Frequently Asked Questions
Online Ordering
Order online
The easiest way to place an order is through our website.
Order by phone/email
If you prefer to order by phone. You can also email your order and request a call-back for payment.
Overseas Customers
We are able to deliver worldwide with a few exceptions. We also have distributors in some countries just ask.
Returned Goods: Non-faulty
Subject to our prior consent having been obtained, products can be returned to us in an unused condition within 30 days of the invoice date. An administrative charge will be levied of 10% of the net value plus transport, but subject to a minimum charge.
Returned Goods: Faulty
If merchandise is returned because of some defect or due to error on our part, full credit/refund will be given. Customers must contact us before returning goods so that making methods and user errors can be ruled out.
Loss or Damage in Transit
a) Where goods are supplied on carriage paid terms we will replace, or at our cost make good, any items or component part lost or damaged
b) In the case of damage of a consignment, the carrier’s receipt must be endorsed appropriately and we must be advised within 24 hours of receipt. Please provide clear photographic evidence of damage to facilitate a claim with the carrier. Wherever possible, consignments should be examined in the presence of the delivery person. If this is not feasible, you must sign that the goods were ‘unchecked’.
We send hundreds of shipments of colour, glaze and powdered material all around the world every week. From time to time, despite our best efforts, a consignment will sustain damage in transit – most often when sent by courier. If you are in doubt about what to do, take photos, reseal the parcel and contact us for further instruction. It is important to consider the following:-
- Whilst a few ceramic materials can be toxic to inhale and ingest over a period of time, there is no danger from a single exposure to touch from anything in our range. If you do get some spilt material on your hands, wash with soap and water. If you are concerned, contact our technical team and request the SDS. There are a lot more dangerous items in the cupboard under the kitchen sink than you will find in a potter’s studio!
- If there are signs of damage to the parcel, sign “damaged” on receipt, contact us as soon as possible and send photographs by email.
- Place the package somewhere appropriate and safe before attempting to open – on a work bench or in a sink for example, or even outside.
- Unpack the parcel very carefully. If you have ordered items that could cause injury, such as sharp tools or glass, you may need protective gloves.
- Consider wearing a P3 respirator mask if there is loose powder inside the parcel.
- Beware of some ceramic materials, such as colors and oxides, which are very strong colorants and can stain clothing, furniture and furnishings. Consider wearing protective clothing like an apron and gloves, and open carefully in a safe place. We cannot be responsible for any consequential damage resulting from careless opening of parcels.
- To avoid spreading the material, carefully place the packaging and any spilt content in bin bags and dispose of it safely.
Delivery Questions
Goods with a volumetric weight of over 100kg will normally be shipped on a pallet. Kerbside delivery of most pallet consignments involves offloading from the vehicle using a tail-lift, as close to your property as is deemed safe by the driver. A manual pallet truck may be available but this is not guaranteed unless prearranged. Please remember that manual pallet trucks can only operate on a flat, level, concreted, or similar firm surface. They cannot operate on slopes, gravel, earth, grass or any other type of non-solid surface. Please note that drivers are not insured to move goods into the consignee’s premises. In the case of goods such as kilns & equipment, special arrangements requiring extra assistance may be needed: This must be discussed and agreed with us at point of order. If you have any queries or concerns about delivery, please contact us. Although our hauliers will endeavour to deliver within the agreed timeframe, unexpected delays due to weather conditions, breakdowns, traffic and other factors may cause some disruption to schedules.
Your carriage charge will be calculated at checkout based upon the volumetric weight of your order, and your location. If for any reason your delivery charge cannot be calculated at checkout, you will see a message explaining that our sales team will contact you with a quote. You will be under no obligation to accept this and have the right to cancel your order.
We deliver throughout using trusted third-party parcel and pallet distribution networks. Depending on service, parcels may be delivered up to 7 days a week. Pallets are delivered Monday to Friday. Please remember that deliveries are to letterbox (parcels) or kerbside (pallets) only. Pallets are non-returnable.
Delivery prices vary according to order weight/volume and delivery address postcode. The best way to calculate the delivery cost for a particular order is to partially complete the checkout process on our website, or email for confirmation. If for any reason your delivery charge cannot be calculated at checkout, you will see a message explaining that our sales team will contact you with a quote. You will be under no obligation to accept this and have the right to cancel your order.
