How Does Our Bat System Compare to Others?

The Blue bucket Tools Tile Bat System is a bit different from the others out there, so let's talk about the key differences so you can make the right choice for you. Choosing a bat system is a big investment and there are a lot of factors to consider. I'm Jeff Campana, Co-founder of Blue Bucket Tools, and I am here to help explain how our bat system is similar to, and different from, other bat systems out there.

First, how is ours similar to others? 

The common purpose of all bat systems are: 

• Saving space on shelves - the system allows for a smaller footprint, allowing you to maximize your shelf space in the studio. This is true of every bat system. 
  
• Bat systems only work for smaller items like small bowls, cups, and vases. They do not work for plates, large bowls, or anything with a wide bottom. They augment the stack of full round bats, but they can't replace them.
• The geometry of the insert (square, hex) helps place decoration or alterations from round. Using corners, it helps divide the pot in the case of altered lips, etc.
• Bat systems help you avoid having to lift or scoot pots off the wheel head which can damage or misshape the wet, fragile pot.
• Bat systems help you throw more efficiently because you can fit more pots in your immediate throwing vicinity and not have to get up to relocate pots to shelves as frequently.

Now, we will discuss the key differences between the Blue Bucket Tools and the others.

Difference #1: Porosity

The biggest distinguishing feature is that the common tiles in our system are non-porous. In use this will be the biggest thing to get used to, but also, it comes with some big advantages. With this system, you buy simple tiles, which are glazed on the top. Almost every other system out there uses porous wood-based materials. Porosity impacts how wet clay interacts with the system, so there are a few things to know about this.

•  For clay to stick to our non-porous tiles, it needs to be dry - no film of water on the tile or the clay. If there is water between the clay and the tile, the clay will slide around and stick more to your hands than it does to the tile.
• For clay to stick to a porous MDF or Masonite material, there must be water between the clay and the insert. This activates the capillary action and pulls the clay down onto the surface to stick it. Clay will not stick to porous, dry surfaces.

That's a pretty easy thing to adjust if you are used to a porous system. We recommend cleaning the tiles after use and allowing them to dry so that you don't have to wet them prior slapping your clay down. Another way porosity affects the usage of different systems is in drying process. 

• Porous systems will release the clay during the drying, so you might not need to wire the pot off the insert. 
• Non-porous tiles will not release the pot on their own, so you need to wire the pot off either right away, or as I prefer, a couple hours after throwing. Ideally, I like to flip pots the same day I throw them, so I just wire them when I flip.  The rim is dry enough at that point to hold its shape and not take damage, but the bottom is still soft, so the wire will slide right through and the pot will come off. If it needs to be covered overnight prior to flipping, I will wire it right away, and may need to re-wire it later, or twist it to release. 

Again, this is a pretty easy adjustment, but it is a difference worth noting. If you are used to throwing on plastic bats, tiles are pretty much the same experience, whereas wood materials are similar to plaster or masonite bats. The difference in these properties affects how long and when you can cover your pots with plastic. 

• Porous systems will warp, grow mold, and even disintegrate if stored under plastic for long periods of time. This means there is always a risk, if you can't get back to the studio right away, that you will wreck some of your inserts. Additionally, this property prevents you from storing mounted, leather hard trimming chucks.
• Non-porous tiles are not affected at all by moisture, which comes with big advantages in certain cases. You can cover your pots for weeks at a time and the tiles will be exactly the same, forever. Tiles will never warp, swell, grow mold, or fray due to moisture. This also means you can throw a trimming chuck right when you throw your pots that need a chuck, and store it leather hard, definitely. It just plunks right back into the surround and you are ready to trim!

Now, let's cover what porosity means for cleaning and care of the inserts. This is another big advantage tiles offer over porous surfaces. 

• Porous systems are very fragile, and need a lot of care. You cannot soak them, and when you wash them, they need to be dried immediately and put on a rack. If you leave them to dry leaning upright, the puddle can damage the insert. If you stack them up after use or washing, the moisture cannot escape and will warp or swell the insert and degrade it. With porous systems, you will spend a lot of time and effort caring for the inserts.
  
• Non-porous tiles, in contrast, can only really be damaged by dropping them. Water doesn't affect them in any way, and you can even soak them overnight. The next day, as you pull the tile out of the water, the slip just stays there and a spotlessly clean tile emerges from the water. You can let clay dry fully and it will make the soaking method work in minutes. 

