JohnnyK

Like DH I had bone to bone contact in both thumbs which was the result of abuse during my career as a remodeling contractor. The pain had gotten to be pretty bad. I had consulted with an orthopedic surgeon who suggested hand surgery. I had my right thumb done first and had the trapezius bone removed from the thumb. The joint was pinned and put in a cast for six weeks. Then the pins were removed and I underwent physical therapy once a week for another six weeks to regain the normal function of the thumb. It took about 10 months from the time of the surgery to get my thumb back to 100% at which time I had the left thumb done. Same process. It took about 4-5 months from the time of each surgery before I could work the clay on the wheel. Since then the hands have been working perfectly without pain. I could not recommend this particular surgery more highly because of my experience. 
Here's a shot of the x-ray with the pins in place and the bone removed:
 

WOW...where do I start? At this point I can't say that I have a favorite...actually, I think the splash pan is the fave since it keeps the throwing mess to a minimum...
I've built a heavy duty extruder and use 1/4" Lexan salvaged from a Sub-Zero refrigerator door to make the dies, a half dozen or more hacksaw blade trimming tools, a chattering tool from a piece of 1" heavy duty steel banding from a lumber yard, scratch tool from a piece of 5/16" brake line tubing, various cut-off wires, various bamboo/squirrel tail brushes, splash pan from the bottom of a plastic trash barrel, 3 banding wheels made from recycled ceiling fans...and these are just what comes to mind. I think my next BIG project will be to get an old trash masher and use the motor and screw drive to convert my extruder. As I spend more time in the studio with winter coming on, I'm sure there will be more things to fabricate to make my clay work easier.
I'll soon be posting a video showing how I made my last banding wheel from a ceiling fan. I'll also post pix to my gallery album of some of the afore mentioned tools.
JohnnyK

This thread has been around for awhile and I'd like to add my 3 cents...
I got my CI-MP wheel from a friend who found it in a barn on a property he had just purchased and, knowing that I had just gotten into pottery making, offered to "loan" it to me on what turned out to be permanent basis. It was a mess, covered in dirt and spider webs (with a few Black Widows thrown in), but it ran, so I cleaned it up. That was about 8 years ago. When I got it there was no splash pan and he said there wasn't any other parts in the barn. Sooo, being mechanically adept, I designed and fabricated my own pan using the bottom of a plastic trash can. Since the wheel base was designed to get wet (it has a drain hole and plug), I made a device that would serve the purpose. Here is a picture of the pan installed. You can go to my gallery and see additional pix in the album.
Last year I got a Giffen Grip and made a riser out of another trash bucket, using the top this time. 
For those interested, I can provide additional info and answer any questions regarding the fabrication.
JohnnyK

Like DH I had bone to bone contact in both thumbs which was the result of abuse during my career as a remodeling contractor. The pain had gotten to be pretty bad. I had consulted with an orthopedic surgeon who suggested hand surgery. I had my right thumb done first and had the trapezius bone removed from the thumb. The joint was pinned and put in a cast for six weeks. Then the pins were removed and I underwent physical therapy once a week for another six weeks to regain the normal function of the thumb. It took about 10 months from the time of the surgery to get my thumb back to 100% at which time I had the left thumb done. Same process. It took about 4-5 months from the time of each surgery before I could work the clay on the wheel. Since then the hands have been working perfectly without pain. I could not recommend this particular surgery more highly because of my experience. 
Here's a shot of the x-ray with the pins in place and the bone removed:
 

I have collected various pieces over the years with the latest being a couple of pieces traded and purchased from our own Mark Cortright. My favorite, however, is a crystalline glazed vase that was broken and dug out of the trash. My wife managed to salvage all of the pieces and I glued it back together and I keep it as an inspiration for my eventual foray into that realm of glazing...
JohnnyK

I have collected various pieces over the years with the latest being a couple of pieces traded and purchased from our own Mark Cortright. My favorite, however, is a crystalline glazed vase that was broken and dug out of the trash. My wife managed to salvage all of the pieces and I glued it back together and I keep it as an inspiration for my eventual foray into that realm of glazing...
JohnnyK

I have collected various pieces over the years with the latest being a couple of pieces traded and purchased from our own Mark Cortright. My favorite, however, is a crystalline glazed vase that was broken and dug out of the trash. My wife managed to salvage all of the pieces and I glued it back together and I keep it as an inspiration for my eventual foray into that realm of glazing...
JohnnyK

A triple or double zero "spotting brush" for photography retouching (used for manual prints, to fill-in minute voids left by dust on a lens.) This for fine line work or narrow letters-not wide areas.

For text work in letters I use a small squeeze bottle with the glaze or stain and fill the letter voids-far less clean up and messing with things-then I wax over them for glazing.

The tactile aspect is huge, the feeling of creating the three dimensional object in space so directly. This is why it matters to me also which clay I use.
There is something too of raising the object on the wheel from a lump to a functional form with a combination of use of hands and the spin of the wheel that evokes life bursting forth from the Earth, like a seedling breaking ground and pushing upward with nurturing, regardless of the outside climate.
For me the process is not automatic, so I also enjoy the concentration it entails.

Its really changed for me since the beginning as a high school student. My friend asked me back then to take some private clay classes taught by a studio potter for a very small group of 4-5 people.The high school also had some minor clay facilities .
It was fun learning not thinking to seriously back then. The serious stuff for me at that time  was losing one of my brothers  to suicide and taking flying lessons.
Clay just crept inside slowly and within a year I had bought  a Brent wheel to throw at home.
By collage I was sponging up all the knowledge I could on building kilns doing Raku,making glazes formulating clay bodies whatever I could learn I was game.I just in a few years was only thinking about ceramics while pursuing an BA in art. I was the President of the ceramics club at collage and built a few kilns at home during school . I began selling during school pottery club sales. I sold outside of collage as well . By graduation I was making and selling pottery with another potter . It just mushroomed from there . I had a starving decade before it started gaining traction.I never thought about a plan or a goal back then I was having fun and making it by if only barley.
I became a prolific potter along with about 15 other potters in our area all from the same collage clay classes . Now there are only a few of us left doing this from that era locally .
I started with all the local fairs and a few consignment outlets. Soon I was applying to juried shows out of my area and that really helped with income.
Most  local potters faded away decades ago-I stayed at it and it has become brand (Liscom Hill Pottery) for me locally. Now I know pottery is work but it still to some degree is fun. I have 100# control and can still pick and choose my work schedule. I'm trying to slow the train down a bit now.
The things I still like are customer interactions (selling direct to customers) Getting paid well and having this clay work as a lifestyle. its be a good mix with my  love of the the ocean  and diving as I set my own schedule.
Now I'm down to 5 shows and a mix of wholesale and consignment-so with 3 income streams its been a good mix.I used to never wholesale but now shows are just harder on me so I'm cutting them down and my wholesale filled that gap well. After 45 years with this in one area the business side is easy and I'm in the drivers seat.Never planned that but its evolved naturally.
The why clay is something that is beyond me-it took hold of me  early and grew into a lifestyle quest maybe a disease ?Its been a bit hard on the body but kept me active as well.