Author: Barry Diaz

Things to consider when choosing a pottery wheel!

Posted on by Barry Diaz

There are household objects that have not fallen into the centuries of non-existence, but accompany us through the centuries to the present day. Any museum of ancient art will present ceramic products of masters of pottery, surprising with its beauty and uniqueness. Using clay to make dishes began at the dawn of the formation of human consciousness, the primitive way of modeling gradually changed, accumulated experience in manufacturing and the real heyday of skill came in the thirteenth century. At that time, most types of ceramics were invented.

The technical development of the pottery wheel

The process of inventing new types of clay products has also affected the improvement of tools and aids used in the manufacture of clay products. Initially, the difficult process of modeling by hand, then a simple circle was used, and finally a foot rotation method was invented, the principle of which has remained unchanged until now, with small modifications.

The choice of pottery wheel for beginners with the foot method of rotation of the circle, made it possible to work on the product with both hands. A slight improvement contributed to the production of more and made it possible to implement creative ideas. Work became not only household items, the product turned into works of art worthy of decorating the royal feast in the past and surprising representatives of modern civilization, its perfection of forms, brightness of colors and beautiful painting, today.

The improvement of the general welfare, improvement of the standard of living made it possible to return to the opportunity to express themselves with the help of products with their own hands. Today, everyone can show their vision of the world, their inner understanding of being expressed with the help of handmade art objects. Creation is possible in any field, but in recent years, more and more people are discovering pottery, which is becoming not only a hobby, but if desired a source of income. If you decide to devote yourself to this activity, you must provide yourself with everything you need. The question of how to choose a pottery circle is becoming a topical issue and requires a decision.

What do you need to know to make the right choice

Buying the right thing is never easy. The market provides a lot of goods to choose from. The first impression after reviewing the list of goods provided, they are almost all the same. How to be, what to do, how to make the right choice?

Recommend buyers with experience, with experience in acquiring really necessary and useful things:

  • Take your time, get ready to go shopping, study the available material on the description of this category;
  • seek advice from professionals in your field;
  • decide how professionally you will do it, what kind of activity (at home for yourself, in children’s, adult studios) or engage in manufacturing on a production scale;
  • approach the issue of buying not only from the economic side, but also from the perspective of comfort and durability;
  • give preference to a company with a proven reputation, read the reviews;
  • study the technical part of the product, have a general idea, have a good bonus in the arsenal, you can understand how competent and honest the seller is.

What to give preference to, what to choose

The manufacturers offer, and we choose. The main requirements for the purchase: safety, reliability, efficiency, maintainability, quietness, comfort during work. With the general requirements are determined, we proceed specifically to the purchase. Pottery wheel which to choose to meet all the basic requirements listed above. Let’s look at what manufacturers offer us. In the market there are both imported models, and domestic production, such as the Bell Manufacturer. Today, the prevailing pottery circles with electric drive, with manual or foot drive to buy from an industrial manufacturer now it is impossible to simply do not produce them. Of course, the obvious advantage of electric drive makes the choice easier.

Which type of actuator to choose

Pottery wheels with electric drive: friction; belt drive or gearbox; direct drive. Note the advantages and disadvantages of each type.

Electric friction drives

  • Advantage: high reliability, low cost;
  • Disadvantages are: difficulty in speed control, the cumbersomeness of the liquid transmission system, frequent replacement of wearing parts (rollers).
  • Recommended for beginner masters

Electric drives with belt drive or gearboxes

  • Advantage: the collector motor is easy to operate.
  • Disadvantages: Increased noise level, worn out brushes in the collector.
  • Recommended for those with skills at work.

Direct drive electric actuators

  • Advantage: absence of transfer, intermediate device allows to make a circle of compact sizes, to reduce weight and dimensions, noise level, smooth adjustment of speeds, possibility to receive any fixed speed of a plate (rotation both clockwise and counter-clockwise).
  • Recommended for professionals.

Buggy or monster? How to choose a radio-controlled car?

Posted on by Barry Diaz

Without exception, everyone wants a fast, maneuverable, cross-country, perfectly controlled and obedient radio-controlled car. To drive in the snow, mud, puddles and sand, jump from the hills, not break, sound realistically, be inexpensive and not require recharging… Alas, to combine all the wishes in one model is almost impossible. Let’s try to understand the main features of radio-controlled cars which are worth paying attention to.

