LeeU

I am totally biased, based on personal experience. I love the Brent wheels---quality, longevity/endurance, nice company to do business with/communicate with.  Others may have some input based on the budget limit....like is a used high quality wheel a better bet than a newer lower quality unit for the same price (ie. the best wheels ain't cheap!) Also what is the projected  intended use--heavy volume, building a business, hobby potter, no need for a reversable head etc.?
 

The Shimpo Whisper and Pacifica GT wheels all are within your budget, and are good wheels that will work for what 99% of potters make.
IMO, Brent wheels last forever, but so do most wheels, and most wheels have better control than Brent. I own 9 Skutt wheels and they all have far better pedal control than Brent. And Brent replacement parts are pricey.

I am totally biased, based on personal experience. I love the Brent wheels---quality, longevity/endurance, nice company to do business with/communicate with.  Others may have some input based on the budget limit....like is a used high quality wheel a better bet than a newer lower quality unit for the same price (ie. the best wheels ain't cheap!) Also what is the projected  intended use--heavy volume, building a business, hobby potter, no need for a reversable head etc.?
 

Slabs are easy and fun--they can drape thin circles over upturned cans/bowls to make free-from bowl shapes (flatten an area on the bottom while still soft). They could make pendants, either free-form or using cutter-shapes (I don't suggest the key fobs tho--that was a bad idea LOL).  Large free-form spoon rests and shallow catchall dishes are also fun. Stamping the slabs 1st before forming makes them look more dramatic when glazed.  Also tea light holders are easy-just need to be flat on top, don't even need a well (top left in the spoon rest pic). If there's no time to get good clay stamps, Home Depot has plenty of drawer knobs that work well. 

Welcome--there is a place here for everyone and the levels of training, experience, output, styles, etc. etc. are quite varied. Members are very helpful with using/learning correct terminology, chemistry/science of clay & glazes, properties of various clay bodies, formulating glazes, using commercial glazes,  different types of kilns & fuels-the forums pretty much cover it all, including the business aspect, studio set-ups etc. etc. For some questions/discussion, it helps to post pics along with questions/details of the issue.

When I first retired from the state I used my vacay/sick leave payout (I rarely took either) to set up my studio, complete w/wheel and a large kiln . Roughly six  12" x 24" shelves of greenware will fill that kiln, tight or loose, depending. When work flow actually flowed I would fill & fire maybe 6 times + or - anually. I was also putting a fair  amount of work in invitational  wood & raku firings, through the NH Potters Guild.  As my health took a dive  & the pandemic hit, and my local retail dried up, the flow slowed to a trickle--maybe filling/firing 4 times a year. I have not fired the kiln at all yet this year, tho I have 6 shelves of work sitting ready.  I rarely use the wheel cuz I can hardly throw anymore & the kiln is too large to fill any faster.  I've shifted gears to a different type of work & much of what I do is now provided to selected local non-profits to use for their fundraising. As far as flow goes, I now take my sweet time and maybe create a shelf-worth within a couple of weeks, but then take forever to glaze. I've got 2 shelves ready to glaze, for the next fire after this one pending.  I'm just waiting for the snow to go away & for it to stop being so dang cold (really LOL).

I have physical projects and virtual projects.
I can have anything between 1 and 10 physical pieces of clay on the go at any time.
Virtual projects live in the privacy of my own head, and I don't know how to count them, but there are lots.  Most are totally unachievable with my skillset, but I love to look at something, and think I could make that with a differnt shape here, or a different colour there or ....

I'm not allowed to have pets in my rented mobile home, which contains my studio. Broke the rule once with a pet python named George, who was nice and quiet and kept to himself. George  declined to consume a Dumbo rat I had gotten him (wrong type for sustenance), so I kept the rat and named him Lunch. The landlord finally said it was either me or the snake-one had to go (he was severely phobic). George was re-housed with a friend, but I kept Lunch. He was a wonderful pet, but he croaked a few years ago. Now I have tropical fish, but they do nothing for me in the studio.  I guess I have gone off track regarding pets & studio, but I like to contribute LOL

I'm not allowed to have pets in my rented mobile home, which contains my studio. Broke the rule once with a pet python named George, who was nice and quiet and kept to himself. George  declined to consume a Dumbo rat I had gotten him (wrong type for sustenance), so I kept the rat and named him Lunch. The landlord finally said it was either me or the snake-one had to go (he was severely phobic). George was re-housed with a friend, but I kept Lunch. He was a wonderful pet, but he croaked a few years ago. Now I have tropical fish, but they do nothing for me in the studio.  I guess I have gone off track regarding pets & studio, but I like to contribute LOL

I'm not allowed to have pets in my rented mobile home, which contains my studio. Broke the rule once with a pet python named George, who was nice and quiet and kept to himself. George  declined to consume a Dumbo rat I had gotten him (wrong type for sustenance), so I kept the rat and named him Lunch. The landlord finally said it was either me or the snake-one had to go (he was severely phobic). George was re-housed with a friend, but I kept Lunch. He was a wonderful pet, but he croaked a few years ago. Now I have tropical fish, but they do nothing for me in the studio.  I guess I have gone off track regarding pets & studio, but I like to contribute LOL

Yep--thanks. My cognition has fits and starts these days-as soon as you described it, I  "got it"-dunno why I didn't see it in the 1st place. Oh well---that's the kind of thing I'm learning to get used to-could be worse! 

