Kate Nicholson

This is really wonderful to read! I think the MP should do ok for me as I don’t throw really large pieces. Maybe 2-3 kg of clay would be the VERY max I’d ever use. I cannot stop the wheel with my own hands when it’s running slow, so I think the power should be good for me and my throwing style. We’re going to open up the undercarriage today and take a look inside. I’ll pay special attention to the belt and lubrication of various areas. There is a grinding sound when I turn the wheel head with my hands (motor turned off) so I suspect the bearings are shot, too. Easy enough to replace here in Taiwan, given the large number of mom and pop machinery fixer-upper stores and specialized hardware stores. (There are even entire stores completely dedicated to just own part, say different kinds of nuts and bolts, in almost every neighborhood, haha!)

Thanks so much for the kind welcome, Johnny! I’m happy to be here and find some info on my new old wheel. It actually comes with the original splash pan, which seems to be quite rare? I think I got lucky with that. Other parts also seem to be original and in good condition. I just picked the wheel up today and I’ve yet to take everything apart. The sound is more like a grinding so I think it could be the bearings, though the wheel head is very solid and doesn’t wobble at all, so... Hopefully when I take it apart tomorrow I can share more details about what might be wrong. I’ll be sure to keep you all updated on this thread. Expect (probably lots) more questions from this newbie restorer!

Hello! I just purchased (for a very cheap price) a second hand CI Model MP that had somehow made it all the way over here to Taiwan. I think it hasn’t been used in a very long time but it still runs well, with a sturdy wheelhead (no wobbles at all) and smooth speed change using the foot pedal. However, it’s quite noisy. Is that typical? I think it needs a bearing and/or belt change, but wondering if these wheels are typically noisy outside of that.