Evaluating forms and types

As you know, we judge a book by its cover. So the choice of a RC rock crawler should start with the visual impressions. If you have a low-mounted copy of a racing car in front of you, you will not be able to ride such a car along a country road and rough terrain. A massive SUV with large wheels will look ridiculous in an apartment. External differences are not limited to form. Of great importance is the size, or rather the scale, in which the radio-controlled model is made in relation to the full-size analogue.

Inexpensive and easy-to-drive small cars (1:24, 1:18, 1:16) are suitable for children, collectors and beginners. SUVs and road racers on a scale of 1: 8, 1:10 can be full participants in sports competitions. With them you can participate in races, various individual or team tournaments.

Among 1:5 cars, models with ICE prevail, which are not inferior in terms of complexity of service to full-size cars. Owners of such cars should be prepared for the need to often “delve” into the engine and perform laborious inspection.

Varieties of radio-controlled cars by body type

All cars on the radio control are divided into on-road (racing, highway) and off-road. The type of the car defines its basic skills and capabilities depend.

Buggy is a great racer with a recognizable sports design. These nimble cars often perform in competitions on prepared dirt tracks and are perfectly adapted for driving in extreme environmental conditions. The special lightweight chassis design and reliable shock absorbers allow them to deftly overcome barriers, easily maneuver and enter steep turns. And their spectacular pit or springboard dives will leave no one indifferent.

Truggies have a very similar construction to buggies. This is a kind of hybrid between buggy and monsters. It can strike with speed, easily overcome obstacles, but nevertheless one should not expect faultless passability from it.

Radio-controlled monsters – here they are, the real lords of dirt roads, forest potholes, sand embankments, small streams and low snowdrifts. The most spectacular of all radio-controlled models. The whole essence of these formidable cars with large wheels and high suspension is reflected in their name. The creators of these radio-controlled SUVs were inspired by American truck shows, so driving a monster will not be devoid of entertainment, excitement and showiness. Monsters do not need a track, they make their own way.

Built on elastic suspension, short corsa also claim the title of conquerors of impassable routes and dirt tracks. They can easily cope with extreme obstacles in the form of dirt, sand, pits, potholes, bumps or stones, and finish the race with minimal damage.

Crawlers are cars with a very powerful engine and a special “moving” suspension design. Like spiders, they can climb winding climbs, big and small rocks. But no matter how hard you try, it is difficult to find a crawler able to drive at a speed of more than 15 km / h.

To feel completely at the mercy of speed, you will need a highway car – a small copy of a racing car with low ground clearance and special tires. For acceleration over 100 km / h, such cars will last a few seconds, which is beyond the means of many full-size cars.

Drift models are race cars for special competitions and demonstrations, where the “driver” needs not to lose control while sliding in a drift and maneuvering at high speeds.

No matter what kind of a car is in your hands, you will get an excellent generator of good mood and bright entertainment.

The content

Choosing which radio-controlled cars is better – with an electric motor or ICE – is the same as arguing who is cooler – Batman or Superman. It is too individual and depends on the personal preferences of the pilot. Each category of cars has its own fans and opponents.

At the dawn of modeling, ICE cars more often attracted the attention and preference of professionals. The reason for this was the imperfection and low capacity of the batteries, which were not able to provide the necessary engine traction. Therefore, models with electric motors were perceived as toys. The rapid development of technology today allows us to choose from a huge number of powerful electric motors and miniature batteries with a large capacity. Now it’s up to you to decide which radio-controlled car to buy:

Pros of models with ICE:

  • The relatively low cost of the engines themselves (if you do not take into account professional sports models).
  • Realistic motor sound.
  • Long riding time (especially for models with a large fuel tank).
  • Moderate fuel consumption.

Cons of models with ICE:

  • The engine tuning process is quite complicated and requires certain skills. An error in starting the engine can lead to a chain of malfunctions or problems in operation.
  • Over time, the model will have to be washed away from the remains of unburned gas, road dirt and dust, which stick not only to the body, but also to the car chassis.
  • Models with ICE are quite bulky. The minimum scale in which cars of this type are produced is 1:18 (but the choice here is not as great as on a scale of 1:10 or 1:8).

Pros of models with an electric motor:

  • Small size and lack of exhaust do not interfere with riding indoors.
  • To start, you do not need to configure the engine (just charge and install the battery).
  • Exhaust fumes do not spoil the appearance of the car.
  • Minimum operating costs (no need to buy fuel).

Cons of models with an electric motor:

  • Short duration of races, non-linear traction (power drop during battery discharge).
  • Speed ​​controllers and lithium-polymer batteries significantly increase the cost of a car.
  • You must have a high capacity battery or several spare batteries. Compliance with the algorithm and safety procedures for charge / discharge of LiPo or NiMh elements.
  • Dependence on the temperature of the environment.

