How to cut clay pots in half?

[usafaux2004]

How do you cut a pot without fracturing it? Need to make some hides.

 

[Hollystark]

Soaking in water will make it easier to cut through--just about any kind of small handsaw should work, though it might be a bit of a pain. Alternately, you could snap pieces off with a pair of pliers, or tape around where you want the edge of the hole, put something against it on the inside, and then hit the bare spot with a hammer. Or just smash stuff on it and see what happens.

None of those are perfect, but any should produce some sort of hole.

 

[digitalxri0t]

I usually tap a hammer up a line of the pot, over the bottom and down the other side occasionally tapping a bit harder then usual. Taking Holly's idea tape a line and tap with the hammer over the tape and see what that produces. It's kind of a learning experience and every pot is different. If there's a crack in the pot follow that instead if you can. Also once broken take the hammer and tap down over edges cause they can be sharp.

 

[usafaux2004]

I wonder how a pot would fare with a band saw? I work in online sales, but we have a machine shop where all the products are made...will give it a try on a few of the manual instruments.

 

[auntiejude]

My hubby used his angle grinder with a diamond blade and was very slow and careful, then I used a rasp to smooth the egdes - I have perfect half pots! But we do have the advantage of a well-stocked workshop and diamond blades usually used for cutting up concrete, I appreiate not everybody has that.

Soaking and going slow with hand tools is good, you can also try using a hobby drill (like a Dremel), and my hubby says a band saw should work too.

 

[usafaux2004]

So far so good. Takes forever though.

 

[usafaux2004]

OK, so the first one didn't make it...broke a crack, then splintered. I was able to salvage one half. The other pot came out a perfect cut.

Now...not knowing much about how they make these, whats the difference in this internal part?

Not that it matters....5 seconds after the photo, the pot fell on its side and broke. Lol. Got two nice halves of the smaller one though.

 

[usafaux2004]

OK, assuming that grey stuff isn't bad...I was able to break off a sharp edge and smooth it out. May be a half hide against glass now.

 

[Jennewt]

Here is my low-tech method. I soak the pot overnight to make the material a little less brittle. And then...

 

[usafaux2004]

Hmm...I bet if you put it on an edge and tap a hammer on the opposite side it would crack more evenly. Then again, maybe not.

 

[Gizmothefreaky]

I break pots by holding them in my hand and taping with a hammer just hard enough to cracked it, and then turning it over to the direct opposite side and hitting it again to crack, then if it doesn't fall into two pieces, just pull them apart by hand. Nice and easy. Lol!

 

[usafaux2004]

I got another 8" Diameter pot to use as a filter flow breaker (since the pots were to replace the castle hide).

I soaked it in hot water in a 5 gal bucket for about an hour. Then used a chisel and a hammer to tap on the edge:

This caused an interesting crack that curved naturally. Before the end of the crack I had used the chisel to hit the pot again (all this happening in the bucket with water by the way), and it cracked straight up to meet the curved crack. So there's technically a small crack past the doorway, but without force it won't be breaking.

Used a cheap walmart dremel to sand down the ends this time:

I'm using that broken half pot behind the bridge. Both of them love using it! Before, I had a small pot on the small half pot that is inside the big one to break water...the boy wouldn't use the half, but the full pot that was on top of it! So now I have the small half inside the side busted large pot.

Here's my girl!

 

[usafaux2004]

Just an update. Besides the worst pot that is behind the bridge...they almost never use them. Behind them, next to them, on top of them...bit not inside. :/