Breaking pots

Rhysandfish

Arachnoknight
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Jul 23, 2017
Messages
210
I picked up some miniature flowerpots for my little enclosures and i was wondering how to split them in half. I dont want to have a bunch of shards, a few big pieces or hopefully two big pieces. Do you guys have any advice on breaking them?
 

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
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Diamond wheel cuts them like butter. A carbide wheel will do the job if you're very careful with a steady hand. (Abrasive wheels)

One advantage, or disadvantage, of using fired clay pots is they act like sponges, mediating the moisture in the area around them. They also provide an excellent rooting surface for epiphytes, mosses, certain ferns and climbing vines.
And of course they are a few million light years more environmentally friendly than dinosaur goo.
 
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Ellenantula

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Sep 14, 2014
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2,009
I fill mine with dirt and a plant.
I use wood-hides.
I honestly don't think I could deliberately break a terra cotta planter.

Is there some advantage to using pots for Ts? Like -- maybe to hold moisture for a stirmi or something? I know a lot of people seem to use them.
 

mconnachan

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Aug 5, 2012
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I fill mine with dirt and a plant.
I use wood-hides.
I honestly don't think I could deliberately break a terra cotta planter.

Is there some advantage to using pots for Ts? Like -- maybe to hold moisture for a stirmi or something? I know a lot of people seem to use them.
I don't think so, not to my knowledge, if I were to use pots, I would buy the plastic ones, they're so easy to cut into the desired shape required, I think the OP has terracotta pots at hand - and would like to use them, there's no reason to specifically use terracotta ones, plastic ones are just as good, they may look unnatural but you can glue sphagnum moss to the edges, cover the top with substrate and boom you've got a lovely looking hide. A lot of bother to go to when you can use cork rounds or slabs buried into the sub, I have seen them used for T. stirmi the way I've described.
 

Tom Servo

Arachnopeon
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Jul 27, 2017
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12
Maybe try carving notches on opposite side of the pot and trying to split it evenly?
 

Rhysandfish

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jul 23, 2017
Messages
210
I fill mine with dirt and a plant.
I use wood-hides.
I honestly don't think I could deliberately break a terra cotta planter.

Is there some advantage to using pots for Ts? Like -- maybe to hold moisture for a stirmi or something? I know a lot of people seem to use them.
My enclosures were particularly small and i dont have access to cork bark without an hour drive. So i just picked up these small planters.
 

mconnachan

Arachnoprince
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Aug 5, 2012
Messages
1,240
My enclosures were particularly small and i dont have access to cork bark without an hour drive. So i just picked up these small planters.
If you've got a drill - you could drill holes at the halfway point using a carbide tip, then once you've drilled the holes, I'm sure a little tap would split the planter then you've got two equally sized hides!
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
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Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,938
I picked up some miniature flowerpots for my little enclosures and i was wondering how to split them in half. I dont want to have a bunch of shards, a few big pieces or hopefully two big pieces. Do you guys have any advice on breaking them?
A Dremel w/the right bit will work. @EulersK knows!
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
Staff member
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Feb 22, 2013
Messages
3,292
A Dremel w/the right bit will work. @EulersK knows!
Yup, it's just that the bit is very expensive and cutting the pots takes quite a bit of time. I prefer to use the claw of a hammer - I get a good even break about 75% of the time.
 

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
Old Timer
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Aug 8, 2005
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11,048
If you know a mason, brick layer, tile setter or similar, pack your pots over to them and get him/her to slice a few dozen up for you. Only takes a couple of minutes.
 
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