How to make a pottery wheel with your own hands - a practical guide. How to make a potter's wheel with your own hands Do-it-yourself potter's wheel from a washing

A potter's wheel for a novice master is an expensive pleasure. The simplest circle of a foreign firm costs about $ 500. That is why our craftsmen were given the task of making a potter's wheel from a washing machine so that the project could then be realized with their own hands at home. As a basis, you can take both an activator and a drum type machine. But first things first.

We prepare everything you need

We will consider making a pottery wheel with our own hands using the example of an activator washing machine. You can even buy such a machine, and if you have an old and at the same time working washing machine, then you will save about 1500 rubles more.

Important! The activator in the washing machine must be located at the bottom of the machine strictly horizontally, without tilting.

In addition to the washing machine, we need a dozen more necessary parts, without which we cannot make a potter's wheel with our own hands. Namely:

• a piece of moisture resistant plywood;
• the simplest microcircuit that regulates engine speed with a switch;
• moisture resistant varnish and paint;
• White Spirit;
• machined wheel;
• a plastic medicine bottle;
• any switch;
• insulating tape;
• silicone sealant;
• tin for soldering;
• bolts, washers, nuts and self-tapping screws.

In addition to materials, some more tools are needed, it is also better to prepare them in advance. Nothing fancy just:

1. felt-tip pen;
2. wooden ruler;
3. a hacksaw with small teeth, it is possible for metal;
4. sharp knife;
5. a set of screwdrivers and keys;
6. pliers;
7. multimeter;
8. soldering iron.

Making a circle and protection

We are starting to rework our primitive washing machine with our own hands. Alteration is not God knows what, but as a result, savings of several tens of thousands of rubles. So, let's start with the fact that we will partially disassemble the case of the activator washing machine in order to determine the location of the most important parts - the motor, electrics and the drive mechanism. We will remove the drive belt, pulley and other parts with our own hands to expose the shaft.

At this stage, we have the first difficulty, namely, we have a shaft, some kind of drive mechanism and a motor, but we do not have an impeller on which the rotating circle will be fixed. What to do? We have no choice but to take the dimensions of the shaft and order the impeller from a turner. The turner should turn something like the part shown in the picture below.

We will not indicate the dimensions, since they are purely individual and will depend on the size and type of washing machine that will be taken for alteration. We paint the machined part carefully, and then put it aside for a while.

Before painting, the part must be carefully sanded with your own hands, removing traces of rust and dirt.

Now we need to cut a circle out of a piece of moisture-resistant plywood, as shown in the picture below. We impregnate the circle with varnish, which we mix with White Spirit in advance, on this circle we will have a clay blank.

Let's assemble two parts of the impeller, put our own hands on the wheel on the shaft, thus preparing a part for installation on the drive mechanism. The working part of the circle that will hold the rotating workpiece must be well centered. Otherwise, the workpiece will rotate unevenly, which will lead to problems when making clay objects.

Next, we need to protect the drive mechanism from moisture and corrosion. To do this, we take an ordinary plastic bottle for vitamins or medicines and put it on the shaft, after which we securely fasten the improvised part with a nut. At this point, the assembly of the working part of the potter's wheel can be stopped, go to the body of the washing machine.

We do not need most of the washing tank, so we take a hacksaw for metal and without any mercy we cut the tank, leaving only the bottom with the activator and low sides along the edges. With the body of the potter's wheel and the moving mechanism, everything is now the most difficult thing - connecting the motor and the electrician.

We connect the engine

About that, we have repeatedly written in other publications of our site. Nevertheless, we will describe this process again, taking into account the peculiarities of altering the washing machine for a household potter's wheel.

First, we need to determine the belonging of each wire sticking out of the motor of the activator type washing machine. It is better to do this, guided by the electrical circuit diagram, but if it is not at hand, you will have to act "by typing". We need to find the wires:

• engine speed controllers (if any);
• going to the stator winding;
• two wires going to the brushes.

We open the supply wire and install a switch on it. We cut a groove for the switch in a convenient place in the case. We carefully insulate all wires. If possible, then you need to put a rubber cambric on each wire or, at worst, wrap each wire with electrical tape.

