From Tea to Tree in 5 minutes

[bonsaidave]

Just posting a little experiment.
$1.50 tea cup from Diaso.
$10 dollar 1/2 inch tile bit.
5 minutes on low drill speed.
I drilled the hole with the pot in water sitting on a piece of PVC.



Now to find a tree for it.

Stay Nutty!

 

[Random User]

I have a high speed 1/4" die grinder and some carbide bits that I use to do the same thing on terra cotta and pottery of all kinds. I find, if I go from each side a little at a time it prevents the break out on the exiting side. For the most part this is cosmetic, but I follow the general rule of physics that says a smooth hole won't encourage cracking... like drilling a "stop crack hole" on the end of a crack in a piece of metal. I have no way to prove that it's effective, but I do it anyway.

Nice pot.

 

[Smoke]

Why not just buy a pot with a hole already in it?

 

[Random User]

I find that some of the best pots weren't meant for plants... like ordinary pottery that was spun on a wheel.

Out here in the sticks, we don't have bonsai "friendly" pots in particular... it just isn't something that people readily do, so it becomes a supply and demand factor. Shallow pots are unheard of as a general rule, so I modify whatever I think will work and what suits my eye... even if it's an old porcelain pi$$ pot...

 

[bonsaidave]

I bought a couple more soy sauce dishes / cups. Each were 1.50 from Diaso again.
The brown one with tan Clay was a super thick and very soft compared to any of the others. The others were either Clay or porcelain. I drilled all of these in about 45 minutes.

 

[M. Frary]

I find that some of the best pots weren't meant for plants... like ordinary pottery that was spun on a wheel.

Out here in the sticks, we don't have bonsai "friendly" pots in particular... it just isn't something that people readily do, so it becomes a supply and demand factor. Shallow pots are unheard of as a general rule, so I modify whatever I think will work and what suits my eye... even if it's an old porcelain pi$$ pot...

I live in the "sticks" also.
The Google function on this smartphone finds all kinds of pots with holes in them already.

 

[bonsaidave]

"Why not just buy a pot with a hole already in it?"

I found a couple people mention drilling holes in bowls elsware online. I thought I would give it a try just to see if it was at all feasible. I must say everything I have drilled was surprisingly stout with nothing cracked yet. Hard to beat a buck fifty for a mini pot.

Successful experiment !

 

[Anthony]

Let me know when you start looking at Little Girls' tea sets.
Or testing tiny cactus pots.
You can find lots of interesting containers, with some imagination.

More power to you, Dave.
Good Xmas
Anthony

 

[Smoke]

Hard to beat a buck fifty !

There it is......

 

[M. Frary]

Let me know when you start looking at Little Girls' tea sets.

You guys going to have a party?

 

[Anthony]

Yup Gogee,

wanna bring the crumpets [ crumpled bodies ]

 

[defra]

Cool project only there are no spaces beneath the pots for the air to go trough and water cant get out properly
how you going to resolve that?

 

[Dav4]

Cool project only there are no spaces beneath the pots for the air to go trough and water cant get out properly
how you going to resolve that?

Wiring the tree into the pot will cause the pot to wobble because it'll be sitting on the wire

 

[BadgerBadger]

If you're going to drill pottery and ceramics just soak it in water for a day or two first.
Then take it out and drill with the appropriate drill bit and whammy!

 

[defra]

Wiring the tree into the pot will cause the pot to wobble because it'll be sitting on the wire

clever !
i tought buy a similair pot smash it and glue some pieces on it as feets lol

 

[bonsaidave]

M. Frary & Anthony, you have the tea party with crumpets first and then you ruin the tea cups after

Wire on some of them would be an issue. Maybe making a circle on the bottom, with the wire, could fix this. Half of these had a small lip on the bottom so wire should fit fine on those.
These are also small enough to where they would be placed half way down into a tray filled with pebbles. Would illuminate any wire issue, water/air issue, help to keep them stable, and keep soil damp longer (I think).

BadgerBadger, Soaking the pots? Interesting idea. I will have to test that next time.

defra, Nice idea with gluing small smashed pot bits to the bottoms. Or big bits to make them look very silly.

 

[Random User]

If there is a ring on the underside of the pot, I use an angle grinder with a 80 grit flapper disc to grind 4 slots in the rim for water to flow out of... it's no biggie. Unlike the process you guys use, I don't "drill" holes, I use "industrial grade, 1/4" drive, carbide grinding bits intended for steel"... but I do also employ a little water, to keep the dust down and the pottery cool while grinding the majority of it... works good.

 

[bonsaidave]

Just found one of my $1.50 diy pots on an Australian bonsai site. They want 16.95AUD for drilling 4 holes.

http://www.bonsaiwarehouse.com.au/s...-wedge-glazed-unglazed-round-mame-bonsai-pot/