How to choose a pottery wheel?

Brayden Warren

The first handicrafts of clay were made by man already in the Stone Age. The oldest dishes were made by hands. Its shape was not perfect. Such products served only for practical purposes.

At a certain stage, a pottery wheel was invented. Now we don’t know exactly when it happened.

Thousands of years passed before the pottery wheel evolved to its present form. Now it’s not a primitive leg-drive device, it’s a complete high-tech machine. The quality and thoughtfulness of which depends on how the human hand can realize its fantasies in the clay.

A passion for pottery is gaining in scope. Many people are interested in the history of this ancient craft and increasingly want to try to create their own ceramics. There is a share of romanticism and mystery in this whole process. The creation process is mesmerizing. Just that it was a shapeless piece of material, and after a while it was already a work of art. Or a beautiful handicraft. Who’s gonna do it.

The choice of pottery wheels

Now the best pottery wheel is bought not only for workshops, studios and production facilities, but also for home. How to choose the right pottery wheel? And what’s worth paying attention to:

The level of your skill

There are different types of wheels. Some for beginners and others for professionals. You don’t have to overpay if you’re just starting to learn this craft.

The price

Flowing out of the first. The cost of a home machine is many times lower than professional equipment.

The quality of production

This includes: materials from which the pottery wheel is made, the quality of components, the level of assembly.

Manufacturer.

How long has this production on the market. This is a very important parameter. If the company has been economically successful in this area for many decades, then the consumer is satisfied with the products and buys them. But it is not only the time of work in the market that determines the manufacturer. It is important that people want to make their product better and hear their customers, rather than riveting the same thing for years without change. Feedback from satisfied customers, a good indicator. The ability to contact the manufacturer will be a definite plus.

How to choose a pottery wheel?

Comfort

How comfortable you are at work will affect the end result. The potter’s wheel should have different adjustments for maximum range of settings for each person. Try to choose a potter’s wheel for your personal convenience and practicality.

Place for a water tank

Not all models have a free surface on which to place a bowl of water.

The height of the edge.

A small height or no edge at all will cause the clay to fall to the floor.

Engine type

There are three types of electric motors:

  • The first is a brushless DC motor. The drive is driven directly to the wheel. Suitable for professional work. Almost silent, reliable, high smooth running.
  • The second type is an asynchronous motor. Brushless AC motor. Also quiet enough. Wheel’s speed is controlled by belt drive, flywheel or microcontroller. Very reliable.
  • The third is the collector motor. AC brush motor. The rotation speed is adjustable via a belt. Quiet enough and lower than previous types of service life.

Size

A small pottery wheel can be placed in any room of the house. Larger items are suitable for your own workshop, or for equipping clay moulding classes and studios.

Security

All moving parts must be covered by the frame.

Which wheel to choose?

A pottery wheel to choose from. Let’s look at a few manufacturers.

Two market leaders today Shimpo and Rohde. Company Shimpo occupies 80 % of all market. The country the manufacturer Japan. Produces many models of pottery wheels and related equipment. On many parameters is a reference point for others. It is possible to allocate only two minuses: the price and appearance. But here everyone has different preferences.

Shimpo wheels

Rohde is a less popular brand on the Russian market. Country producer Germany. In their, though a small model range there are machines for different consumers with different needs. It is possible to remove the product together with the disc. The only disadvantage is the higher cost compared to competitors.

Which radio-controlled car to choose: useful tips for a successful purchase

Brayden Warren

Want to feel the power of the best rc rock crawler and feel the drive of exciting races outside or even in the apartment?

Choosing a gift, and therefore want it to be fun and exciting? We’ll tell you everything about cool radio-controlled cars, so that your purchase is successful.

Modern car models are not children’s toys. Pick up the remote control and you will understand why they are called a mixture of high technology and adrenaline.

Each model has its own advantages and features. Choose “for yourself” and “on your own”, focus on the nature of the future pilot and his preferences: a cool SUV to overcome obstacles or a fast racing car.

Features, similarities and differences

For a beginner RC-modeller, all RC cars at first glance differ in design and purpose: some are fast and maneuverable, and some are hardy SUVs.

In fact, the classification is correct, but professional users divide the radio-controlled models into: Monster, Crawler, Buggy, Truggy, On-road Drift / Racing, Short Course, Stadium Truck, and collectibles.

Monster

The most popular RC cars among fans and novice RC modelers.

They have an impressive appearance and a nice serious cross. Big wheels with powerful treads are also a nice addition.

With this car you will feel comfortable on any road.

Effective overcoming of is an easy task for a monster – a master of stunt riding and showing off!

Do you want a lot of drive and positive emotions? Monster is your car.

Buggy and Truggy

Sports SUVs: stable, fast and maneuverable.