Next, we mount and connect the engine speed regulating device. Such a device is connected to the supply wire and two wires that control the speed of the motor. After that we put the pulley in place, put on the drive belt, insert and fasten the shaft with the impeller. Then we assemble the body, go through the groove with a sealant so that water does not get into it once again and that's it, the assembly of the electric potter's wheel can be considered complete.

In any case, the engine speed will have to be reduced, otherwise, at a speed of 500-700 rpm, the clay workpiece, under the action of centrifugal force, will fly into the wall.

In conclusion, we note that you can assemble an excellent electric potter's wheel for beginners with your own hands without a special tool and special technical knowledge. The main thing is that there is desire, tools and materials and, of course, hands that are not used to being bored. Further - a matter of technology, good luck!

With this guide, you can make a DIY pottery wheel with an adjustable speed.

Making a pottery wheel with your own hands

Step 1. Prepare the necessary

So, let's begin. Here's a list of what I've used:

10mm drill

A handful of self-tapping screws

Pedal from an old sewing machine

Old drill

Multiple terminals for wiring

Silicone sealant

Carriage bolt and nuts

Rotating tray (I bought mine for 240 rubles)

Extension

Step 2. Drill a hole

This is a very simple procedure as most 5-liter buckets have a raised mark in the center. It is in this place that you drill a hole with a 10 mm drill bit. Then make a 15mm wire hole in the bottom quarter of the bucket.

1. Center

Step 3. Now let's work with the drill

It is at this stage that mistakes can be made. The first thing to do is to check if the current and voltage in the two devices that will be the basis of our product match. The easiest way to check this is by reading the information on the product tags. Why is it so important? If your pedal is rated for lower amperage, it will overheat, smoke, or even ignite.

In my case, it works from 25 amperes, and the drill - from 2. So there is nothing to worry about.

1. See how shiny it is.

Step 4. Remaking the plug

First, mark the two center wires with electrical tape. We'll connect these wires together later.

1. These two wires are connected internally

Cut off the plug that was connected to the sewing machine. As a result, you should have a pedal in one hand and a plug in the other.

Pull all the wires through the hole you drilled in the side of the bucket.

Remember those two wires that you marked? Twist them together and secure with a wiring terminal.

To prevent accidents, I treated the joint with silicone sealant. Connect the remaining two wires to the outlet of the waterproof extension cord.

Fix one wire on the copper contact, and the other on the silver one. But what about the green contact? In my case, it remained unused, since there was no grounding in the device.

Warning:

Remember that I am not an electrician. The wiring will be placed inside the bucket, where moisture can get, so it is better to take additional precautions: carefully insulate all splices and connect the ground. I wanted to connect a ground fault circuit breaker, but I was not sure if the device would work correctly with it. But I have an outlet with such a switch at home, and it is to it that I connect my potter's wheel.

Let's continue. It's time to set up testing and make sure everything is working correctly. Connect the pedal to a power outlet and the drill to a new plug. Press the drill trigger and gently press down on the pedal. If nothing happens, check all connections and try again.

Step 5. Making a circle

It's time to take my turntable apart. The tray I used had a raised center mark.

You can also determine the center by the position of the bar at the bottom. Drill a hole in the turntable cover.

1. Don't lose this detail.

Insert the carriage bolt into the hole so that its head is on top of the cover.

If you turn the cover over, you will notice that there is a small gap between the bolt shaft and the surface, it is better to fill it with silicone sealant.

You will now need two 6mm nuts. Screw one of these onto the bolt and tighten until the head of the bolt sinks slightly into the tray cover.

And then I ran into a problem: my old drilling device did not have a reverse, which meant that the nut would loosen during rotation. There are several solutions to this problem.

1. use a different device.
2. Use a bolt and nut with a left-hand thread.
3. figure out how to fix the nut.

I chose the third option. With the help of a chisel and hammer, I slightly deformed the first tightened nut, then tightened another one, deformed it again, and filled it with silicone to be sure.

Step 6. Putting all the details together

At this stage, you'll have to get creative. You will need to center the drill and attach it to the bottom of the bucket at the desired angle. I was lucky to have a mounting bracket included, which made installation much easier. To align the tool with the 6mm hole that I drilled at the beginning, I used a wedge made of 50 * 100mm timber and some self-tapping screws.

1. Useful find.

Apply enough silicone to the bottom of the turntable and place it on top of the bucket so that the bolt hits the drill chuck. Tighten the chuck.

