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Tabletop Pottery Wheels


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Hello, I am a beginner potter. I came to pottery late in life about four years ago and have been away from it for almost a year. I primarily take classes at a local studio and am scheduled to return to classes soon. I would like to purchase a table top pottery wheel for home to use to practice throwing during times I cannot go to the studio. There are only two that I see on the market, close in price, the Shimpo Aspire and the Speedball Arista. If anyone is familiar with these wheels, I would appreciate your views on each and which one you feel is the best choice. Thank you, for any guidance you would like to share. I appreciate it.

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I use the Speedball Artista on a counter top at home and throw standing up. It is a little larger and more powerful than the Aspire. If you are not going to throw anything very large than it is a great wheel. I rarely make anything more than 6 or 7 pounds on it but I know it has the power for 25 pounds of clay. I didn't buy the foot pedal because the reviews weren't very good and I find I hardly change the speed while throwing anyway so the hand knob works well for me. I start with a faster speed for centering then slow it down a little when pulling. I also take the wheel outside in my backyard because it's so portable and set it up on a bench and sit while throwing.

 

Paul

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You might try filling out some of you profile and let people know at least what part of the world or the US your from.  I saw one the other day at a ceramic store that someone had traded in on a full size wheel for $150.  Someone in your area might know of a deal.    Denice

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I bought the Artista 9 years ago when I started throwing.  Didn't want to spend a lot until I could see if I could  throw on a wheel.  Like the above poster I mainly throw less than 10 pounds and the wheel worked well for me.  Had to replace the belt one time.  I did buy the foot pedal for better control.  Used this wheel for a couple of years then bought a studio model that is stationary.  I am using the Artista today giving a demo a a nearby retired teachers meeting. 

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I have the Artista and I like it a lot. This wouldn't be the best wheel for throwing larger pieces - it slows down noticeably when I'm centering 5 or more pounds of clay, not too many horsepower in that little motor. I think that would be true for any tabletop wheel though, and for 95 percent of the stuff I throw, this wheel works great. It also has the standard 10" bat pin spacing, so you can use it with any old bat - with the Shimpo tabletop model you can only use Shimpo bats.

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