I find it a constant and endearing feature of many power tools that,just as they are loosing their new-tool shine and stickers,their little (usually) plastic safety devices start to fall off.This happened this morning as I was effortlessly slicing soft brick for the second half of the kiln-mold using my excellent chop-saw:a veritable shower of nuts,washers and plastic guards.You can almost hear the tool sigh with relief to be rid of all these well-meaning encumbrances.It also happens with flame-failure devices and electronic lighters on kiln-burners.This particular instance of tool liberation yielded a promising bit of metal which,having completed the casting (and having reduced the quantity of bought castable from 3 to 2 sacks by assiduous use of fatter sliced brick and Archimedes' wonderful Principle),seemed to want to get together with a broken but beloved table-tennis bat handle and some brass wire to reincarnate as a knife for wheel-work,one of the potter's more intimate tools,and totally lacking in safety features.My new porcelain delivery is about to arrive-bye!