ALAN POTTINGER on fri 13 jun 97
Does anyone have, or know of a source for, a design for a kick wheel
that could be made in a small workshop?
Thanks
Alan
Amanda Redman on sat 14 jun 97
Try the book, The Self-Reliant Potter
Paul Sternberg on sun 15 jun 97
"The Potter's Alternative" by Harry Davis (Chilton) offers a treadle kick
wheel. It requires some welding, machining and a few odd but accessible
parts. Seems doable, but buying one would probably be as cost effective.
Anyone ever made one? (OK, I'm new and haven't checked the archive. Why do I
have a feeling my words are redundant?)
From someone who likes to design stuff.
Paul Edward Sternberg
PesCeram@aol.com
Atlanta
Ever striving to expand my boundaries while remaining humble...or at least
presenting a good facade!
Sylvia C. Shirley on mon 16 jun 97
I built a kick wheel. I found an old book at the library (I can find the
name if anybody wants to know), and modified the plans. It called for a
wheelhead made from three layers of wood glued together. I changed that,
and had somebody make an aluminum one for me, along with the shaft and metal
brackets. For the kick wheel, I made a form from plywood and lawn edging,
then filled it with concrete. I got bearings (made for tractors) from the
NAPA dealer. Once it was all put together, it worked real well. I
haven't made a drip pan yet. I intended to, but it works so well, I got
started using it without one, and never got around to it. Someday I will.
I made an adjustable seat attached to the frame. That's the one part I'd
do differently if I had to do it again. I'd have a seperate bench.
With lumber, bolts, and to cost of the wheelhead and shaft, I spent about
$150.00 on it. I drew up plans in AutoCAD (that's my other job), so if
anybody wants them, let me know.
My current project is turning a 10X16 garden shed into a studio, and after
that I want to build a gas kiln.
Sylvia Shirley
Pittsburg, Kansas
scshirle@pittstate.edu
Irish Jim on fri 20 jun 97
Check with Great Lakes Clay & Supply Company, Carpentersville, Illinois,
1-800-258-8796. They show a kit to build your own kick wheel. For $165.00
it includes all the metal parts, shafts bearings, etc.I believe they even
have precut plywood for and additional charge. God Luck.
SFrater on fri 20 jun 97
There are designs for both kick and electric wheels in 'The Self-Reliant
Potter' by Andrew Holden , Published by Adam & Charles Black, London 1982.
Good Luck
Simon Frater
Joyce Lee on sun 10 nov 02
Lily said:
"To learn to throw one needs a wheel. One does not necessarily, as far =
as i
can tell one does not at all, need a superduper pro model of a top of =
the
line electric wheel when, even if one hires a carpenter type to build =
it,
one can throw together a kickwheel with beams salvaged from a demolition =
and
a flywheel made out of cable spools--"
-----------------------------------------------------------
Oh, some ones of us do indeed need as
top of the line electric wheel as we can
possibly manage to buy. There are many of
us on this List who have troubles with left
and right, Lily, serious problems ... we're not
dumb .... may, in fact, be very intelligent by
somebody's testing standards ..... but for us
it's Inside and Outside and that's it. No natural sense of direction =
whatsoever have we ...... none. I could write reams about this .... in
fact, I have done so for this very list ... so
I shan't write it all again. Suffice it to say that
I was thrilled to discover that wearing a
wedding ring would forever keep me aware
of my Left Side, at least. AND that the
Mighty Sierras were located to the west of
my dirt road ..... so that for 20 plus years I've
known west/east/ and subsequently north/south
by aligning myself with the mountains to my
left (see how handily the wedding ring works..)
As an unmarried lass in Kentucky where we resided in a bowl surrounded =
by hills ...... thus, no
ring and no significant landmarks .. and
before I had become educated to the
fact that such folk as I existed ..... lots of
us .... I knew nothing about nuances
of "directionality" concerns; I lived in a
blissful state of ignorance. Then I left
the hills and grew up ........=20
And one day many decades later wandered into a pottery class where I
was assigned to a kickwheel. Heavens
to Betsy ..... Man!...... I did everything
wrong. Started out correctly moving the
wheel in the right direction..... glory be....
but with the Wrong Leg .... really got
that sucker movin' just as the teacher (my
friend of many years, who'd never experienced this
side of me) had suggested. Legs tried
to corkscrew around one another ... I couldn't stop.....
hadn't been told HOW to stop the dang
thing ...... couldn't unwind so I might
jump off this Monster Tall and Ancient Lockerbie. Knocked the water bowl =
off the tray. Lost a shoe. Tried to catch hold of the wheel.... almost =
lost my hands at the wrists. Worse yet, being in the throes of my =
contrary sense of humor, I was laughing until my sides ached. I still
can't reconstruct actually stopping the
wheel and disembarking, but I do know that my appalled teacher suggested =
that some poor guy
(who'd arrived in class early just SO he
could select his preferred wheel) swap
wheels with me. The Poor Guy graciously
agreed, I gained some control of myself finally,
staggered to that blessed brand new
Brent electric which the teacher wisely
unplugged until I "got settled," and my love affair with clay began.
So when making such apparently "simple"
suggestions for "simple" equipment .....
keep in mind, please dear Lily, that some
of us Simple Folk don't fit in that box .....
couldn't open it if we did..... IF we could
find the opening in the first place. We're
often the ones operating Outside the
Envelope, too ...... (see the above about
the Box.)
Joyce
In the Mojave having spent the afternoon
with pulled ligament?/bad sprain?/may need surgery?/maybe not?/ right =
knee keeping the rest of me immobile for the
moment.......
Cindi Anderson on mon 11 nov 02
Not to mention that some of us are muscle-less wimps!
Cindi
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joyce Lee"
-----------------------------------------------------------
Oh, some ones of us do indeed need as
top of the line electric wheel as we can
possibly manage to buy.
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