Connect the drill to the pedal plug. Press the trigger all the way and lock it in this position.

Step 7. It's time to have some fun

The device is ready and you can test it in action. After the silicone dries, unplug the potter's wheel and sprinkle it with water to check for leaks. If water gets inside, you need to seal the cracks with silicone.

Congratulations, you've made a great potter's wheel, now you can try it out.

Test results.

I have been using my product for a while. I note that it works great, but I can give you some tips for upgrading:

1. It is better to provide a speed limiter in the pedal (it can be a thin bar placed under its cover). Without a limiter, the rotation speed will be too high, because of this, not very good pots are obtained, and sometimes the clay completely flies off.

2. I sculpted a complex product, while my device worked continuously for 2 hours. After turning it off, I noticed that the drill got very hot. So now I put some wooden planks under the bucket. This ensures better air circulation and cooling.

3. You can use a more powerful tool as a basis. Mine works fine, but if you put a lot of clay on the circle, you can hear that it is difficult for him to cope with the load.

Oct 8, 2017 abraxams

Watching a potter while making a piece on a potter's wheel is a magical sight. This article will tell you how to make a potter's wheel with your own hands and start creating things. If your goal as an artist is to create unique pieces, then this type of pottery wheel is perfect for you.

Just find a 360-degree rotating bucket, use a few items from home, and you're done in 10 minutes. The project is inexpensive and works as efficiently as any potter's wheel. With a little practice, I can center, twist and rotate this potter's wheel well. After correcting vibrations, centering now occurs automatically thanks to concentric circles on the potting tray.

The foot potter's wheel is inexpensive, lightweight, portable and takes up little space. What's great is that there is no soldering, no heavy equipment and it works on its feet. The best part doesn't require electricity.

Here's a quick compilation of all my videos after learning how to throw mop buckets on a potter's wheel after 50 tosses in 14 days.

Step 1: collect materials

What you need:

• Circular mop bucket
• Plastic pots or boxes to increase the height of the potter's wheel
• Plastic pallet
• Strong adhesive such as polyurethane or hot glue gun
• Level

Here is a video from the first day of assembly and a potter's performance test. Everything was strange and incomprehensible until I removed the hesitation.

Step 2: glue everything together

Surprisingly, the light materials worked well when I filled the bottom bucket with small rocks. I put weights around the center hub and it somehow helped to slow the spin down a lot, as the circle was moving too fast and wobbly and everything was out of control. Not all 360-degree mop buckets are assembled equally. Some have better mechanisms than others and run more smoothly.

Glue all the buckets and trays together in a suitable order. Use a level to make sure everything is level.
The design of this pottery wheel can be changed in many ways - it's up to your personal taste. You need to find flower pot buckets and trays that will reach the height you feel most comfortable with. If you need to redo your design, the hot glue is easy to remove by spraying some lysol alcohol and using pliers.

If the wheel of the circle is below your waist, then you can use the lever and your body weight when lifting the walls of the product. This will position your body more ergonomically and avoid back pain.

Step 3: Start spinning - work examples

Show 4 more images

Initially, I started with a hard piece of clay that was really difficult to shape. In addition, the higher the circle was, the more it swayed. I looked under the mop bucket and noticed that the pieces were curled unevenly.

I removed the buckets, rearranged them and placed small stones and sand in the inner rotating bucket. After that, everything became more stable. There is still some wobble, especially at fast speeds - however, your skills will improve and you will start enjoying your work very soon.

The second time I used pliable and prepared brown porcelain stoneware clay.

Step 4: rolling method

In Asia, there is a rolling method, when a clay product is rolled directly on the wheel. After reviewing the method used by Korean and Japanese potters, I decided to try this path myself. Their method saves energy and reduces water and clay waste.

Roll-in method:

1. Roll or flatten a round tile on a wheel
2. Attach thick walls to it.
3. Rotate the wheel slowly and start processing.
4. Below is an example of how I made the lid for the cookie container and the cup on the wheel.

Step 5: Firing the products

How to burn clay creations if you don't have access to a furnace?

Several inventors have successfully used the clay kiln to bake bricks. The rocket furnace consumes little fuel, but is capable of maintaining temperatures up to 650 degrees Celsius (or more).