We send hundreds of shipments of colour, glaze and powdered material all around the world every week. From time to time, despite our best efforts, a consignment will sustain damage in transit – most often when sent by courier. If you are in doubt about what to do, take photos, reseal the parcel and contact us for further instruction.
Kiln Questions
If it’s particularly cold in your workshop, issues can occur with your kiln controller. Many digital controllers require the temperature at the tip of the thermocouple to be higher than the temperature inside the control box. The controller is effectively the “cold junction” of the thermocouple system and as such must always be colder than the thermocouple itself. To remedy this, direct a fan heater into the chamber of your kiln to warm it for a short time before turning the kiln on and beginning a firing.
Orton Pyrometric Cones measure “heatwork” and are an invaluable firing tool. They are small pieces of clay resembling tall pyramids that are made from precisely formulated materials.
To prevent possible damage to kiln shelves it is good practice to use a batt wash coating on the upper surface of shelves only. No other kiln furniture needs to be treated. Over a period of time, some ‘plucking’ or flaking of the batt wash may occur and this can be retouched without the need to completely recoat the shelves.
Kiln shelves are rated in terms of the maximum firing temperature which they can withstand, but of course the weight of ware placed upon them and the distribution of the load upon the shelf have a great bearing. If the shelf is to be packed with ware completely, and is being fired to stoneware temperature then it is always safer to use a thicker shelf to minimise ‘creep’ of the shelf. The ‘creep’ is the sagging of the shelf under load at temperature and will always happen to kiln shelves over prolonged firings.
No – whilst the extension lead may well be rated at 13 amps it is not designed to deliver the maximum current at the full supply voltage because of the thickness of the cable. This voltage drop will result in the cable becoming overheated, and a potential fire risk, and the kiln failing to achieve the desired firing temperature. All kilns, irrespective of size, require the supply current to be at the stipulated level as on the data plate, and for this to be at the full specified voltage, so power supply installations need to take into account the potential voltage drop and be ‘uprated’ to compensate.
It is always a good idea to use a base batt. In kilns which have floor elements it is of course essential, but in kilns without floor elements it should be remembered that there is a region of brick between the floor and the first element groove. This can generate a ‘cold spot’ in the firing which is often overcome by raising ware off the floor of the kiln using the base batt.The brickwork in kilns can be easily damaged by glaze which slowly and progressively dissolves through the brickwork. If a base batt is not used, any glaze running from ware will impact immediately with the brickwork. The base batt protects against this risk, and whilst kiln batts are expensive, it is still much cheaper to replace the batt than the bottom of the kiln.
The biscuit firing temperature that is chosen should either give the clay sufficient strength to withstand the glazing process, or fire the clay to maturity prior to glazing. It is essential to mature the clay during the firing process to prevent crazing of the glaze. Stoneware and porcelain clays can generally be fired to 1000oC at biscuit stage because the clay will be fired to maturity during the glost firing. Earthenware clays, like all clay bodies, need to be fired to maturity in one of the firings but it doesn’t matter whether this is done in the biscuit or glaze firing. What governs which firing is quite simple to determine. If the glaze to be used will fire to a temperature which lies within the maturing range of the clay, then a low biscuit/high glost format can be used. However if the glaze firing temperature is lower than the maturing range of the clay, then a high biscuit/low glost format must be used. Bone China is the ‘odd one out’ because it must be fired to a high biscuit temperature of between 1200oC and 1250oC, followed by an earthenware glaze firing.
Without doubt, the most stable number of supports is three. This can be achieved when using full shelves, and the supports should have a vertical alignment throughout the setting. Obviously, when using half shelves a further support is required to ensure stability and this can be achieved by using an extra support so that each half shelf has three support columns, two of which are shared with the adjacent shelf.
