slightly) the sides of a bowl on a hump mold for quicker removal. Has anyone used this method and if so are there any pointers you could share? I will be using a cone 6 stoneware or a cone 6 porcelain. What kind of heat gun do you use and does it have a variable temp setting. I am looking at a gun with 12 settings : 400F-800F on the low side and 570F-1160F on the high side. Also when layering glazes have you used a heat gun for partial drying between layers and were the results what you were looking for. Trying to get all my ducks in a row for Winter cause the snow gets DEEP and its Cold out there here in Montana. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. Love this site ! I use an old hairdryer (I think modern ones may be too forceful unless they have a "gentle" setting) and keep it moving to evenly distribute the heat. I wouldn't try this on glazes though - the air movement would probably disturb the surface..... I'm looking forward to reading your replies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HerbNorris Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 I was just saying to my wife the other night that I wonder how potters survived before the heat gun came along. I know some never use them. For me they help very much, I couldn't do a lot of what I do without one. I just replaced my heat gun last Friday, after the Milwaukee that I used six years started by itself, shot six inch flames out the rear air intakes, and blew a cloud of black smoke out the intakes. I guess slip had gotten into the switch on the handle, and shorted it out. That's okay, I used the heck out of that thing! I replaced it with a "Wagner" of essentially the same design. I say "Wagner" because it looks just like my old gun, except that the housing is yellow instead of blue/grey. Probably made at the same factory in China. Anyway, it only has two settings, low and high, which I find are mostly adequate for me, I had the chance to purchase a fancy Ryobi model that had six heat settings, and fancy attachments, for about $60, but that is not really necessary for force drying. This new gun only cost $23 US, so that's not too bad. Heat control can be accomplished by varying time/distance, as Dawn and Christine posted, and the main point for your use would be to dry the piece evenly, otherwise cracking can occur as you are drying, or later when the whole piece dries. I have used a the gun to dry glaze as well, and after the glaze has "set" slightly, it will stay put unless you use compressed air, which I doubt would ever happen. A heat gun doesn't seem to help too much in the dead of winter, at least if the ambient air is forty degrees or less in temperature, but in the summer air it really is great. I hope there is some good info here, my writing isn't too clear today; I am dead tired from scraping/resurfacing my deck this past weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mossyrock Posted September 7, 2011 Report Share Posted September 7, 2011 I use a heatgun almost every time I am creating with clay. A hair dryer took too long ...... and I was a little intimidated by the propane torch. I have two in the studio...one with several settings and one with just high and low. The one with several settings must have gotten clay dust in the dial because I can't move it so have to use it on the setting it is stuck on.....which is medium. I wouldn't waste money on one with lots of settings. It does get extremely hot so caution is necessary when using it, but I wouldn't be without one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted September 7, 2011 Report Share Posted September 7, 2011 I recently saw a video where a heat gun was used to dry (slightly) the sides of a bowl on a hump mold for quicker removal. Has anyone used this method and if so are there any pointers you could share? I will be using a cone 6 stoneware or a cone 6 porcelain. What kind of heat gun do you use and does it have a variable temp setting. I am looking at a gun with 12 settings : 400F-800F on the low side and 570F-1160F on the high side. Also when layering glazes have you used a heat gun for partial drying between layers and were the results what you were looking for. Trying to get all my ducks in a row for Winter cause the snow gets DEEP and its Cold out there here in Montana. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. Love this site ! I have used either a heat gun, or a hair dryer when working with slump molds. Often I will put the mold and piece on the potters wheel, and with a slow speed, aim the heat gun at an angle at the piece so that it does not get a hot stripe. Be careful to check the piece often enough to know when to remove it-this method can dry it out quickly but evenly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wind n Wing Posted September 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2011 Thanks so much to everyone for their help. I will use it to the full. Now to purchase a heat gun and then into the studio to practice my fast draw. RJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay lover Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 HARBOR FREIGHT They carry a gun that normally sells for $20 and goes on sale often for $10 I have one I've used for 4 years, many others I know use them, with equally good life span. When they go on sale, some buy 2 at a time. I don't remember the brand, maybe Chicago something, but it is bright orange, has 2 speeds and the only peculiarity is that it MUST be run on low for a few seconds after it's been on high, before you turn it off. High is really hot, with good air flow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OffCenter Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 I'd stay away from the Harbor Freight gun, or as it is better known -- Flaming Chinese Crap. You get what you pay for and the last thing someone working around water needs is an unsafe heat gun. I've gone through several guns and the best deal I've found is Uline's Industrial Heat Gun ($59). Stay away from their Deluxe Gun which puts the lie to the above adage. It has a powerful fan but isn't worth $130. See some of the suggestions at http://www.thumperta.../t-445098.html. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 I recently saw a video where a heat gun was used to dry (slightly) the sides of a bowl on a hump mold for quicker removal. Has anyone used this method and if so are there any pointers you could share? I will be using a cone 6 stoneware or a cone 6 porcelain. What kind of heat gun do you use and does it have a variable temp setting. I am looking at a gun with 12 settings : 400F-800F on the low side and 570F-1160F on the high side. Also when layering glazes have you used a heat gun for partial drying between layers and were the results what you were looking for. Trying to get all my ducks in a row for Winter cause the snow gets DEEP and its Cold out there here in Montana. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. Love this site ! Before you buy a commercial heat gun you might get a wagner or milwaukee and see how much you use it. I was using heat guns on another project (not clay) and was wearing them out. So I decided to buy a commercial gun and it has held up to all of the abuse I give it, it also has many heat settings but I only use high. Denice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HerbNorris Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 A Wagner or Milwaukee might be a good starting point, to see if you need more. I used my Milwaukee gun ALOT in the six years I had it, not just for clay, but to put shrink film on my windows, shrink tubing on electrical wires, help remove old vinyl tile from my kitchen floor, etc. It held up well, but then I tend to baby my suff, I don't drop things, I clean them some, I don't force controls, etc. I was sorry to see that gun go, it was a good tool. The Wagner LOOKS the same, but only time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 I have a paint removing gun, but use it rarely. More often, I'll place the hump mold on a throwing wheel at slow speed and turn on a fan at low speed. The revolving wheel gives you a more even drying result. The clay we use took a million years or more to make; what's the rush to save 15 minutes? Make multiple hump molds if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthwood Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 I recently started using a heat gun and it is amazing! I just bought a cheap one at Lowe's for like $20-ish. It only has 2 settings. Low and high I use it on the high setting while turning the pot slowly on the wheel (before I've removed it from the bat). I was actually considering posting a question about what kind of bats people like using with the heat gun?? I have some wooden bats but they got warped and I'm not sure if it was because of the heat gun and moisture. I did recently make a big mistake of using the heat-gun on some plates... I ended up drying them too quickly and they cracked during bisque... but everything else has been a breeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill T. Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I use a Wagner with 2 settings, low & hot. Bought it to strip paint, which it does well, and have it right beside my wheel to set large canisters, bowls, before I move them off the wheel and sometimes force trimming of a foot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathi Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I use a plain, old fashioned propane blowtorch. I feel like I gain some control by being able to visualize the flame so that I can properly guage the amount of heat I am applying to the pots. It's also just sort of fun!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cao Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 I recently saw a video where a heat gun was used to dry (slightly) the sides of a bowl on a hump mold for quicker removal. Has anyone used this method and if so are there any pointers you could share? I will be using a cone 6 stoneware or a cone 6 porcelain. What kind of heat gun do you use and does it have a variable temp setting. I am looking at a gun with 12 settings : 400F-800F on the low side and 570F-1160F on the high side. Also when layering glazes have you used a heat gun for partial drying between layers and were the results what you were looking for. Trying to get all my ducks in a row for Winter cause the snow gets DEEP and its Cold out there here in Montana. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. Love this site ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cao Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 I purchased a small, less than $30 heat gun from Home Depot. the size is great, not to big, or heavy something to consider when you find you are holding the gun for five or more minutes. It has helped speed up my work by not having to wait hours or till the next day to move to the next step. I am careful to dry it just to a workable state as drying out the surface to much could trap gases when firing and destroy your work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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