And Now For Something Completely Different..
- Thread starter Vin
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sorce
Nonsense Rascal
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
There is a vast amount of roll material available for those as well. Should be they spray the inner pot with release agent, plaster mold it, drill a few fine holes for vacuum and run them. I don't see how it could be uber expensive so shop around. Again, just a thought "if" needed.
Grimmy
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Piggy backing this thread....for now....
Rough draft.
I gotta make em more uniform....
With a long cardboard roll...
But I think I'm gonna make a few of these...cuz no one else that I know has!
Hoping to get em to moss up.
Sorce
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
It's early yet but I've made some interesting observations concerning pot temperature. I have an IR laser thermometer that I've been using to check on this pot. I still want to do some additional testing but so far the results are quite dramatic. The stainless pot is more than 30 degrees cooler than some of my plastic pots. This afternoon the stainless steel pot had a temperature of 90 degrees (air temperature was 97). I checked several other containers, all of which had a higher temperature but the highest was one of my green bulb pots. It came in at 122 degrees! All pots I tested are in full sun. Again, I still want to do some more testing but this result is not at all what I expected. Next up I plan on using a meat thermometer and see what the soil temp is. Who'd a thunk?
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
I'd like to know what it is in comparison to actual pottery...curious.
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
I'll make sure to include one in pottery as well.
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Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
BTW, I'm testing this one:
PiñonJ
Omono
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
I'm going to line up three containers on the same surface early in the morning on Saturday or Sunday. Around 12:00 P.M. I'll take readings using both an IR thermometer and meat thermometer. I'll do the same thing again at 2:00 P.M. and see if there are any variations. What I believe is happening is because SS is a good conductor the wet soil is helping to cool the pot. If I were to let it dry out (which I'm not going to do) I believe the pot temperature would soar. Well, that's my unedumacated theory anyway.
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Bonsai Mythbusters...
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
LOL!
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Reminds me of the good old days, when I had a structural engineer tell me that creating a V notch on the top of a branch was much stronger than on the bottom...
Not, quite sure how, seeing that when done on the bottom and pulling the branch down, it actually closed the gap and provided strength again... where as the top just continued to open up the gap and added more damage the further down one pulled a branch... but, hey at least I know who not to call for any structural work!
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
...or that when you wire a branch like a spring you can't get much of a bend on it. 
And we thought bonsai was all about horticulture.
And we thought bonsai was all about horticulture.
Leo in N E Illinois
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@Vin @Stickroot - Nice, very nice designs. I really like the idea. I can see junipers and larches and even pines working in some of these. Rough cork bark trunk deciduous could work with the damage decoration of the first pot. Not the easiest to match to a tree.
By the way, rust from an iron pot, will simply provide the tree iron supplementation. The Stainless will be pretty much inert. I'd love to have one anodized or powder coated to a dark bronze look. All sorts of possibilities. I love the creativity.
The horticulture is the only open question. Iron would heat up quicker than steel, as steel is much more reflective. But if these pots prove hospitable to plant life I say go for it. A whole new pallet of texture and color for pots.
By the way, rust from an iron pot, will simply provide the tree iron supplementation. The Stainless will be pretty much inert. I'd love to have one anodized or powder coated to a dark bronze look. All sorts of possibilities. I love the creativity.
The horticulture is the only open question. Iron would heat up quicker than steel, as steel is much more reflective. But if these pots prove hospitable to plant life I say go for it. A whole new pallet of texture and color for pots.
Incredible pieces of art these two pots are, indeed. The show of author's artistry and skills.
Like Leo in previous post mentioned, I can imagine sth with silver/grey rough bark in the first one. Cork elm, cork oak, old gnarly olive or thorny pyracantha maybe, just my .2€.
Like Leo in previous post mentioned, I can imagine sth with silver/grey rough bark in the first one. Cork elm, cork oak, old gnarly olive or thorny pyracantha maybe, just my .2€.
PiñonJ
Omono
For a second, I thought you were referring to the soil in he ground, which would be a good way to shunt heat out of he pot. Unfortunately, the pot is staying cool through the accumulation of heat in he tree's soil. But maybe, since the pot has low heat capacity, it's not as big a burden on the tree's transpiration as a ceramic pot which has been heated by the sun and will release that heat for a longer period. Very curious to hear your results!
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
First, I’d like to say that by no means would I consider this test conclusive evidence. There are countless other variables that could easily change the results so the final conclusion is still up for more testing. I performed the test as fairly as I could.
I setup a test area on my patio mostly because it’s probably the hottest area of my house. I started the test when the sun started heating up the patio and took readings every two hours. Outside pot temperature was taken using an infrared thermometer and soil temperature was taken with a dial stem thermometer. I have a conventional outdoor red colored alcohol thermometer mounted on one of my benches that I used for air temperature. It’s really not an accurate way to calculate air temperature because of the heat radiated off the patio but it is a consistent reference point. I decided to throw in a mica pot at noon and see how it compares. Here are the results:
10:00 A.M. 94° Air Temp
"Pot Type" followed by "Outside Pot Temp" then "Inside Pot Temp" (it's the only way I could get it to post correctly)
Stainless - 86.5° 81°
Green Ceramic - 91° 82°
Red Ceramic - 91° 82°
12:01 P.M. 101° Air Temp
Stainless - 95° 90°
Green Ceramic - 98° 92°
Red Ceramic - 99° 92°
Mica - 120° 90°
2:00 P.M. 105° Air Temp
Stainless - 96° 95°
Green Ceramic - 108.5° 99°
Red Ceramic - 98° 95°
Mica - 118° 99°
4:00 P.M. 105° Air Temp
Stainless - 94° 92°
Green Ceramic - 108° 96°
Red Ceramic - 99° 92°
Mica - 110° 94°
I setup a test area on my patio mostly because it’s probably the hottest area of my house. I started the test when the sun started heating up the patio and took readings every two hours. Outside pot temperature was taken using an infrared thermometer and soil temperature was taken with a dial stem thermometer. I have a conventional outdoor red colored alcohol thermometer mounted on one of my benches that I used for air temperature. It’s really not an accurate way to calculate air temperature because of the heat radiated off the patio but it is a consistent reference point. I decided to throw in a mica pot at noon and see how it compares. Here are the results:
10:00 A.M. 94° Air Temp
"Pot Type" followed by "Outside Pot Temp" then "Inside Pot Temp" (it's the only way I could get it to post correctly)
Stainless - 86.5° 81°
Green Ceramic - 91° 82°
Red Ceramic - 91° 82°
12:01 P.M. 101° Air Temp
Stainless - 95° 90°
Green Ceramic - 98° 92°
Red Ceramic - 99° 92°
Mica - 120° 90°
2:00 P.M. 105° Air Temp
Stainless - 96° 95°
Green Ceramic - 108.5° 99°
Red Ceramic - 98° 95°
Mica - 118° 99°
4:00 P.M. 105° Air Temp
Stainless - 94° 92°
Green Ceramic - 108° 96°
Red Ceramic - 99° 92°
Mica - 110° 94°
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