Bonnie Staffel on thu 4 aug 11
I had to have a laugh about this subject. when I took clay over 60 years
ago, I learned to throw on the AMACO standup treadle wheel. I would call
that No. 1 AMACO was the producer of most early pottery equipment =3D
at
the time. I took throwing lessons from Harvey Littleton in the =3D
classrooms of
the Toledo Museum School of Art back in 1949 on throwing. The wheel =3D
itself
was bolted together and the one I used was rather shaky as some bolts =3D
were
loose. To keep it steady as I threw was another task in the learning
process. I don't believe that electric wheels for the classroom were =3D
even
available at the time. I was also fortunate that Harvey encouraged me to
apply to Cranbrook for further study. There we used stand up kick wheels
too. However, during that tenure, one student somehow brought in an =3D
electric
wheel. Like a stab in the back of the purists in the class. Most of us =3D
were
advocates of Bernard Leach's techniques so using an electric wheel was =3D
like
spitting in the faces of the Gods of pottery.=3D20
=3D20
When I returned home from Cranbrook I earned enough money to purchase a
Fetzer oak stand up treadle wheel. Worked on that darned thing for =3D
twelve
years which in turn made my spine crooked. I was asked to do a =3D
demonstration
at some exhibit but couldn't move the huge Fetzer wheel to the site. So
Norman Schulman was working on building an electric sit down wheel which =
=3D
he
loaned me. Using that wheel, it was like a magic veil lifted from the
laborious treadle wheel. No sore back or of the standing leg and foot. I =
=3D
was
an immediate disciple of the electric wheel and immediately ordered one =3D
from
Norman. That was one noisy machine but a joy to work. Now the wheels =3D
have
become silent and effortless to run. Like going from the covered wagons =3D
to
the moon walk!!!!=3D20
=3D20
How things have changed.
=3D20
Bonnie
http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
DVD Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD Introduction to Wheel Work
Charter Member Potters Council
=3D20
Rogier Donker on fri 5 aug 11
Hey Bonnie! :-)
You're # 1 in MY book! I don't think Vince's
generation realizes the value and importance that that good old Amaco
#1 wheel had for yours and my generation... When in the late sixties
and early seventies I ran around the country as "Mr. Amaco" doing
teacher workshops, Amaco and indeed all of Amaco's wheels, kilns and
other ceramic products were # 1 in the industry and schools. Amaco
supplied all of the nation's teachers ' ceramic needs. Variable speed
electric wheels, while regarded as the best kind of wheel to have for
an experienced potter, do not possess nearly the learning value of the
good old
# 1... and I don't care WHAT others might say in that regard!
BTW the old treadle wheel (Amaco #4) you learned on was the first mass
produced potter's wheel commercially available after WW2. In 1946 the
# 1 was born, it is still being made. Sometimes I wish that every
beginning student would have the experience of throwing (or trying
to! :-) ) on an old # 4 or a Klopfenstein, then "graduate" to a #1 and
THEN to a variable speed wheel. Much easier way to go to master the
art of throwing.
Rogier
P.S. See us on the web at http://www.donkerstudio.org
Ric Swenson on sat 6 aug 11
The treadle Klopenstein wheel is great...a good teaching wheel....we had 6=
at UAA and I quickly learned the treadle dance neccessary for making pots =
. Makes seeing the process more transparent to students.
we also had shimpos, Brents and a few odd types...collected since the 1950s=
.
Ric
Richard H. ("Ric") Swenson, Teacher,
Office of International Cooperation and Exchange of Jingdezhen Ceramic Inst=
itute,
TaoYang Road, Eastern Suburb, Jingdezhen City.
JiangXi Province, P.R. of China.
Postal code 333001.
Mobile/cellular phone : 86 13767818872
< RicSwenson0823@hotmail.com>
> Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2011 09:36:58 -0400
> From: dolcenea@FRONTIER.COM
> Subject: Who has thrown on an Amaco No pottery wheel?
> To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>
> Hey Bonnie! :-)
> You're # 1 in MY book! I don't think Vince's
> generation realizes the value and importance that that good old Amaco
> #1 wheel had for yours and my generation... When in the late sixties
> and early seventies I ran around the country as "Mr. Amaco" doing
> teacher workshops, Amaco and indeed all of Amaco's wheels, kilns and
> other ceramic products were # 1 in the industry and schools. Amaco
> supplied all of the nation's teachers ' ceramic needs. Variable speed
> electric wheels, while regarded as the best kind of wheel to have for
> an experienced potter, do not possess nearly the learning value of the
> good old
> # 1... and I don't care WHAT others might say in that regard!
>
> BTW the old treadle wheel (Amaco #4) you learned on was the first mass
> produced potter's wheel commercially available after WW2. In 1946 the
> # 1 was born, it is still being made. Sometimes I wish that every
> beginning student would have the experience of throwing (or trying
> to! :-) ) on an old # 4 or a Klopfenstein, then "graduate" to a #1 and
> THEN to a variable speed wheel. Much easier way to go to master the
> art of throwing.
>
> Rogier
>
> P.S. See us on the web at http://www.donkerstudio.org
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