It emits little smoke, and your pottery will become durable.

Watch the video on how you can make a rocket oven and use it as a stove. (Note, in order to prevent food from being scalded, the inventors installed a deflector plate between the rocket oven flame at the bottom inside the cooking chamber).

Another option is the Barrel Bread Oven, which can easily be used as a roasting oven. Materials include oven tray, metal barrel and tube. The kiln uses very little wood and reaches temperatures of 1100 degrees Celsius - hot enough to fire shards and glaze.

A third idea might be to use a collapsible metal camping barbecue stove or a rocket stove that can burn small items.

The fourth idea is a barrel oven using sawdust.

It cannot be said that pottery has become very popular, but interest in it among many of our compatriots has begun to return. Making clay crafts with your own hands is interesting for all ages and genders: children and the elderly, boys and girls, men and women.

Three conditions must be met for successful training.

1. Have clay. Even for city dwellers, this task is doable; you can always find tips on finding clay on the Internet. And in the villages there is clay on almost every courtyard underfoot.
2. Have a potter's wheel. Difficulties can arise here. For the more prosperous part of our society, it is not a problem to buy such a device, although it is not cheap. As for the rest, they can make a circle on their own, below in this article we will give detailed recommendations.
3. To have a wish. This is where unexpected troubles can arise. Unfortunately, for many, the desire to do something with their own hands quickly passes. There are various reasons, from physical and mental fatigue, to ordinary laziness and unwillingness to show strength of character.

If you are sure that you can fulfill all three conditions without any problems, then you can proceed to the main thing - making a potter's wheel.

Equipment typesnand I

Nothing can be done without preparation, it is recommended to carefully and slowly think over each new business, draw up a preliminary plan of action, evaluate your material capabilities and practical skills. Before you start making a pottery wheel, you should know its types, technical features, strengths and weaknesses.

As the excavations of historians show, the potter's wheel can be called one of the first machines invented by mankind. Moreover, the decision was so successful, and today there have been no fundamental changes in the design, it has the same individual elements. Only the drive is different, and professional potters still prefer the foot drive. Such circles have been used for many hundreds of years.

Machine nodes

1. Flywheel. Made of stone, metal or heavy wood, it can have a diameter of up to one meter. The task of the flywheel is to accumulate kinetic energy and gradually release it as needed to form clay products.
2. Vertical axis. Transfers rotation from the flywheel to the potter's wheel. To reduce frictional forces, rolling bearings or special bushings with a low sliding coefficient are used.
3. Potter's wheel. Clay products are made on it.
4. Bench for sitting. It can be made on the same frame with the machine or be separate.

Additionally, a bowl is sometimes installed to collect waste and clay residues.

Regardless of the material of manufacture, drive, dimensions and other factors, the basic engineering diagram of the potter's wheel does not change.

What types of discs by drive type are currently in use?

In this article, we will consider the manufacturing technology of only the simplest and most reliable circles.

IMold \u200b\u200bBasic Pottery Wheel Prices

Compact potter's wheel iMold Basic

Making such a potter's wheel will not be difficult if you know the main principles and requirements. We will stop at them. What nodes does a potter's wheel consist of and what are the requirements for them?

Frame

The supporting frame, to which all other parts of the mechanism are attached. The main requirements for the frame are rigidity and stability. It is subject to heavy loads, including dynamic ones. If the machine jerks during the manufacture of clay crafts, then this becomes the reason for the appearance of a marriage.

To make our frame, it took two meters of a 40 × 200mm board and seven meters of a 40 × 50mm bar. The strength of the legs of the machine is increased by jumpers, all connections are made in half a tree, screws and bolts are used from hardware. For a flywheel with a diameter of 1 m, the distance between the legs of the frame should be at least 60 cm, otherwise it will not fit into the free space and you will have to make adjustments to the design.

Axis

We make it from a pipe Ø 25mm, bearings fit perfectly on it. The axle length is 83 cm. The upper bearing is in a closed housing and completely sealed, such are used on domestic agricultural machinery. Finding them in the village is not a problem. The lower bearing is roller thrust. The service life of such bearings is enormous, they will work forever on a pottery machine, if they are not deliberately flooded with water or hit with a sledgehammer.

