[Pres]

Marcia Selsor, on 04 September 2012 - 06:15 PM, said:

neilestrick, on 04 September 2012 - 02:10 PM, said:

Personally, I think the Brent slab roller is the most poorly designed piece of studio equipment ever. Adjusting the thickness by removing shims is ridiculous, and the cable system is a pain to replace. If you want to go cheap, buy the North Star roller system without a table, and build your own table for $40.

I agree with you. The cables fray and puncture your fingers when you work on them. They are suppose to be grease regularly and that's when the fraying gets your fingers.
The North Star that I used in the studio had hard plastic gears that did break when abused and the two sided gear adjustment could get uneven if one didn't pay attention. They have greatly improved since that time...about 25 years ago.
I like my Bailey.


Marcia

Used the Brent for 30 years in the HS classes. Pain as all say here to grease the cables, to keep the shim boards in good condition, and use. All of that said, when we bought it, it was one of the early ones at a price we could afford. I used rolling pins and slab sticks from the local lumber yard for years, teaching the basics first, then moving the students to the slab roller. They never complained, because it was so much easier than rolling out that 12"X25" slab by hand. Suddenly slab construction was not such a chore, and they could concentrate on other things in the process instead of making the slabs. So in the end, I guess you work with what you've got. If someone gave me a cableless, shimless old Brent SC 14 I would take it in a heartbeat. Spend a few bucks and hang the rolling pin on the wall!

[Claypoet]

neilestrick, on 04 September 2012 - 03:10 PM, said:

Personally, I think the Brent slab roller is the most poorly designed piece of studio equipment ever. Adjusting the thickness by removing shims is ridiculous, and the cable system is a pain to replace. If you want to go cheap, buy the North Star roller system without a table, and build your own table for $40.

I concer. I loved my North Star, tho the Bailey is also great. There was a Bailey in the studio where I first learned. in my own studio I had the Northstar and yes, the plastic gears (which don't really make sense but whatever) broke once or twice in 20 years. But they were very simple to replace and Northstar sent them quickly and at their cost. But what I really wanted to suggest is to make a sturdy table which is essential, I used half of a pingpong table that was already in the basement of my house when I bought it. 2x4s shurred it up nice, 45 degree angle pieces in the corners and metal legs I think i got at Graingers or Home Dept. Has lasted 20 years, with heavy student use, no problems no repairs.

[Mark C.]

Jim Bailey made a long time ago one heck of a slab roller-I have not seen a better one come along yet.If you plan on being in clay for a long time its a tool well worth it and will have high resale if you give it up.This is not true with many slab rollers but is true with a Bailey.
Mark

[Cass]

no joke...i took a 3 foot piece of pvc pipe, 4" diameter..plugged the end...filled with fast-setting concrete....now there's a Rolling Pin!...(you get stronger too with each use lol)

[sawing]

Cass, on 12 September 2012 - 12:52 PM, said:

no joke...i took a 3 foot piece of pvc pipe, 4" diameter..plugged the end...filled with fast-setting concrete....now there's a Rolling Pin!...(you get stronger too with each use lol)

OR... I could just make my husband roll out my slabs with that!

[artmom111]

My husband and sons made me one for Christmas and its AWESOME. we got the plans online through ceramic arts online, in addition to a YouTube video. If you find one, email me and I will look and see if it's the one.

[jlawson]

Denice, on 04 September 2012 - 08:53 PM, said:

I have a Bailey that I bought 20 years that we built the table to go with it, that saved us some money you can always get your money back on a Bailey if you decide to sell it. I started using the slamming method then rolling it when I need a quick slab but for larger projects my Bailey is the only way to go. Denice

I think that slab roller was the start of Mr. Bailey's calling! I have used a Bailey and think it is , like most of his equiptment, outstanding.
My slab roller is an OLD Dick Blick etching press, all steel, micro vernier adjustments, double rollers, 4:1 ratio gears. Sweet! The only problem is that it is limited to 12 in. width for the slab. If we need a wider slab, we use the press to get the slab started, then finish with a rolling-pin. If folks ask around, they might find something similar. Worth a try.

[rosiepots]

neilestrick, on 04 September 2012 - 04:44 PM, said:

yedrow, on 04 September 2012 - 10:00 AM, said:

neilestrick, on 04 September 2012 - 10:35 AM, said:

Minde is made of a rolling pin and two strips of wood.

Freak out!!! I have one just like that!

It's a very popular model. I see them everywhere. I got the upgrade with several sticks of different thickness. Well worth it!

hehee, I have several of these, 3 different lengths for various sizes I need to roll out. A brilliant inventtion

[Cass]

slab throwing is an essential skill...glad someone opened my eyes to that years ago

[Chris Campbell]

Tony Clennell and I were talking and he said he stopped using machine made slabs for rounded pieces when he realized that the vessels he made from them would fight bellying out. Overnight they would suck back in to straight. Clay memory at work. A slab roller sends a very strong message to your clay ... get flat and stay flat. I had the same problem with my vases but never made the connection he did.