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This is an industrial tool. It is big and heavy, a little noisy and somewhat expensive. It can produce very ordinary pots at a very extraordinary rate. This is all true but we have found it to be the most liberating tool available to the studio potter. With this machine we can turn out more pots at a more consistent quality with more variations and satisfy more customers than ever before while freeing up enormous amounts of time for our one off work. We have invested about $100,000 in this upgrade several years ago and we couldn’t think of better people in whom to invest. This has given us a machine to take some of the work out of making a living and a load off our bodies. It has given us back so much time to be creative that we are once again excited about making pots.
We use the machine to make mugs, jugs, vases, bowls, dishes and plates and dinner sets. We have about 30 moulds and produce about 70 lines in three standard colours. Our full range is filled out by a limited number of hand-thrown work such as large bowls and plump vases and extruded work like vases and oil bottles.
The machine presses two moulds together to create the basic shape. The two moulds are the top and bottom of a plate or the inside and outside of a coffee mug. After adding the clay and pressing the two halves together the high tech nature of the moulds come into play. To release the clay, high pressure air is introduced into the lower mould for sufficient time for it to work its way through the imbedded pipes and porous plaster. The bottom mould is dropped down leaving the clay attached to the upper mould. The operator can then release the product at will, removing it ready for finishing work and starting the cycle again. There is no need for the operator to be a skilled potter (remember those hungry student children).
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Revised: 09 Jun 2007