The buggy’s ground clearance is low, so do not expect super-patency from this class of radio-controlled models.

Truggies differ from buggies with a wider wheelbase, increased wheel diameter and, accordingly, greater cross-country ability.

Do you want to arrange some driving action or a race? Take a look at buggy or truggy.

Short Course and Stadium Truck

Radio-controlled models, the main difference between which and the buggy is the representation of the body.

They look like real racing trucks and are created as copies of famous champions.
This is an explosive mixture of monsters and buggies, but with specific differences – a short wheelbase, a spear body and characteristic wheels.

Crawler

Cool cars designed for “climbing” stones.

Slow, but cross-country, with high ground clearance and a deep toothy tread on wheels.

A spectacular type of the radio-controlled models.

Crawlers have maximum throughput due to the large interaxal angle of deviation of the bridges.

On-road (Drift / Racing)

Radio-controlled models for participation in spectacular races.

Drift cars have hard and sliding tires for quick introduction of the model into a controlled skid, and racing cars differ in slightly higher ground clearance and rubber with a tread for better traction.

In most cases, these car models have replica bodies.

Do you want to be a part of the history of victories on the track? Pay attention to the on-road Drift / Racing models.

Rally

Outwardly, these are radio-controlled models of the on-road class, but the increased clearance allows them to easily overcome the off-road.

The cross-country adventure is their element.

Collectible cars

Large-scale car models with a high degree of external and internal detalization.

In most cases, the model is not functioning, but such a mini-copy will decorate any collection.

How to navigate in diversity of configuration and everything else

There are several factory options:

  • RTR (“Ready to Run”) is the perfect choice for a beginner or professional who clearly understands what he needs.

The RTR-equipped radio-controlled car is ready to race “out of the box”. In some cases, you need to pick up a battery and a charger for it.

  • PNP (“Plug and Play”) or BND (“Bind and Drive”) are cars for motorists with experience in assembly and configuration.

It needs an upgrade to have a complete set of configurations. In the case of the PNP kit, it is necessary to install a radio control (receiver and transmitter), and the BND kit only needs a compatible transmitter.

  • KIT (“kit”) – the model comes to you in a completely disassembled state. Only the skillful hands of an RC modeller can turn a set of parts into a supercar.

KIT is designed for professionals. Motor, radio control equipment, battery are selected individually.

The filling and appearance may also be different:

Engine. For beginners, we recommend a radio-controlled model with an electric motor.

But if the roar of the engine sounds like music to you – why limit yourself?

Please note that the electric motor is easy to maintain. But on the other hand, a car with a gasoline or nitro engine looks very cool on the highway, and its filling is as similar as possible to the real car.

Do you like roar and smoke? ICE cars are gonna be perfect for you!

Scale. The size of the model depends on how many times it is smaller than a real car. The steepness and price of it is completely independent of its size. Think about what you need a car for, and make your choice.

Want to relax and have fun without leaving your desktop? There are cars at a scale of 1:24 or 1:32.

Large street cars are more suitable for street racing (1:10, 1: 8 or 1: 5). This is where size matters.

Don’t wait and make a purchase! Modern radio-controlled cars differ in technical specifications and appearance, but they all look cool and bring a lot of positive emotions!

How to choose a Pond Filter?

Brayden Warren

The eternal question facing every pond owner is: “How to choose a pond filter?”. Which filter is better to choose, which company, which capacity, with what characteristics? On our site the wide assortment of pond filters at the most pleasant prices in the US is presented.

For today the majority of people wish to see on the estates, not banal pools, namely ponds. Such a desire is quite understandable. After all, your own pond is not only an incredibly beautiful element of landscape design, but also an opportunity to live in harmony with nature, relax with your soul without leaving your home.

But, it is not so easy to enjoy harmony with nature if your pond is not clean and well maintained, without proper care, it just becomes a breeding ground for fungi, algae and other parasites that can affect all life in your pond. In order that you can always enjoy clean water in the pond and of course its inhabitants, you must adhere to the most important rule – to filter the water in time. For this purpose, special devices have been developed to support the natural biological, natural conditions for normal living organisms, water transparency, health of the inhabitants and cleanliness in your pond.

But today in our online store offers a wide range of all kinds of pond water filtration systems. These systems differ from each other many criteria, such as the company, the country of manufacture, the principle of operation, power and other not insignificant parameters. The question of selection of the best pond filter must be addressed even during the design of the pond itself, taking into account such factors as:

  • pond depth and dimensions;
  • climatic conditions;
  • lighting;
  • presence of vegetation and fish;
  • the degree of contamination of the pond.

Let’s now take a closer look at what types of filters are available:

  • Pressure
  • Flowing

Pressure – their peculiarity is that it can supply treated water above the level of its location. After being cleaned by the filter, the water can be used for a cascade fountain or a small stream.

