Mechanical Gauge Or Laser?

[ChenowethArts]

There is a Ceramic Arts Daily article by Don Adamaitis from late October of this year titled, "Make Your Own Gauge for Throwing Consistent Pots on the Pottery Wheel".  It is a great demonstration on how to make/use a gauge on the wheel for making more uniform sized pots...and it is the way that I was taught.  I'm not certain of the origins, but there are a number of gauge articles floating around on techniques attributed to Japanese traditions.

 

This morning, I watched a video on Facebook that Michael Wendt (Wendt Pottery) posted where he used a couple of lasers in a similar fashion that one might use a mechanical gauge (in this instance Michael demonstrated plate making)...I can't seem to link to the video, but it was shared in the Facebook group "Clay Buddies".

Here are my questions:

• What do you know of this laser technique?
• Are there best(or worst) practices related to lasers/mechanical gauges?
• Can you point to additional resources on the use of lasers in clay production?
• Have you tried working on the wheel using a laser as a gauge?

-Paul

[Guest]

There are a couple of woodturning tools that I use which I feel might help in throwing clay that I want to explore, Lasers being one of them along with other thickness gauges and ways to hold down items for trimming.

 

With lasers I found that the inexpensive one that I found locally for less than $10 didn't hold up for very long because of the vibrations it took. I gave up on DIY and purchased an industrial laser setup that was able to withstand the pounding. As I'm sure you know, woodturning is horizontal while throwing clay is vertical.

 

The tool below is for hollowing out the inside of a form to match the inside to the outside shape to achieve a uniform wall thickness. Various cutting tools can be attached to the bottom post the laser is on top.

 

 

FME, laser tools are not a cure all, it takes just as much time and skill to learn how to use one as it does to learn the old standard way without one. Once I had learned how to use a laser I wouldn't go back to the old way.

[ChenowethArts]

@RonSa, This looks pretty sophisticated compared to the wheel version.  Is there a simpler model...and what is the make/model that you illustrated above?

 

Thanks,

-Paul

[Guest]

Paul

 

I sent you a PM with the link to the company that sells it. I'd post it here but I'm not sure of the rules of this site pertaining that.

 

Ron

[What?]

Sounds like a great thing to use. I might have to rig a couple up some day. For now it is still a DIY western height gauge or a bamboo skewer on the splash pan with a lump of clay. If I really wanted perfect I would rig a jigger up.

[oldlady]

i know a potter who produces thousands of identical sized things.  he uses a stationary pointer for height near the wheel and has a light in the ceiling that is a tiny spotlight which tells him he has the correct circumference.  been using it since the early 90s.  do not know what kind of light.

[Guest]

Food for thought