Need Help Creating Channels for a Pottery Trimming Bat (need a router maybe?)

I intend to create a trimming bat for use in pottery. Basically it just holds a hardened pot center so you can trim it. Instead of paying $95 to $130 I figured I could make one out of some wood and some 3D printed “holders”. I need to create 4 slits in a circle and for my particular design I would like to make a slightly larger channel under each slit so that it would hold a square nut under each clamp. I hope that makes sense. So I was thinking maybe a plunge router? If so which bit or bits would be best? This is what I am trying to build. http://www.baileypottery.com/potterywheels/quicktrim2.htm

Seems like something that could be done fairly easily on the CNC router. We did some wheel plates (not sure if that’s the technical term) a while back.

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I’ll have to take that class as soon as I can and see if I can figure it out.

Easy to make, I could knock one out in the next few days, I have some corian that should work well for this. I just need to know how it will attach to the pottery machine and the size you want.

Awesome! Let me know when you will be there and I can meet you and give you
a bat to base the mounting holes on.

Will you be there sometime tomorrow? I’m off work so time isn’t important

I definitely can be. I’m permanently off of work and live 5 min away. So just say when.

Are you available to meet around 11:00 today?

I JUST promised my husband I would take him out to lunch. I can come by after from about 12 to 1 or so.

I think this could be done on the laser quite easily. You’d cut two layers: the four grooves would be narrow on the top layer, and wider on the lower layer. a bolt head would ride inside the lower groove and the tightening nut would attach to the end of the bolt. The concentric circles (used to help visually center the part) could be engraved into the wood with the laser as well. The woodworking CNC in the woodshop could also cut these two parts. For the laser, the material would need to be wood: probably 1/4" thick MDF or plywood would work.

The alignment bat pins which would be used to attach the bat to the wheel would extend through both parts, and a wooden dowel(or a bolt) used temporarily through the hole to align the top and bottom pieces when gluing them together. Use Tightbond III (3) glue, or two-part epoxy to glue the two parts together to ensure a waterproof connection.

The gripper feet could be purchased separately, or made from hardware store corner brackets, Hobby Lobby fun foam or closed-cell foam weatherstripping, and large diameter vinyl tubing (available by the foot from Home Depot) for the covering. Electrical tape might also work for the covering.

I put a part up on Thingiverse which could 3d print the tightening knob: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:664192

You also need, bolts of the appropriate length, nuts, and two washers (per bolt) to match the bolt diameter.

If @sk8nmike isn’t available, I’d be glad to help design the parts. I’d need to know:

  • The pin spacing (probably 9" or 10")
  • The pin diameter
  • the bat diameter and/or the wheel max diameter
  • the diameters of the concentric circles (though we could probably just do several at 1" or 2" intervals.

I am usually at the DMS on Thursdays. I will also be there THIS Saturday afternoon - midnight.

Mike Churchill

Thanks Mike! sk8nmike took home a bat yesterday to see what he could come
up with. I do like the idea of getting the concentric circles on there for
centering. Hopefully between all these talented people we can get it
figured out and then maybe make a few of them for the pottery area. That
would great!

Already made, I’ll drop it off tomorrow morning

Mike

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Wow!! That looks fantastic. I can not thank you enough!!

It’s on the potters wheel…