Electronic temperature measurement is very accurate, but it only measures the temperature at one point in the kiln. Similarly it takes no account of the length of the firing or the effect of the kiln atmosphere on the ware. Pyrometric cones like those manufactured by Orton are subjected to the same firing conditions within the kiln as the ware, and therefore more accurately reflect the true firing. See Orton’s website for more in-depth FAQ’s regarding the use of cones. For example, if a kiln is fired to 1250oC in 8 hours the result will be very different to the same kiln fired to the same temperature over 16 hours. This difference is known as ‘heat work’ which is effectively a combination of firing temperature, length of firing and kiln atmosphere conditions. Changes to any of these parameters will affect the fired appearance of the ware.
The optimum rate depends upon the thickness of the pots and clay type e.g. thin cast and grogged bodies can be fired quicker than thrown and ungrogged ones. Ideally, biscuit firings would be slower than 100C per hour up to 200C and 100 – 200C per hour beyond that point and ending with a short soak.
Glaze firings should be at 100-130C per hour but at 100C per hour maximum from 700-1100C with high carbon ball clay or fireclay based bodies.
We generally recommend biscuit firing at 1000-1060C then following with a glaze firing to a higher temperature which matures both the clay and the glaze at the same time. Each clay body and each glaze is catalogued with its firing range: When selecting a glaze for use with a particular clay it is important to select one with a firing range which exceeds the lower figure given for the clay. If this is not done the clay will be underfired, and the glaze consequently may craze. Alternatively, one could biscuit-fire the clay above the lower figure given for the clay then glaze-fire to the firing range of the selected glaze. This method may cause difficulty with glaze pick-up when dipping, although this can be overcome with a flocculant such as Epsom Salts. Bone china is invariably produced in this way. Additionally, the pottery industry use this method for firing earthenware as it increases the durability and craze resistance of the ware.
This is approximately indicated by the vitrification point stated for each clay in our catalogue but, with stoneware, it will be lowered by reduction firing conditions and is dependent upon other factors such as firing cycle. Consequently this figure is given only as a guide for comparison purposes. If clays are fired above their vitrification point then bloating is likely. Bloating may also result from insufficient biscuit firing or too fast firing in the later stages of the glost firing. Conversely, overlong firings may give excess heat work and cause bloating.
Wheel Questions
Should the pedal cable become forcibly detached from the wheel due to a trip/fall, seek advice from us immediately. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RE-ATTACH! This can cause a power surge causing irreparable damage to the PCB. A replacement PCB is very costly, but a replacement pedal cable is not. Please contact us with your serial number.
Prevention is better than cure: When you first receive your wheel, we recommend you wrap the pedal cable once around the leg of the wheel and secure with a zip tie. If a trip occurs, the zip tie takes the impact and not the socket.
Firstly ensure the two parts of the tray are lined up and firmly snapped together.
Shimpos were originally designed for the Eastern style of throwing, with little or no water. Drip trays were introduced for the Western market, where we tend to use much more water whilst throwing.
The key is not to allow water/slurry to build up in the tray beyond the top of the reservoir. This will cause leakage, and worse, can cause clay to enter the shaft which can destroy the bearings and ruin your wheel. Get into the habit of using less water whilst throwing, or sponging out regularly. Even better, throw with slurry instead of water. Clean the area around the shaft well after each throwing session.
If you really can’t get on with the two-part tray supplied with your wheel, a single piece tray is available at extra cost for the RK-3D and 3E. Please enquire.
If you are noticing a grating noise when you operate the wheel, this is very often caused by a metal disc which protects the bearings and is designed to deflect any water that may get under the wheelhead. It is not fixed in place, so sometimes it rotates with the shaft causing the noise. A small amount of grease usually holds it in place preventing the noise.
To correct the problem, remove the wheelhead using the T bar tool supplied with your wheel to undo the Allen key under the wheelhead, loosening it so it can be lifted off. You will see the disc around the shaft and if you turn the wheel on, you can see how the disc picks up speed from contact with the shaft.
There is likely to be a small amount of grease under the disc. If you build up the grease so it contacts more firmly with the disc, that will prevent it moving. Vaseline will do if there is no grease there.
When the wheelhead is replaced, make sure that the flat side of the shaft corresponds to the Allen key and press down firmly before tightening the Allen key. This will also help to prevent the disc from moving.