A bore Ø 52 mm is drilled under the lower bearing and the cage is tightly hammered. A through hole is made in the upper bar of the frame, the upper bearing is fixed to it together with the housing.

Working disk

It is made of several layers of plywood, the total thickness of the disc is at least five centimeters. If it is thin, then the axis is fixed only from the outside, and the disk staggers during operation. As practice shows, the axle must enter the disc to a depth of at least three centimeters, this is the only way to ensure the firmness of the fit.

A technological hole for the pipe (blind) is drilled in the center and a metal flange with a stopper is screwed on. Due to this element, the upper disc is rigidly fixed to the end of the pipe and rotates with it.

Flywheel

It can be made solid from boards or empty from sheet plywood. The first option is expensive and time consuming, the second is much easier. In the future, the empty cavity of the flywheel is filled with sand, it becomes heavy and does an excellent job with its tasks.

From plywood with a thickness of 9 mm, you need to cut two identical circles with an electric jigsaw and pull them together using small wooden blocks. The thickness and, accordingly, the weight of the flywheel depend on their size. Along the perimeter, a 4mm thick plywood strip is screwed onto the self-tapping screws; before screwing the surface, it is imperative to grease it with wood glue. The heavier the flywheel, the more it accumulates kinetic energy, which is very important for working on the machine. The element is fixed to the axis with a metal flange installed exactly in the center of the circle.

After all the units and parts are prepared, you can start assembling.

Step 1.Attach the bottom board of the frame to the legs. It is fixed with bolts, it is not necessary to tighten it too much, this is done only after assembling and checking all the elements.

Step 2.Install the lower thrust roller bearing race into the hole.

Step 3. Put the axle on the flywheel, put the washer to adjust the height. Reinstall the assembled assembly.

Step 4.Place the top bar. Put it on the axle, bolt to the legs.

Screw the upper ball bearing to the bar, lock the axle in the flanges.

Step 5. Attach the upper working disc to the axle. Install a stubborn foot bridge.

Step 6. Tighten the bottom bolts fully. To increase the rigidity of the structure, one more stop should be placed diagonally. You can use an ordinary wooden bayonet handle.

Step 7. Pour sand into the flywheel, close the hole. You can start working on the machine.

Prices for popular models of screwdrivers

Screwdrivers

Step-by-step instructions for making an electric wheel

We will consider a simple option for making from scrap materials. All you have to do is find an electric motor from a washing machine or other household appliance and a wheel from a bicycle.

Step 1.Cut two corners about 50 cm long with a shelf width of 45 mm. On the side faces with a grinder, cut out recesses of 1 cm and 5 cm.

Step 2.Weld these corners together, you get the upper platform of the machine's supporting frame, in the future all other elements are mounted on it.

Step 3.Pass a half-shaft with a flange into the hole, slide a ball rolling bearing onto it from above. Adjust the position of the parts, install them in a strictly vertical position and grab the bearing.

Important. During welding, do not overheat the outer race, do not allow metal to be tempered.

Prices for popular models of welding machines

Welders

The loads on the knots of the potter's wheel are insignificant, there is no need to completely scald the bearing, it is enough to grab it in several places.

Step 4. Make a hole in the axle shaft and insert the threaded stud. Then it must also be welded, achieve complete alignment of the parts.

Step 5. Put the wheel rim from the bicycle onto the axle, fix its position with the nut. Both front and rear wheels can be used.

Step 6.At the other end of the welded corners, drill four holes to fix the electric motor. The distance between them and the diameter are selected depending on the parameters of the housing flange, each engine has its own characteristics. In our case, we used an engine from an old washing machine. It comes with a set of high-capacity capacitors, due to which it can operate from a single-phase home network.

Step 7. Cut the metal between the holes with a grinder, remove the strips. Due to this refinement, it will be possible to adjust the tension of the drive belt, it will not slip, the wheel will rotate at the same speed.

Step 8. At the bottom of the frame, adjust any stops to secure the bearing race. Weld four vertical posts for the potter's wheel table around the perimeter of the frame.

Step 9. Cut a piece of suitable size from a piece of sheet metal. We are using the door of an old refrigerator, cut a hole in it for the axis of the machine. The hole can be made with a grinder.

