Sparrowbuck Posted October 25, 2021 Report Share Posted October 25, 2021 Hellos everyone! This is a lousy first post, if I do say so. TLDR up front - does anyone know how to remove a wheel head and shaft from a Clay Boss? Not sure how to get the wheel pulley off once the two bolts on the pulley are removed. I ordered a studio package that included a Clay Boss wheel - chose it because it was supposed to be sturdy and fairly good for a beginner studio(I’ve been doing pottery for over a year now, so the centering issues mentioned below aren’t from being new). Out of the box, noticed a soft thumping noise, and the wheel being horizontally off by about 1-2mm. Centering basically turns a nice ball of clay into an oscillating rodeo snake. After removing the guard, it became apparent that 1) the belt wasn’t centred, and 2) someone tightened one of the rubber bushings on the tension plate so much it literally exploded. The entire plate was cranked down on an angle, and the wheel pulley wobbles like it’s drunk. I’ve emailed Speedball - before I started taking things off - and I’m calling tomorrow, but if I can get the pulley off I’ll have more information for them when I do. This really just blows. I’ve been waiting for this wheel since May, and I’ve been bawling off and on all afternoon. There seems to be serious assembly issues here that shouldn’t have happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted October 25, 2021 Report Share Posted October 25, 2021 sounds like warranty work to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted October 25, 2021 Report Share Posted October 25, 2021 I wouldn't start taking things apart until you talk to Speedball since it's a warranty issue. They will either send you either new parts or a whole new wheel. 1 hour ago, Sparrowbuck said: noticed a soft thumping noise Most likely the belt has a flat spot from sitting for a while, or there's a seam on the belt. The thump often goes away after some use. 1 hour ago, Sparrowbuck said: the wheel being horizontally off by about 1-2mm If it's just off at the edge of the wheel but it's still rotating from a fixed center point then this isn't an issue. If the center point is out of whack, then there may be a problem with the wheel head-to-shaft attachment, or the shaft itself. Typically if the shaft is bent then you'll also have vertical wobble, which can be an issue. Hard to make any judgment calls until you get everything else realigned, though. Sorry for the bad luck. I don't know where their wheels are made, but if they're built overseas then they likely don't inspect every wheel before it's shipped out, and things like this slip through. Let us know what they say about fixing/replacing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrowbuck Posted October 26, 2021 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2021 13 hours ago, neilestrick said: Sorry for the bad luck. I don't know where their wheels are made, but if they're built overseas then they likely don't inspect every wheel before it's shipped out, and things like this slip through. Let us know what they say about fixing/replacing it. North Carolina, as far as I’m aware. I’ve also only taken apart the things outlined in the owner’s manual for self servicing thus far. I’m going to reassemble it with some replacement rubber for bushings tonight and see if the issues go away with that and the belt being properly aligned. If not, I better hear positive things when I call tomorrow about it. I can’t imagine the studio I ordered it through is going to be happy either, if it isn’t a satisfactory experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrowbuck Posted October 26, 2021 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2021 Speedball is sending a courier to pick it up! I’m supposed to be shipped a replacement. Crossing my fingers the second won’t have issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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