Flowing (external) – these types of filters are installed on the bank of the garden plot. From this filter, the water simply flows downwards.

As far as pressure filters are concerned, it is the pressure filters that are considered to be the most user-friendly and economic ones today. This type of filter is designed for cleaning small ponds. The essence of this device is very simple, under pressure it passes water through itself, it in turn passes various degrees of filtration. If the filter is equipped with a UV lamp, the water is additionally disinfected with UV rays to sterilize the water. The advantage of this type of filter is that it can be easily disguised, and unfortunately the disadvantage is the constant need for a large water pressure.

Flow filter – it is already designed for cleaning large volumes of water up to 200 m3 (cubic meters). These filters are a kind of reservoir with all the necessary filter elements for pond cleaning. This type of filter is already installed above the water level in the pond. The main and undisputed advantage of this type of filters is their long service life and, of course, high efficiency. Flow filters have only one drawback, it is not possible to disguise it, but it is a completely insignificant drawback.
In order to determine which filter to choose for your pond, you can go to “Pond Filters” and easily find the right one for you.

So, in order to clean the water surface of your pond, we recommend the use of special devices such as “Skimmers”. The role of this device is very important when cleaning a pond. Skimmers are also available in two types of floating (float) and built-in. Skimmers will remove all large particles (grass, leaves) before they sink to the bottom and contaminate the pond. The device is very easy to use and does not require any time-consuming cleaning of the trash bin itself. Garbage from the skimmer bin can be removed without having to dismantle the unit by simply removing the bin. The quality of the water in your pond depends directly on the efficiency of the skimmer.

When choosing a pond filter, it is not superfluous, of course, to pay attention to the country of the manufacturer. On our website you can find the main branded manufacturers.

But let’s not forget that past the filtration, for the ideal condition of our pond we need additional elements, such as:

  • Pond pump.
  • Pond compressor
  • UV sterilizer for pond
  • Pond Chemistry
  • Pond fish food (if they are present in your pond)
  • Pond heaters
  • Pond luminaries

How to choose a projector for the home: DLP or LCD

Brayden Warren

Before buying a projector, you have to choose which technology suits you best: DLP (Digital Light Processing) or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). We will clear out what lies behind these names and help you make the right choice.

DLP and LCD projectors feature imaging technology. 

In a pocket projectors 2020, the light of a lamp is split into primary light rays using a prism: green, blue and red, and then it hits one of three small liquid crystal matrices. LCD matrices transmit light only at the points (pixels) needed to create the image, after which the three light beams are combined again and create a complete image.

In a DLP projector, light first passes through a rotating color filter. After that, it is guided by a million small movable mirrors and is projected through the lens onto the screen. Thanks to the movement of the mirrors in accordance with a certain color, the human eye perceives a full-fledged image, although it is formed from a sequential projection of pictures in three primary colors.

In addition to LCD and DLP projectors, there are competing models – LED projectors.

LED projector

None of the two technologies can be called perfect. Which projector would be best for you depends on what you are going to use it for.

The advantage of LCD technology is that the dark and light colors of the image are subtly graded. But at the same time, their maximum contrast is lower than that of projectors with DLP technology, because the image can not be created completely without light.

DLP technology allows you to turn off small mirrors in dark areas of the image, which is why the picture becomes really black, and the contrast, respectively, is higher than that of the LCD. The disadvantage of a DLP projector is that the picture consists of separate images of the primary colors. Fast moving objects may have a color loop called the “rainbow effect”.

  • LCD – a projector which is best for watching movies and videos.
  • DLP – best for photos and presentations.

Thus, if you want to use a projector for a home theater, it is better to purchase an LCD model to avoid the effect mentioned above. The DLP projector is better to be used for viewing photos and presentations, as it provides higher contrast.

Choosing a comb for a dog

Brayden Warren

Each dog breed requires a special approach – proper care, in which the procedure for combing your favorite pet takes an important place. At some point, any owner thinks about which comb to choose in order to fully ensure proper care for their dog’s coat.

The coat is different for each breed, respectively, and you need to buy a suitable comb for a dog. Coming to a pet store or browsing the pages of an online store, often your eyes just run up from the options offered. Simplifying the task, we offer you a useful guide for choosing combs and brushes for dogs.

It should be added that it is best to comb the clean coat of dogs after washing them, when the hair is still wet. Timely, it is necessary to approach the elimination of mats / tangles.

Perfect dog hair is impossible without the right tools

All devices for combing dogs are conventionally split into different types. These include various trimmers and slickers, combs and brushes, scaffolds and rakes – all options are listed here. In addition, there are also furminators for eliminating the undercoat.

The largest variety is among brushes and combs. They differ in different parameters: stiffness, bristle and base material, size, etc.