1. Draw a circle in the desired location. The diameter should allow the axes to rotate without problems.
2. Cut several diameters in the circle with a grinder, the more there are, the better.
3. Fold up all triangles and cut off the vertical ends.

Put the sheet in place, drill holes in it and the frame and fasten with bolts. Now we need to make a circle for the master's work. We also make it from sheet steel, only the thickness of the metal must be at least 2 mm.

Making the upper circle

Step 1.Weld the metal to the flange of the axle, the connection must be strong, the safety of working on the potter's wheel depends on it.

Step 2.Assemble the machine and turn on the engine. Use a grinder on rotating metal to mark the circle. Stop the machine and cut off excess metal.

Step 3. Turn on the machine again and remove all rust from the surface of the sheet metal. First, work with a grinder, then with an emery cloth, remove burrs and sharp edges.

Prices for angle grinders (grinders)

Angle grinders (grinders)

Practical advice. Adjust the number of revolutions of the working circle by changing the diameter of the drive pulley. It is installed on the rotor shaft of an electric motor.

If desired, the surface of the machine can be cleaned of old paint and rust and painted with durable exterior paints. But it is not necessary to do this, after a few days of work the potter's wheel will get dirty with clay and the paint will be invisible. This is the working state of the machine, no need to pay attention.

Video - DIY pottery wheel

Pottery is one of the most fascinating and widely available crafts, it is never too late to learn how to make various clay dishes with your own hands. But for this you need to have a special workshop, working with clay in an apartment is very inconvenient. If you have a workshop, then it is advisable to expand the scope of your activity and start doing equally useful and exciting carpentry. Circular saw table Is the first piece of equipment to take its place in the workshop. Manufacturing instruction

Most likely, every lover of clay products has at least once wondered whether it is possible to do it by hand. The potter's wheel is one of the most ancient mechanisms that were invented by people, and pottery is one of the very first crafts.

Let's figure out what a potter's lathe is made of and how to make a pottery wheel with your own hands. It is a frame on which an axle with a flywheel is vertically mounted at the bottom, and a working table is located on top. You need to work on the potter's wheel while sitting on a chair, and the level of the table depends on the height of the person who will be working. One thing is important - the table should be approximately at the level of the lower back. The flywheel should be close enough to reach with your foot. It can be done from either side, depending on which foot is more comfortable to work with.

The main part of the loom can be made with wood. Let's take boards with a thickness of about 25 or 50 mm. You need to connect everything with spikes with glue, because the structure must be strong enough.

The hardest part is the bearing axle and flywheel. To make the axle, you need to choose a block made of hardwood (section 35 by 30 mm). To make a tapered bearing, you will have to find it for metal. The machine turns a bearing consisting of two parts. The first part is a tube with an outer cone attached to the axle, and the second part is a tube with an inner cone attached to the bed. The material will serve as As for the outer cone, then vinyl plastic or fluoroplastic is suitable here.

Before assembling the machine completely, you will need to lubricate the bearings, this can be done or some other thick grease.

It remains to make the desktop and the flywheel itself. Without them, we will not be able to make a potter's wheel with our own hands. The table is made from a board, for example, from a piece of thick plywood about fifteen centimeters. From it you need to cut a circle with a diameter of 20-25 cm. Exactly in the center of the circle, make a bean about five cm high. There should be a hole that is equal to the diameter of the axle. The working table is squeezed as tightly as possible on the upper edge of the axis, it will hold there due to

It should be said about the flywheel, because it must be massive. It is necessary that one push is enough for two or three dozen revolutions. If the flywheel is light, it will be difficult to work, because you have to push it often enough. We will make the flywheel from two layers of boards, which we glue in the form of a cross. In the center we make a hole for the axle. The flywheel diameter will be about 8 cm. Remember, the flywheel must be connected to the axle before installing the upper disc.

All parts of the potter's wheel must be processed two or even three times, it is best to do this with hot linseed oil. The fact is that pottery is a rather whimsical process, because water is constantly needed and splashes are flying everywhere. You can also paint with oil paints a couple of times. The table can be laid with plastic or some other waterproof material.

As you can see, you can assemble a potter's wheel with your own hands with enough effort.

In today's toy market, you can find an alternative children's pottery wheel.

With its help, children will be able to develop love for work, beauty and creativity. The kit comes with a set of paints, with which you can immediately paint your creation.