The comparison is rather conditional and is not 100% true. In each class, there are exceptions when certain pros of the model can be neglected, and the cons cannot overshadow the pleasure of racing.

Knowing how to choose a radio-controlled car, you can easily get used to the assortment of stores and buy exactly the model that will give you aesthetic pleasure and satisfy all your wishes. Perhaps this will be a powerful car that overcomes any off-road, not noticing obstacles in its path. Or a tenacious all-terrain vehicle that is not afraid of bumps and collisions. Or maybe you want to feel like a participant in a rally, just like Formula 1 or Paris-Dakar. The choice is yours! And you can always rely on the support of the employees of the specialized stores. They will not only help with advice, demonstrate the model in action, but will also select the accessories you need: batteries, chargers, internal combustion engines and electric motors.

How to Choose a Lawn Tractor?

Posted on by Barry Diaz

But it is not only people with large gardens or farmers who care about the mechanization of production. Ordinary homeowners who have no crops on their land are also already thinking about introducing the latest technologies into their activities.

In the U.S., the fashion for home care has been around for a long time. It is connected with the second half of the XX century, when after the Second World War, the U.S. authorities pursued a policy to develop country housing.

Today, everyone has long been accustomed to the image of an American living in his home, the grooming of the site is his pride. With the use of a tractor as a garden equipment, people began to get acquainted relatively recently, but the tractor with the best dump cart for lawn tractor as a machine, performing agricultural work has long ago become a habitual thing for our citizens. Mankind has sought to increase productive forces in various ways since ancient times.

At first, the physical strength of people was replaced by a horse, the number of horses in the economy was determined by the economic well-being of the population in many countries. In the early 20th century, horses were displaced by machines – tractors. The Soviet Union was one of the world leaders in the production of this technique, but in private households, it began to be widely used not so long ago.

If you suddenly realized that your strength is not enough to cover your entire area or hard physical work on the site you have become a burden (especially if your site more than 15 -20 hectares), then a good solution to this problem may be buying a tractor. If you have decided, then let’s get to the point. Immediately say that we will not disassemble large agricultural tractors in this article, and stop at the so-called mini-tractors and riders.

The main distinctive feature of the tractor is that at low speed, it is able to develop high traction. This machine can be a universal replacement for a snowplough, lawn mower, cultivator, it is able to plough, harrow, cultivate potatoes and so on.

This makes it an ideal choice for those who do not want to have a huge amount of garden machinery. And it’s true that it’s much easier to service one car than a whole fleet. Of course, all this becomes possible at a certain power of equipment (from 10 hp), as well as the presence of special attachments, which will be discussed below.

A rider differs from a tractor by the fact that it has a cutting deck, working tool, is in front and the tractor is located under the driver. The essential difference is the greater functionality of the rider, as it is much easier to replace the attachments. Minitractor is very close to its professional “colleagues” agricultural tractors, it is a complete four-wheeled machine with a comfortable seat for the driver. Let’s find out what kind of rider or tractor to choose.

The main advantage of the rider is that it does not attach grass to the wheels, which makes mowing much easier when used as a lawn mower. It also features a rider and manoeuvrability, with it you can easily get to all the hard to reach places on your land. This last feature becomes relevant if your home area is not a flat surface, and is dotted with a variety of shrubs and other plantings.

At the same time, due to the fact that the rider deck is located in front, the driver sees her work perfectly. Unfortunately, they are inferior in power to tractors. Tractors, in their turn, also have some pros and cons. As it was said above, tractors are much more powerful than a rider, and the weight in it is distributed more evenly among the axles.

Engine

To use the attachments you need an engine from 20 hp.

It is no wonder that such equipment has the most important choice of engine, namely its power. In this matter, it is necessary to proceed from the work plan. If you are going to mow or clear a small area of fresh snow, it is best to choose a machine with a power of 10 hp, for more complex tasks – ploughing, mulching, transportation of building materials, use of blade, rotary snowplough, etc., it is better to take the technique more helpfully (starting from 20 hp). The more power you have, the larger the deck. Pay attention to the size of the machine, as it should pass quietly in narrow places and do not hit the trees, it would be very offensive to break a small apple or run over the mud. In addition, pay attention to the turning radius.

Transmission

Also, special attention should be paid to the transmission, a device that transmits torque from engine to wheels. Experienced drivers can take a mechanical transmission, it is cheaper, but driving such tractors can be difficult for a beginner. The models with hydro static transmission (automatic transmission) are in great demand now.