Brent history 1970

[Mark C.]

Well I was going thru some ancient files and found my orginal metal tag from my model C wheel  I bought from Robert Brent himself when I was in high school. The  metal tag says Robert Brent Potters Wheels 1101 Cedar Street,Santa Monica Ca 90405 serail #2471

What I recall about this place its was a  3 room house in a reagualr neighborhood (run down) One room had a pile of motors and some fellow long hairs where weilding the wheel frames in the garage  and grinding them flat. (no plastic tops but perfectly flat formica glued on 3/8 steel deck.

one room had wheel heads and splash pans which were galvanized sheet metal

Brent was a wiry  red headed small guy with lots of energy

This is where he and his dad started the company.Before they moved North  to Healdsburg Ca. Turns out I move before them in 1971 to Blue Lake north of Eureka. I used to get clay from them and wheel stuff while driving but in the early 70s before he sold it all to Amaco.

I paid $270 for this wheel back then. It has a different motor /foot pedal-newer pullys and controller. Most of that was free or low cost. He changed foot pedal designs within a few years of me buying it.Now all parts are pretty costly. Back in the day I knew all the repair guys by 1st name.Those where the days.