North Star Equipment SIRIUS CT-503 30" Portable Table-Top Slab Roller
Combine the North Star 30" Standard
slab roller with a specially designed set of Table Toppers and you have the
North Star Polaris CT-500. We designed the Sirius CT-503 for
teachers and studio potters who
need a fully functional slab roller but have limited space.
Like the other North Star slab
rollers, this has two rolls, much
like the wringer of an old-fashioned washing machine. Both rolls have a small
diamond pattern ("knurling") machined directly into the metal to grip the canvas.
The bottom roll is turned by the handle, but cannot move vertically. As it turns, it
drives the top roll through a train of gears. The upper roll both turns and can be
adjusted up and down. The two rolls turning together pull slabs through easily, and
the vertical adjustment of the top roll gives an easy-to-set and infinitely adjustable
thickness from paper-thin to over 2 inches. A reference scale allows setting and
repeating openings to within 1/100 of an inch.
The design gives great
flexibility in making
slabs. Very thin, translucent porcelain slabs and thick, heavily
textured
architectural slabs are equally easy. A wide variety of other
texturing materials
and objects can be passed through the machine along with the clay.
Slabs can be rolled either direction or reversed on all North Star
machines.
CONSTRUCTION
The body and rolls are made of cast and
carefully machined high-strength special alloy aluminum. Gears are made of the strongest
material available for this application, nylon or steel. Bushings are nylon and the
remaining parts (except plastic gear covers and knobs) are machined steel.
The Table Toppers are made of moisture-resistant Medex with a melamine
surface. Metal surfaces are zinc plated or coated with a durable powder coat finish.
Virtually no maintenance is required, and the simplicity of the design ensures that
any repair ever needed will be quick and easy.

HIGH DESIGN &
GREAT ADVANTAGES
Every part carefully designed and made for
its intended purpose. No off-the-shelf or inferior parts or material.
Rust free and virtually maintenance free.
No clumsy heavy shims or boards.
No chains, cables or cast-iron gears.
Thickness infinitely variable from 0 to
2-3/4 inches.
Slabs can be rolled in either direction and
clay can be added or subtracted at any time.
Roll slabs up to 22" wide. The length of the slab is limited only by
the space and canvas available.
Tapered slabs are quick, easy and precise.
Warping, curling and cracking are
drastically reduced.
All machines accept press molds and a wide
variety of texturing material such as burlap, plant materials, rope, cork and bark.