Chimney Pots
Pot Shapes
Pot Shapes and Profiles
Crown Types
Cap Types
Cowl Types
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This page describes my current range of model chimney pots. These are 3D-printed in UV resin, and are available in a selection of styles, shapes, sizes, and in a variety of scales. They are intended to be fitted to the tops of the chimney stacks of your model building, to represent various types of ceramic chimney pots. The current range of pots is shown in the illustrations to the right.
Real chimney pots are usually embedded in a layer of cement or mortar that lies on top of the chimney stack. I also offer a range of components to model this layer, which I call chimney stack tops, to complement my range of pots. One of the options for my tops allows a number of pots to be combined with a top into a single component.
The basic pot shapes available are circular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal, septagonal, and octagonal. Each of these is available in a variety of profiles: parallel, tapered, bottle, concave, and bulb. Up to 3 decorative half-round strips or beads may be added around the circumference of the pots: at the top, bottom, and a smaller one below the top (upper). A parallel circular pot with all 3 beads is shown opposite; the other pot shapes are shown with only the top bead.
All of the pot shapes shown use a pot size 18 inches high and 12 inches in diameter (at the bottom), in 4 mm scale. These dimensions refer to the prototype size; the size of the model pots will then depend on the scale chosen. Elsewhere on this page dimensions given in inches likewise refer to the prototype size. (A table to help convert prototype inches into model mm is given at the bottom of this page.) Subsequent illustrations use this pot size as standard, with a parallel circular pot shape and a single top bead.
All pots have a circular base 1 mm thick with a 30 degree taper (from vertical). This is intended to sit in a hole in the top of your model chimney stack – matching stack tops are also available, below. The diameter at the top of the taper is the same as bottom of the pot. For polygonal pot shapes the diameter is the largest circle that can be accommodated with the shape (i.e. just touches the sides at their midpoint). This diameter is also used to define the pot size.
All pots also have a recessed top to represent the open inside of the real pots. This recess is tapered and only descends a few mm into the pot, for reasons of strength and printability. The resulting pot rim is 1 inch thick, subject to a minimum of 0.35 mm.
A variety of additional features can also be added to the top of any of the pot shapes and profiles:
Crowns
These consist of a number of "teeth" arranged around the rim of the basic pot, giving the effect of a "crown" on top of the pot. The tooth shapes available are:
- A, triangular, giving a "sawtooth" effect.
- B, circular with a pointed top, giving a "tulip" petal effect.
- C, half-elliptical.
- D, half-circular.
The number of teeth will depend on the size of the pot chosen – the crowns shown have 8 teeth. When applied to a polygonal pot, a tooth will be positioned with its peak at each corner. (Thus a square pot will have only 4 teeth, etc.)
Caps
Three different caps can be added to a basic pot:
- A, elliptical bowl, supported on top of the pot by 4 legs. If configured with a cap height equal to its radius, the bowl becomes a hemisphere.
- B, conical cap, supported on top of the pot by 4 legs.
- C, half-cylinder resting on top of the pot.
Caps A and B can be configured for cap diameter, cap height, and leg height. (The caps shown are 8 in x 4 in x 6 in, respectively.) For cap C, the cylinder diameter is the same as the top of the pot, and the length of the cylinder set to overhang the pot by 1.5 inches each side (i.e. the length is the pot (top) diameter plus 3 inches).
Cowls
The following different cowls are available:
- A, vented, consisting of multiple open-ended cones stacked on top of the pot. The number of cones is configurable; the cone diameter and height is set relative to the diameter of the pot top. The undersides of the cones are joined to the cone below without a gap (for ease of printing and strength), not open as in the prototype.
- B, rotary ball.The prototype consists of a cage of multiple vanes that rotate in the wind. The model version does not rotate. The overall diameter of the ball is set to 1.5 x pot top diameter.
- C, T-cylinder, resting on top of the pot. The diameter of the cylinder is the same as the top of the pot. Its length is 3 in longer than the diameter.
- D, wind vane, consisting of a right-angled segmented tube on top of the pot. In the prototype the tube rotates with the wind; the model version does not move. The tube diameter is equal to the diameter of the top of the pot, and the bend radius set accordingly. Only the end two segments are open.
- E, H-pattern, consisting of interconnected tubes arranged in the shape of a letter "H" (plus the central leg). The tops of the end tubes are recessed in a similar manner to the basic pots. The diameter of all of the tubes is the same as the top of the pot. Configurable for tube lengths.
The supporting pots do not have the recessed tops described above. The bases of all of these cowls are inherently circular; if used on top of a polygonal pot the corners of the pot top will be filled as necessary.
Configure Your Pots
To order some of my chimney pots you will need to configure each pot specification and add the appropriate quantity to your basket. Select the basic pot shape, profile, beading and size (as described above). To add a crown, cap or cowl, select the type you require and click on the "Change Type" button. Further controls will then appear that will allow you to set the various dimensions etc. of the cap etc. You will also then be able to set the quantity of pots to include in your basket. Each pot will cost £0.45.
To keep the number of configuration option values down, while still covering the wide range of scales, many of the configurable dimensions are specified in scale inches, rather than model mm. A calculator and look-up table to help convert scale inches into model dimensions (or vice versa) is available here (opens in new browser tab/window).
Note: If you want a chimney pot component that is not covered by the standard options below, I will be happy to quote you for a customised component. Please contact me with full details.