helloruby Posted July 11, 2015 Report Share Posted July 11, 2015 Hello! I recently purchased a bargain second hand wheel, and it wasn't until I got it home, I realised that the centre of the wheel is slightly risen and rusted? I don't have much technical knowledge on pottery wheels, but it looks like the more modern wheel heads are different to the one I have. I have added a photographs below to explain the situation better + i will be replacing the cable also thank you i'm very stuck and I just want to get throwing on it! Ruby here are some links to the images if the quality is low : here | here | here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted July 11, 2015 Report Share Posted July 11, 2015 that appears to be an unusual (for those of us in the US) location for a bat pin. did the wheel come with flat discs with holes in them? do the holes line up so one is in the center and the other matches the one that is a hole with threads inside it? what brand name is on the wheel, can you contact the original maker and ask? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted July 12, 2015 Report Share Posted July 12, 2015 Looks like a wheel head before the current standards for bat pin placements were adopted -- read that a center pin was used by production potters as it allowed for faster placement/removal of bats. You will need to have some bats custom drilled -- either by a company like Northstar or you can buy blank bats and drill the holes yourself. Just out of curiosity, what is the manufacturer of the wheel? And model? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted July 13, 2015 Report Share Posted July 13, 2015 helloruby, are you in the UK? canada? australia? "centre" and "different to" make me think so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronfire Posted July 14, 2015 Report Share Posted July 14, 2015 If you are in my area I can build some custom bats. I just installed pins and built bats for my wheel. Located in Merritt BC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helloruby Posted July 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 hello! firstly thank you all for replying to my post! @oldlady i am in the UK, as far as I know I am unsure of the original make of the wheel! On first observation I thought it was made by hand but I'm not entirely sure, there are no clear production markings. The wheel didn't come with any flat discs- but if i'm honest the seller wasn't a potter and just wanted to get rid of it! The entire wheel slots onto a rotating cylinder, which makes up the middle part of the wheel head that you can see in the photographs. I'm not sure whether I should just cut the metal thats sticking up and buy some bats? @bciskepottery the manufacturer is still a mystery to me, and I am under the impression that the parts may have been recycled from other wheels and made into this one, I'm still not entirely sure. The wheel seems to work fine, I'm just hoping to salvage it so that I don't regret purchasing it! I am now doing some research on buying bats (thank you for the tip!), do you recommend northstar? would it be possible to make my own? @ronfire i am currently situated in the UK but thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 hello! firstly thank you all for replying to my post! do you recommend northstar? would it be possible to make my own? There are probably companies in the UK who can make custom bats. And, you can make your own -- either from wood or plaster. There are youtube videos showing how to make your own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 you might be able to find a potter somewhere nearby. if you do not have much experience perhaps you could ask for some lessons or advice. you might even find a source of supplies nearby. it is hard going it alone. just when you figure out how to ask a question another one pops up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 I'm assuming that bat pin won't come out since it's so rusted, so grind it off and drill new holes for bat pins so you can use standard bats. It'll be a lot easier and cheaper than making custom bats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Johnson Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 It appears that the actual wheel head has been corroded and repaired some how. No manufacturer would put a screw in the center of the wheel sticking up like that. Only way to make sure is to remove the wheel head completely if it's not rusted beyond removal. If you can get it off, I would either buy a new wheel head if the motor shaft isn't ruined, or... take the wheel head pieces to a machine shop and see if the can weld and machine it accurately. A new head would be easier. That said, if it is repaired it needs to be centered and flat. We Throwers of Clay have enough challenges without having a wonky wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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