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How Fast Do You Run Your Wheel When Centering?


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Guest JBaymore

SLOW>>>>SLOW >>>>>>>SLOW.

 

Speed is the Dark Side........ decieve you it will. :ph34r:

 

Also...............don't confuse speed of revolution with torque (power).  Wheel HP affects torque rather than than speed. 

 

best,

 

....................john

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I center at anywhere in between 75-100% of my wheel's speed. For larger amounts of clay, I'll actually start slower, as any uncentered spots push back less. As I get it closer and closer to being centered, I'll increase the speed of the wheel.

 

I do have a wheel in my classroom that has a pretty high top speed. I recommend, to my students, that they don't go that fast. For them, just starting out, high speeds tend to make things go bad really fast.

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I have my students center at about 50% of the top speed. Too slow or too fast and things get difficult. I center at a higher speed than my students, as I have better control than them. As the amount of clay goes up, the centering speed should go down.

 

Torque and HP help when you're either working with very large amounts of clay, or when you're working further out on the wheel head. Throw a large platter, and you'll notice the difference when you're out at the edge of a 20" wide bat. Different wheels make better use of horsepower than others. A 1/3hp Thomas Stuart has a 100lb centering capacity, same as a 1/2hp Brent.

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I center on the wheel at the fastest speed. fast as possible. But it depends on your skill level and you clay wetness. If you center to slow you risk the clay getting water logged before you even make the first pull. Center to fast without enough water the clay rips and pulls. If you are a beggine i suggest on the slowe side till you get a feel for you clay body ^_^

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I've got the TS 1/2 HP and use it at 75% to center, slower for pulling and other work, depending.  I'm asking because I have 3 other wheels in my studio right now and 2 of them are much lighter and slower wheels, with lower HP.  When I started moving around among my beginning wheel students helping with centering, I actually had to work at centering the 2 lb balls on the smaller wheels where on my TS the same clay is instantly centered.  Got me to wondering. And one of my beginner students wants to buy a wheel and I hesitate to recommend the lighter wheels with my experience today. 

Any thoughts?  The TS is very nice, solid, smooth great foot pedal sensitivity. May have spoiled me for the others?

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I've got the TS 1/2 HP and use it at 75% to center, slower for pulling and other work, depending.  I'm asking because I have 3 other wheels in my studio right now and 2 of them are much lighter and slower wheels, with lower HP.  When I started moving around among my beginning wheel students helping with centering, I actually had to work at centering the 2 lb balls on the smaller wheels where on my TS the same clay is instantly centered.  Got me to wondering. And one of my beginner students wants to buy a wheel and I hesitate to recommend the lighter wheels with my experience today. 

Any thoughts?  The TS is very nice, solid, smooth great foot pedal sensitivity. May have spoiled me for the others?

 

Ultimately, you get used to what you have. But if they plan to use the TS in class, then they might not enjoy they're smaller wheel at home by comparison. The price point between the lower priced decent wheels and the higher priced wheels is only about $300, so it's easy enough for a student to save up for another few months to afford the better wheel. I highly recommend the TS wheels- lots of smooth power, smart design, but not the most expensive. I've got 11 of them, 10 are the 1/3hp, and I haven't made anything that slows them down yet.

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I learned on a kick wheel. I still center very fast at a slow speed. I throw and form very fast at a slow speed as well. I have a friend is Spain who throws on a slow wheel and he throws 1000 pieces per day. catch that... Not 100 or 200 but 1000 .
The speed of the wheell isn't what dictates the function of the outcome. it is the skill of the hands.

The potter who throws 1000 pots per day pictured in the book Wheel Thrown Pottery by Don Davis is Jose Molla from Agost. I took the photo.

Marcia

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Guest JBaymore

The speed of the shell isn't what dictates the function of the outcome. it is the skill of the hands.

 

Amen... and amen.

 

My favorite wheel is a Korean/Japanese wood kickwheel.  No momentum to speak of.

 

best,

 

........................john

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My bigger hp wheel has a slower top speed than any wheel I have been on. Even then I think I am around the 50% mark.

 

Have you thrown on one of the two-speed Amacos?  I tell my students, those wheels have two speeds; kind of fast, and a little bit slower than that.  

 

Spaceballs!!! The Movie!!

You just made my day, HeeHee!

 

Thank  you for getting that, and not just assuming that I lost my mind, like everyone else....hehe

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