Trillium Pottery Posted December 28, 2021 Report Share Posted December 28, 2021 Hello! So I bought this Skutt Prodigy Wheel 2 years ago well used. When I brought it home and started using it, it was difficult for me to center and I thought it was possibly the wheel since I didn't really have centering issues on the school wheels I learned on. Pretty sure I made a thread about it when I first got it, but I can't remember and just made a new account. If I remember correctly, the only advice or input I received and the most common advice I've seen on similar threads has been essentially, get better at centering. So now it's 2 years later and it took some time but I have gotten used to the wheel and have been able to center on it for the last two years just fine. Sometimes it still seems a little more difficult than it should, especially with softer clays like porcelain. But overall I haven't had issues with getting my clay centered anymore. Fast forward to this Christmas, my dad bought me a Giffon Grip and I have been attempting to use it all morning. I got it onto the wheel head as evenly as possible , and now two major and obvious problems have come to my attention regarding the original concern of mine about my wheel head being "off". 1) the giffon grip seems to sink a bit on one side, as if the wheel itself is not level (not that that matters a ton for throwing) but it could be why it took me a while to figure out how to center on my wheel. 2) despite the giffon grip being completely even and set to the same measurement on all three set points, it looks very obviously off center. I tried shifting the splash pan to see if maybe it was off making things look off center, but this Prodigy wheel has a fixed/non-removable splash pan so it didn't budge. Basically, the Giffon grip seems to have exposed how strange my wheel head is. Not sure exactly what's wrong. My working theory is that the person who owned it before set something really heavy on it or something, so that it's been slightly wedged at an angle. When I first brought it home I wanted to take the wheel head off and double check everything, but it would not come off. I watched a few tutorials on how to take it off and nothing ever worked. Just looking for some insight! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted December 28, 2021 Report Share Posted December 28, 2021 The wheel heads on all Skutt wheels remove the same way, by quickly twisting counter-clockwise and then lifting up once it comes loose. The wheel head meets the shaft with a tapered fitting. You have to give it a good hard fast counter-clockwise twist to get it to come loose if it hasn't been properly lubed. Do not lift as you twist, just twist. Once it comes loose, then lift. The fitting has to be lubed with an anti-seize lubricant periodically or it can become stuck. Once it's stuck it's difficult to remove. THIS page has instructions on how to remove a stuck head. Once you get it off, clean both sides of the fitting (head and shaft) and re-lubricate. You can get anti-seize lubricant at the auto parts store. If the wheel head still runs wobbly, try taking it off and turning it 180 degrees. Sometimes they fit better one direction than the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trillium Pottery Posted December 28, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2021 Awesome! That is SUPER helpful, I will try removing it and reapplying the lubricant. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted December 28, 2021 Report Share Posted December 28, 2021 You need to get the wheel head running straight and true before the giffen will work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trillium Pottery Posted December 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2021 Gotcha! Thank you. Also, Mark, I've seen your work at Los Bagels! My family lives in Honeydew/Petrolia so I go to Humboldt area often. Saw your mugs when I was there last (in the fall) and loved it! Gorgeous work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted December 29, 2021 Report Share Posted December 29, 2021 Hi Trillium! Here's a video clip of a wobbly wheel head, illustrating a way to see "how much*" a wheel head is running out: waving wheel head - YouTube ...and the thread it is linked from https://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/23833-wave-in-wheel-head-shimpo-rk-8/ *I'm curious how much your wheel head is running out, also what is causing the problem? ...doesn't take much to be an issue, particularly for one who relies on the wheel head surface whilst working; one may certainly throw with precision on a wobbly wheel, although it would be rather difficult to then trim the foot in a parallel plane, as you have no doubt found... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted December 29, 2021 Report Share Posted December 29, 2021 trillium, once you are ready to use the GIFF I N GRIP, (sorry, mr Giffin has such a simple name but nobody reads it correctly) , it helps to mark the locations of the tabs that hold it onto the wheelhead. sharpie lines tell you where to put it next time. lots of people have problems because the grip can be seated on top of one of the bat pins so it is totally wonky. the lines guide placement so attaching it next time is easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted December 29, 2021 Report Share Posted December 29, 2021 52 minutes ago, Trillium Pottery said: Gotcha! Thank you. Also, Mark, I've seen your work at Los Bagels! My family lives in Honeydew/Petrolia so I go to Humboldt area often. Saw your mugs when I was there last (in the fall) and loved it! Gorgeous work Thanks for the compliment . Los Bagels has been a great outlet for me over the decades plus the food is super as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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