Month: May 2020

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!