I’m investigating some different types of construction methods. A ram press for ceramics would be a new avenue for me to try out. This is totally new to me and something I’ve never had in a studio to work with. However - it’s something thats more for industrial production and not exactly “artistry” (let’s not begin that debate as they are both valid. I fell into it while researching how to make truly “perfect” tiles for a backsplash. Any interest in bringing in one? I would give this a vote of a 3 out of 10 as far as places to put money but others might have more of an interest in this so I wanted to share the concept.
All in all it looks like a pain in the arse and something that hobbyists might not be suited for aka perfecting mother molds and obtaining dies and all that. Why not hand build or use a slab roller? - this just allows for true mechanical consistency - tiles and productionware. Again - looks awesome and I can imagine lots of projects to knock out but I’m not sure it would be a high use tool.
I’ve only ever seen one of these in an artist’s shop. They are exactly as you say, production machinery. You need to be good at designing and building molds, a skill I never excelled in, to make them work. The shop I saw it in was making simple pieces for a Pot Painting store chain, before they went completely over seas with their purchasing. This kind of production is a similar mind set to Vacuum Forming, which is a production method that hasn’t yet taken off at DMS. But, we are hopeful the more we become comfortable with the process, maybe the more we can pull in other tools that work on similar principals.
I’d give is a 1 out of 10 for feasibility. Doesn’t fit the space at the moment, but who knows what is in store for the future.
Which is why we marshall our destructive forces and conquer the back parking lot! We can have a fleet of kilns of all kinds. Soda, wood, raku, giant walk in reduction kilns from Scandinavian countries! It will be glorious and we will fire all the things.
I totally get it - it’s an obnoxious idea for us but still seems interesting. I’m going to go cry myself to sleep.
Ps if we expand I say we charge per hit of the sledgehammer as a maker made donation train. I don’t know why I take THE most difficult way to create something…no I really do know.
My parents once made all the tile for their kitchen backsplash. The plan was to fire some of their favorite recipes into the glaze. But they discovered they were going to move shortly before they started glaze, so they wound up with some fire on accent decals instead.
My recollection is that they made all the tile with a couple of slip cast molds. Most of the time was simply waiting for the molds to dry enough to cast the next pair. Being slip cast to solid, you don’t have to deal with pouring slip back out and putting it away, or ensuring moisture content, but you do have to top off the slip once or twice and the molds get really wet. I think they cast a pair of tiles every day for a few months, and fired a load every week. (Limited tile shelf kiln furniture also)
Not a dream killer at all…I’m interested and have something that might be able to be “makerized” into a clay tile press.
I have a heavy duty hydraulic ram with a hydraulic power unit …it would require the input / help from others to make it workable.
Indeed! We do have a large extruder. It mounts to the storage shelves and we have a small selection of plates in the grey cabinet (at the moment). You can make new plates on the laser, the 3D printers, in metal shop, etc.
Anyone interested in teaching a class? It isn’t hard to use, but could be cool to give people some ideas of all the things you can make with one. I don’t click with handbuilding but some people can really knock out awesome coil pots and that’s just the start of groovy extruder projects.