Difference #2: Flexibility

A property tiles share with plaster bats is the total lack of flex. This is more handy than you might think. Any wood or plastic material has some amount of flex to it, so when you lift the finished pot, a disturbance can occur causing a warp or, in the case of thin pots, a collapse. Because tiles are non-flexible, there is very little chance of warping the wet pot in the transfer process. 

Difference #3: Economy

The core reason we, as educators and managers of large busy studios, developed the Tile Bat System, is cost. The cost of savings of buying your own tile inserts at your local Lowes store for just $0.35 each, are astronomical, especially at scale. The university studio I manage has 300 tiles for students to use. This cost just $105, and if that ever proves insufficient, we can easily expand the pile to whatever size we need at very little cost. Even on the individual scale, the Blue Bucket Tools Tile Bat System is by far the most economical solution to the problem of not enough surfaces to throw on. Below is a chart to compare the costs among many popular systems. If cost is a major factor in your considerations, our system is for you. 

In this chart, we took the initial cost of the each system, accounted for how many inserts it comes with, and show comparisons of each system on a cost per insert basis. Because each system comes with a variable amount of inserts, to get a comparison basis, we divided the extra insert pack cost by the number of inserts in it. This is our cost per insert price. We then multiplied the number of extra inserts needed to reach 10 or 25 total inserts, plus the cost of the base system. This chart clearly shows just how mind-blowingly economical our system is compared to others, because it utilizes a cheap and easily found insert rather than us having to manufacture something at a small and scale from more expensive materials. Also worth noting, we ship for free, while the prices I found for this chart generally do not include shipping!

Difference #4: Throwing Experience

In order to help you make your decision, we want to be transparent about the throwing experience. The glossy tile surface can come with a learning curve for some. The method of centering you use will impact your experience.

Those who already center the clay mainly using downward pressure, meaning you cone up and then flatten the clay down, while the side hand is firmly planted, will have an easy time centering and throwing on the tiles. 

Those who use the "karate chop" method, where the top hand is containing and the side hand is driving the clay inward toward the center have reported struggles with centering on the tiles. We have re-created this effect successfully, and so we know that this is a real issue for some. We think this is due to the sideway pressure causing the clay to slide a bit on the glossy surface. New centering methods may be necessary, but most find it easy to adjust in a couple sessions. If you ever get the system and struggle with methods, Hope and I are both seasoned educators and are happy to help you figure it out. You can email us any time at bluebuckettools@gmail.com

So, just know that there may be an adjustment period with this system, especially if you are switching from a porous system.

Difference #5: Accessories

Now, as far as we know, we are the only company that includes accessories in our bat system. Every single bat system out there requires that you pry the insert out of the surround, but none of them include a tool to do that. There are a few things on the market sold as extras, or you could use a screwdriver or something, but our system includes the Pry Tool that we developed specifically for this purpose. It also works with all of the other bat systems, so even if you go another way, our pry tool has you covered.  

Additionally, many bat system users find that there can be slight jiggling of the insert, and then they end up buying a synthetic Chamois (shammy) aka batmate substrate to help reduce that. We designed an offset into our motherboard to allow for slight variation in tile size, and then to address the looser fit, we include a shammy with every system. The shammy totally prevents tile shifts and also prevents rocking in the case of crumbs under the tile. We are unique in including this, and we also sell them as extras, because they will eventually need replacement. 

Difference #6: Durability

Ask anyone who has been throwing on bat systems for a while and they will tell you that they eventually wear out and need to be replaced. Many seasoned potters have been through a few different brands. The problem relates back to the porous, wood based material. With each use, the fibers take on water and expand, and then dry out and contract.  This causes wear, warping, splitting, and fraying of the edges of both the insert and the surround. 

Our system uses waterproof, super-durable solid ABS plastic, and ceramic tiles. These materials are super durable and do not change over time. The tiles may chip, so buy some extras, but the motherboard will last forever. I have been throwing on the same tile system I made using a jigsaw and files since way back in the late 90s. I have been throwing on the same tiles and using the same surround for more than 25 years, and I have made countless thousands of pots on them. It is still fully functional after all this time. That is we are convinced this is a fantastic solution to the age-old problem of not enough surfaces to throw on. 

Ok, so if that convinced you that the system is for you, here it is! 

If you are looking to outfit a whole studio, we offer bundles that save on packaging and come with a discount, $5 off each at 5-9 units, and $10 of each at more than 10 units.