Buying shampoo and wax for paws is also a top priority at a pet store, but first choose the right comb for your pet.

Dog comb options

Steel brush – suitable for breeds with hard hair, indispensable for long-haired breeds, with its help you can comb out clumps of hair. Such brushes differ in size, and when choosing it, the size of the dog should be correlated with the size of the brush.

The most popular option is a classic comb the teeth of which can have different lengths. The longer the coat, the longer the teeth need to be on such a comb, it will always allow you to comb a pet of any breed well enough.

Slickers are great for dog hair and undercoat, they are a metal brush with bent teeth, and the regular use will prevent the appearance of unnecessary tangles.

Furminator – a brush against shedding, is suitable for dogs with a thick undercoat, it will help to remove dead hairs, and also prevent the appearance of tangles. The use of this brush with spaced teeth made of metal will minimize the appearance of dog hair on carpets and furniture in the house.

A brush with natural bristles is necessary for cosmetic purposes; various oils, balms and conditioners can be applied with it.

Massage brush (put as a glove on your hand) – suitable for combing short-haired breeds.

A comb with movable teeth is an excellent choice that will allow you to delicately comb the hair and undercoat without harming the skin of the animal.

Brushes with teeth of different lengths – can cope with difficult to comb hair.


Dog hair can be combed every day, there is no restriction in this matter. The main thing is not to damage the delicate skin of the animal.

Rules for choosing a dog comb

When selecting the necessary accessory, initially pay attention to the material it is made of – it is better to abandon the plastic, and purchase only natural materials. Next, determine the length of the pet’s hair, then make your choice based on the properties of the bristles of the comb.

Bristles are most often made of metal with an antistatic effect, natural (from the wool of other animals), silicone (provides a good massage effect).

Pay attention to the convenience of use, so that it would be convenient for you to hold the brush handle in your hands and comb your dog’s coat well.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the teeth of the brush, they should not be too sharp, otherwise you can easily injure the skin. The perfect option would be teeth, the tips of which are coated with silicone or have a rounded shape.

A convenient option is a double-sided comb which has a classic brush with spaced / thin teeth.

Make the care of your dog simple and problem-free with the help of various accessories for combing, which you can conveniently choose in any online store for pets.

Rust Converter: Types and Applications

Brayden Warren

Metal in most cases is quite strong and durable material, but it also has its own vulnerable point. Under the influence of environmental factors, it is susceptible to corrosion. To begin with, let us consider in more detail the nature of this phenomenon and its most widespread form – rust.

Purpose and principle of operation of converters

The term itself originates in Latin and is derived from the word “corrodere” (translated as “gnaw”). When iron and water interact, an oxide reaction is triggered, which causes rust on the metal. Simply put, an iron molecule turns into an iron hydroxide. This process is irreversible, as the resulting rust stain attracts and absorbs water in the air.

The physical and chemical effects of the soil and the atmosphere have a very negative impact on the safety of the metal. The most basic type of corrosion is considered to be atmospheric, when the moisture contained in the air is deposited by the thinnest layer on the metal surface. The content of various impurities and gases in the atmosphere contributes to the formation of corrosion as soon as possible. Next to large industrial enterprises, the rusting process will be much faster compared to the forest park zone.

But the metal placed in the ground also remains unprotected. Ground is an equally dangerous environment containing a large number of chemical elements and compounds. Apart from the moisture in the soil itself, these elements significantly accelerate the process of iron oxide. Depending on the aggressiveness of the soil, metal loses up to five percent of its quality volume. Pipelines, wells, piles – these are some elements of infrastructure that are in the “risk zone”.

To date, one of the most effective and practical means to combat corrosion of the metal is a rust converter. It is a chemical reagent that reacts with iron oxide (rust) and neutralizes its destructive effect. In addition to this, a protective layer appears from above, which prevents further development of corrosive processes in the metal.

Due to its properties, this substance finds application in the construction of metal structures, pipelines, bridges and overpasses. Considering the dependence of the corrosion process speed on the gas content in the environment, the use of a rust converter is simply indispensable in the industrial sector.

A variety of rust converter

Select a rust filter based on the surface to be treated. Different compositions of the reagent may affect and interact with the metal in different ways. Two main types of converters can be distinguished by their composition – acidic and acid-free.

  • Acid. The active substance in such a converter is orthophosphoric acid. Means of this type have a double effect – the destruction of the rust itself and the formation of a protective film on the metal surface. A significant disadvantage is the application of the product only on a dry surface.
  • Acid-free. Tanin is an active substance in such additives. This organic component, when reacting with rust, turns iron oxide into corrosive inactive compounds with excellent adhesion properties. Converters of this type can be filled with water, which makes them an excellent way to protect pipes, rolled metal and fittings before concreting and applying paint.