I'm not allowed to have pets in my rented mobile home, which contains my studio. Broke the rule once with a pet python named George, who was nice and quiet and kept to himself. George  declined to consume a Dumbo rat I had gotten him (wrong type for sustenance), so I kept the rat and named him Lunch. The landlord finally said it was either me or the snake-one had to go (he was severely phobic). George was re-housed with a friend, but I kept Lunch. He was a wonderful pet, but he croaked a few years ago. Now I have tropical fish, but they do nothing for me in the studio.  I guess I have gone off track regarding pets & studio, but I like to contribute LOL

I'm not allowed to have pets in my rented mobile home, which contains my studio. Broke the rule once with a pet python named George, who was nice and quiet and kept to himself. George  declined to consume a Dumbo rat I had gotten him (wrong type for sustenance), so I kept the rat and named him Lunch. The landlord finally said it was either me or the snake-one had to go (he was severely phobic). George was re-housed with a friend, but I kept Lunch. He was a wonderful pet, but he croaked a few years ago. Now I have tropical fish, but they do nothing for me in the studio.  I guess I have gone off track regarding pets & studio, but I like to contribute LOL

I'm seeing two columns on the Forum/Browse page, where the first column is the subforums, the second column has the Topics and Recent Updates.
That wide subforum column lists each subforum where the entries include the name, a description, the Moderator, post count, and a link to the most recently updated thread.
Is it the links (red arrow) that you are referring to Lee?

 

I totally agree here, but not everyone is capable of doing this physically day in and out. I wasn't and it is one of the main reasons I decided to stop. I kept trying but my body wouldn't let me due to health issues from the past. Your statement alone that it takes decades to develop your body into the machine required basically sums it up. At some point you have to make pots to sell pots, and if you cannot make pots you cannot make money. That is a drastically limiting business model for someone who might face health adversity; this is basically all I was stating, the OP was asking what things limit turning a hobby into a business. Physical requirements are one of them. On top of this, you cannot turn it over to someone else if you go through a health crisis. If you make the pots, decorate the pots, fire the pots, etc. No one person can replace you. It is a delicate business plan that requires you front and center every single day.
I don't understand why anyone would make that comment, but I often find myself not understanding people. If I somehow made that comment in my post, I apologize I had no intentions of that meaning. If anything I admire people who can succeed as a full-time potter with no other support, it is impressive.

I think it looks a lot better, less cluttered and better formatted giving you the 5 most recently updated topics instead of 5 newest posts which could all be in the same topic.

Just one little picky thing---please don't teach kids--or anyone, really-- that they are "painting" on clay. They are using glaze, not paint; they are glazing, not painting. There is a difference--a big difference--and it doesn't serve them well to leave the experience without knowing the difference and learning correct terminology. 
 

I would have told myself to get involved sooner rather than waiting until I almost retired...

I would not tell myself to change anything--my perspectives, relationship with clay, and sense of "making" what I make are essentially the same as then. Not about pottery/clay per se, but the one thing I would tell my young adult self would be to rachet back the wild child behavior and pay more attention to protecting my future. 

I would not tell myself to change anything--my perspectives, relationship with clay, and sense of "making" what I make are essentially the same as then. Not about pottery/clay per se, but the one thing I would tell my young adult self would be to rachet back the wild child behavior and pay more attention to protecting my future. 

I would not tell myself to change anything--my perspectives, relationship with clay, and sense of "making" what I make are essentially the same as then. Not about pottery/clay per se, but the one thing I would tell my young adult self would be to rachet back the wild child behavior and pay more attention to protecting my future. 

Much of my work I make while "blind" (voluntarily-I am sighted) so that the tactile experience comes to the forefront and the piece can have an delibertly expressive  "feel" regardless of whether or not anyone can see the coloration.
 
 

Our local art museum would have a exhibit for children with impaired sight,   they could pick up and touch the art work.   I  thought it would be great if they had  a permanent exhibit for all children to enjoy touching the art work.   I would be happy to donate pots to it.     I love to observe  and touch  pottery,  it gives me a feeling of being grounded to the earth.    Denice

I guess my focus is to try to include the community as much as possible, that goes for having the pool for questions to encourage the community to ask questions, and also for my need to be broad focused enough to try to pose questions that would be of interest to the greater part of the community. It is a tough balance that I attempt, and finding fresh material to ask about is getting more difficult. I guess I'll just muddle on!!!
best,
Pres

Oldlady-you turned me on to single fire (thank you) and I did my homework (beginning w/Stephen Hill) and that's all I do now-never bisque. I also have an L&L EZ  & usually program slow glaze & often slow cool (depending).  In my library I have a copy of Fran Tristram's Single Firing book that I got--signed--from Marcia Selsor...that was fun!  I try to avoid wedging also and use the cut & slam method most of the time.  Never any glaze problems-I use commercial ones. I am enjoying doing calculated/deliberate refires, to get "artistically different" final surface treatments. I have used clear glaze on B-Mix in single fire, but I just wasn't a fan of the B-Mix compared to some other bodies--but the glaze looked great.