Most potters throw with their potter’s wheel rotating anti-clockwise (counter-clockwise) but many left-handed potters prefer to throw with the wheelhead rotating in a clockwise direction. With most wheels supplied by us this is easily achieved by switching the forward/reverse directional switch.
You must have the correct Giffin Grip for the direction the wheelhead rotates: When the Giffin Grip is rotated, the spiral inside moves the sliders that hold the pot towards the centre of the wheelhead so that they grip the pot. If the wheelhead is reversed the sliders will be pushed outwards so will not grip the pot.
The Standard-Direction (Counter-Clockwise/Right Handed) Giffin Grip sku:7023 suits most potters.
For left-handed people who prefer the wheelhead to rotate clockwise the Giffin Grip (Clockwise/Left-Handed) sku:7023C is required.
Many wheel manufacturers use aluminium alloy to produce their wheelheads. Aluminium is very resistant to corrosion. This is because aluminium generates a protective barrier when it comes into contact with oxygen and this barrier protects the aluminium from corrosion. However, this oxide barrier is not physically strong and clay can erode it.
Provided that the wheelhead is cleaned and dried immediately after use, the oxide barrier is regenerated. However, when clay or water is left in contact with the wheelhead for an extended period of time, the lack of oxygen prevents aluminium oxide formation. As a result, corrosion can appear on the surface. This is not a product fault, it is simply a chemical reaction.
Shimpo aluminium alloy wheelheads are uncoated and the best advice is to clean and dry the wheelhead thoroughly after use to allow the metal to breathe and regenerate the protective oxide layer.
If marking occurs, the surface can be gently polished with acetone and Ajax powder. Keeping it clean and dry will prevent further corrosion.
If you have any more questions about wheelheads, please contact us.
Most wheelheads on the market today are made from an aluminium bearing alloy, because aluminium generates a protective oxide barrier when it comes into contact with oxygen. This barrier helps to protect the aluminium from pitting/corrosion.
When you are throwing, the slightly abrasive nature of the clay in a slip form and the motion of your hands wears away the aluminium along with the oxide coating and because the particles are so fine they don’t reflect light very well and therefore appear black.
This oxide layer reforms quickly once the wheelhead is cleaned and dried, protecting the metal underneath.
All potters wheels (every brand) are potentially harmful to a person who has a pacemaker. All motors produce a magnetic field when in use, especially direct drive motors which have a magnet under the wheelhead.
Statement from Shimpo:
“Customers with pacemakers should always consult with their physicians first when using motor-run or electronic products. Our RK-3E uses a magnetic motor and, when in use, the user’s chest is directly over the motor. The motor has a strong pull and therefore not recommended or advised for people with pacemakers. Wheels that are belt-driven also give off a pull and the user’s chest is also near the motor while in use, which makes them also not recommended for people with pacemakers. The health of our customers is important and customers should always consult with their physicians first”.
We have investigated this problem in discussion with a Pacemaker Technician. Their view is that there is no risk to anyone with a pacemaker that is merely in the same room as the wheel. Where a person fitted with a Pacemaker is in close proximity to an electric motor there is a potential for the magnetic field generated by the motor to interfere with the rhythm of the Pacemaker so it would not be doing its job of regulating heart-beat. Pacemakers are designed to return to their normal setting once they move away from the interference.
Close proximity is defined as 6” (150mm). When throwing on a potter’s wheel, even when bent directly over the wheelhead the potter is unlikely to be less than 12” (305mm) away from the motor.
Everyone who has a Pacemaker must have it checked by a technician every year. We advise customers considering purchasing a potter’s wheel to consult their Pacemaker Technician as they are the people best placed to advise on this matter. It is worth noting that the technician we talked to had not come across any incidences of interference of a Pacemaker by an electric motor in twenty-one years in the job.
We often get asked how easy it is to take your small pottery wheel on the go. Whether you want to get making outside in the garden, take your wheel along to craft fairs, workshops, or even pack it for a holiday, there are a few simple ways to do it.
We’ve pulled together a short list of what you’ll need and how to get everything set up for wheel throwing, wherever you please.
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At Pottery Tools and Equipment we have an extensive range of pottery supplies. Whatever you require from clay, glazes, raw materials to tools, kilns and equipment.