Homemade Pottery Wheel

Creating your own pottery wheel can save money.

Making ceramics is an interesting hobby, but considering the cost of clay, materials and equipment needed for pottery, it can be a little expensive. It is possible to cut down on a few expenses by making some equipment yourself. A pottery wheel is the most important equipment needed for creating ceramics and can cost anywhere between $55 and $80, as of 2010. However, it can be made at home using plywood and hardware tools.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Mechanic's tool kit
• Front load washing machine plastic drum
• Rotary cutting tool
• Front load washing machine steel drum
• 2-by-4-inch boards, 4
• 4 corner brackets with screws
• 4 mounting brackets with screws
• Front load washing machine bearing pulley assembly
• 3-foot long 2-by-4-inch boards, 4
• Flat wooden disk
• Rotating mounting bracket
• Sewing machine motor
• Sewing machine foot pedal
• Electric cord

1. Remove the bolts and hookups holding the plastic drum in the machine, using the mechanic's tool kit. Remove the plastic drum from the front loading washing machine.

2. Cut the plastic drum in half to form a bowl with the rotary cutting tool.

3. Use the mechanic's tool kit tools to remove the steel drum from the machine. Remove the spindle from the drum.

4. Measure the diameter of the steel drum. Cut four pieces of 2-by-4 lumber to this length. These are the frame pieces.

5. Build a square with the frame pieces of lumber and nails. Screw a corner bracket on the inside of each corner.

6. Screw a mounting bracket in the middle of each piece of lumber on the inside of the square.

7. Nail the one piece of 3-foot lumber to each corner of the frame.

8. Turn the steel drum upside down and mount the sewing machine motor to the underneath using the brackets already on the motor housing. Make certain the shaft on the motor extends through the drum.

9. Place the bearing pulley assembly on the shaft of the sewing machine motor and connect to the bowl made from the plastic drum of the washing machine.

10. Position the entire drum and assembly inside the wooden frame and screw to the mounting brackets.

11. Measure the inside diameter of the plastic bowl. Cut a wooden disk 1 inch smaller than this size. Mount a rotating bracket to the bottom of the wooden disk. Secure the disk inside the bowl by connecting the rotating bracket to the motor shaft.

12. Hire an electrician to connect the sewing machine motor to the foot pedal and to wire the motor to an electric cord to serve as a power source.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint the pottery wheel and assemblage a color to match your work room to make it more appealing to the eye.

• Wear protective clothing and eye wear when using the rotary cutting tool.

References

• Mother Earth News: Build Your Own Potter's Kick Wheel