Update to the wheel has been made
I decided to build a momentum driven pottery wheel based on images from manuscripts. What I build is a much simpler version of this reference image. I do not have the seat or benches off to the sides, nor the framework supporting the potter.
I looked at what I had available to me. Not a lot, but my knowledge and skill at making things.
I bought a 30 inch diameter, 2in wide wheel from a seller on etsy.
I got some discontinued parts from where I work to use to provide the axle and bearings.
I carved sockets into the wheel hub to receive the pillow block bearings using my router. I did this on both sides of the wheel hub.
This shows the bearing sitting in the socket. I did not secure the bearings into the hub, but left them loose so I could easily take the wheel apart for transport.
This shows the wheel, bearings, and axle in place.
I next cut a piece of maple log I had to make the throwing head. Here we see a moderately egg-shaped piece of wood. Not so round nor so parallel.
I needed to trim the wood so that it was as close to parallel as I could get. My initial cut with the chainsaw left one side about 1/2 thicker than the other. This was a fair bit of work to trim down as the wood was still a bit on the green side – it had only dried for about one year.
Here, the wheel head is mostly round and mostly parallel. I used a mallet and variety of chisels to remove the material to get to this point.
I now have much more respect for sculptors of wood and stone.
I made a simple base that has a hole the same size as the shaft to support the the wheel. I can use shims to adjust the base to remove wobble that may exist due to uneven ground.
Then it was time for assembly of the wheel as a complete unit. I did test fitting during the build to make certain things were going to function as designed.
Here is a link on YouTube to a video of Testing the Wheel.
Some images below showing the wheel in a workshop I set up to do demos and practice. Also, pictures while using the wheel at Pennsic War 50, in a Craftpersons Green. Two of the images show Janice Spencer-Wise, aka Mistress Amanda de Spencer (Artemisia) using the wheel.
Below is a video of using the wheel to make a pot.
The link below goes to a YouTube short on my channel that shows an event-goer using the wheel to make a pot (unable to embed this video).
Conclusion
During the use of this wheel, I found that I hade made a small error. The center shaft was the same diameter as the bore in the wheel hub. When the hub absorbed some water, the hub would swell and cause excess friction or make the wheel unable to rotate. To creect this, I bought a necessary tool (Forstner bit) to enlarge the bore in the hub. DOing this made it soe the wheel would spin much more freely and work better.
I found that I had to modify my hand position so as to not put too much direct contact witht the wheel head. This friction would slow the wheel too quickly and make it so that I spent as much or more time adding momentum to the wheel than throwing the pot. Adding more mass to the wheel should help increase the amount of rotation time thus allowing me more time between momentum pushes to throw pots.
Update to the Wheel
I have made an update to the wheel. I have added additional weight to the wheel.
Below are some images of the wheel after I have added the additional wood.
I made an arc template from cardboard that matched the circumference of the wheel. I then transfered the arc to pieces of lumb er I had at hand that were scraps from other projects. The wood I used was leftover pieces of planking from rebuilding the deck on our house.
Working with Clay 