This is the heavy duty 36" Pottery Slab Roller Package. It is designed for studio, school, or other institutional setting. Super machines are much heavier, tables are 72" long, rolls are 4" in diameter, there is a 4.33:1 steel gear reduction between handle and roll, and comes only with a Wagon Wheel handle. This is the industrial-strength slab roller. Nevada Dan has sold other brands of slab rollers in the past and has found that North Star Slab Rollers to be of high quality and superior value. North Star machines have two rolls, much like the wringer of an old-fashioned washing machine. Both rolls have a small diamond pattern ("knurling") machined directly into the metal to grip the canvas. The bottom roll is turned by a handle, but cannot move vertically. As it turns, it drives the top roll through a train of gears. The upper roll both turns and can be adjusted up and down. The two rolls turning together pull slabs through easily, and the vertical adjustment of the top roll gives an easy-to-set and infinitely adjustable thickness from paper-thin to over 2 inches. A reference scale allows settings and repeating openings to within 1/100 of an inch. The design gives great flexibility in making slabs. Very thin, translucent porcelain slabs and thick, heavily textured architectural slabs are equally easy. A wide variety of other texturing materials and objects can be passed through the machine along with the clay. CONSTRUCTION Bodies and rolls are made of cast and carefully machines high-strength special alloy aluminum. Gear trains are made of the strongest material available for this application, nylon. Bushings are nylon and the remaining parts (except plastic gear covers and knobs) are machined steel. Table frames are 14-gauge steel. Tabletops are moisture-resistant Medex with a melamine surface. Metal surfaces are zinc plated or coated with a durable powder coat finish. Virtually no maintenance is required. The simplicity of the design ensures that any repair ever needed will be quick and easy. Drive train gears are made of nylon because it is impervious to clay dust, does not require lubrication and will "give" just enough to allow rolls to run out of parallel when needed. Super series machines use steel reduction gears at the handle (this set is never required to run out of true). DESIGN & ADVANTAGES Every part carefully designed and machined for its intended purpose. Virtually maintenance free and rust free. No chains, cables or cast-iron gears to maintain or replace. No clumsy boards or shims are required. The thickness of the finished slab is infinitely variable within the limits of the machine from 0 to 2 3/4 inches on Standard series, 0 to 2 1/4 inches on Super series. Slabs can be rolled in either direction and clay can be added or subtracted at any time. The length of the slab is limited only by your work space and the available canvas. Tapered slabs are quick, easy and precise. Warping, curling and cracking in drying and firing are drastically reduced due to even compression of the clay across the length and width of a slab. All machines accept press molds, and a wide variety of texturing materials such as burlap, plant materials, rope, cork and bark. North Star Slab Rollers are protected by a full factory warranty! Order on-line now or call toll free: 1 (877) 625-7687 Shipping Special: Shipping is just $100 (to 48 states) |