A Working Leach treadle Wheel!

I set up the wheel temporarily to make sure it worked correctly and smoothly prior to breaking it down for finishing. All I can say is success!

It needed some minor adjustments, but works exactly as I had hoped. Here I cranked it up, jumped off and filmed a short video of the wheel in action.

Koren Hybrid Wheel Update

So I started building a Korean Hybrid style wheel that I drew up some plans for...

I purchased remnant metal from the metal yard to fabricate the base and main rod from which the wheel is supported. I cut the pieces yesterday and welded them up today making sure that they are FLAT, SQUARE, and that the vertical rod is PLUMB. The finished base is 28" square and the rod is 35" tall from the ground, which I am going to cut to accommodate the perfect height.

At the top of the rod I have a 1" section which I have drilled a 90 degree countersink into creating a perfect "V." This piece is separate for two reasons, the first is that it is much easier to drill a 1" section of rod on the drill press than a 36" section of rod, secondly and most importantly...I am going to harden this section of steel so that it does not wear out as easily as stock mild steel would. Once hardened, this section will be welded back on top.

Here is the "live center" with the morse shaft cut off, which will be inserted into the wheel head and will mate up with the counter sunk cup.

This is how the mate up! they only make contact at the very tip, which creates very little friction = easier to turn and keep momentum!

More to come!

Hybrid Korean Style Momentum Pottery Wheel

Being inspired by videos of English potter Jim Malone throwing, I have come up with some plans for a similar type wheel, which is a hybrid of a traditional kick wheel (or Continental Wheel) and a traditional Korean wheel.  Here are the cut away plans...very simple design that can be adapted to any size thrower. In the case of Jim Malone, he has raised the wheel head up maybe 6" or more using blocks of wood attached to the wheel head, making it a more comfortable height on the back.

Essentially, this wheel can be made at any height by lengthening the center portion of 1" solid steel rod and the 3"I.D. steel tube.

Rather than fabricating a top point from hardened steel, my solution is to adapt a "live center" with built in bearings from a metal lathe, cutting off the morse tapered shaft. They are cheap, made with extremely high tolerances, and are hardened steel = perfect! The receiving cup should be simple to fabricate for a piece of the 1" steel shaft, drilled with a counter sink on the drill press, heated up to red with a torch and dropped into water to quench (to harden the mild steel). This cup is then welded back on to the top of the shaft.

I envision the flywheel being in the 30 pound range, with compartments so that weight could be added. It could also easily be poured concrete for more weight, but I think the flexibility would be better.

Here is what a "live center" looks like...three bearings inside. Just cut off the shaft and mount the body into the wheel head. Can be bought for as little as $10.