captaincaden Posted August 30 Report Share Posted August 30 (edited) Hello! Anyone ever been inside of a Speedball Artista wheel? I've had this one collecting dust in the corner of my studio for many years now since it had some kind of failure back then. I remember some small metal piece(s) were broken when I opened it back then, but not sure what I took out or what it was (I remember taking something out to try to find a replacement of it, but no idea what it was or where it went or if I put it back in place or not. I just upgraded the wheel back then and forgot about it.) But I'd like to get it back to a (smoother) running state to be able to use occasionally for some things tabletop. Electrically, this wheel still behaves as expected. Mechanically just feels like it's struggling, both with and without the motor in the equation. Just wondering if anyone can identify which parts I'm looking at in respect to the diagram here, or more importantly if there's something missing (besides belt, and flywheel). The wheel head, with the belt and flywheel removed has a good amount of resistance in it too. The flat metal part at the base of the shaft didn't seem like it separates or moves easily, and I cant tell if there's supposed to be something else in between the bottom of the shaft and the square part with grease. PHOTOS: https://imgur.com/a/ZvurLBS (Lower portion of the shaft without flywheel and belt) https://imgur.com/a/KL7ervM (base plate) For reference, here's the diagram too. How does one get the wheel head off of this wheel? Or get to anything else that would be on the other side of the plastic body under the wheel head that could be causing some extra friction (besides just a lack of grease)? atrista.pdf Edited August 30 by captaincaden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted August 30 Report Share Posted August 30 for me i cannot see ypur photos on a Mac. The pdf works fine-not much in that wheel so its hould be easy to see whats wrong captaincaden 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captaincaden Posted August 30 Author Report Share Posted August 30 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Mark C. said: for me i cannot see ypur photos on a Mac. Oops. They aren't showing up for me anymore either. Here's links to the pictures: https://imgur.com/a/ZvurLBS (Lower portion of the shaft without flywheel and belt) https://imgur.com/a/KL7ervM (base plate) Edited August 30 by captaincaden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted August 31 Report Share Posted August 31 (edited) This may help I still have one of these - call speedball for parts. The owners manual here https://www.speedballart.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Artista-Final-Updated-November-2017.pdf Page 5 - exploded view, page 6 parts list Very straight forward wheel, if the wheel is not easy to turn inspect clean lubricate shaft, don’t forget spacers (washers) shown during assembly, new parts / missing parts from speedball. Edited September 1 by Bill Kielb captaincaden 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captaincaden Posted September 1 Author Report Share Posted September 1 (edited) I believe one of the spacers is what was broken originally when I opened it years ago. Can you identify if the round flat part at the base of the shaft is one of these spacers or is it a different part/part of the shaft? Doesn't seem to move or separate and rotates with the shaft just for clarification, these (red circle) are the spacers on the diagram? Edited September 1 by captaincaden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted September 1 Report Share Posted September 1 These folks are still in business-they could supply you with the parts needed captaincaden 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted September 1 Report Share Posted September 1 (edited) Yes, I believe washers to tighten up the vertical spacing. Can you gently drive the wheelhead out and clean and re lube everything? Edited September 1 by Bill Kielb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captaincaden Posted September 2 Author Report Share Posted September 2 @Bill Kielb from the condition it was in that photo without the flywheel, is it just a matter of tapping it out from underneath? If so I'll try that. Wasn't sure if there was something else holding it on the other side Any recommendations on lubricant for this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted September 2 Report Share Posted September 2 I think you can tap it. Suggest: Use appropriate soft face stuff or wood block. It doesn’t spin fast and is a light load, decent all purpose medium grease likely just fine. Removal and cleanup ought to tell if it is binding here. captaincaden 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captaincaden Posted September 2 Author Report Share Posted September 2 10 hours ago, Bill Kielb said: I think you can tap it. Suggest: Use appropriate soft face stuff or wood block. Attempted with a rubber mallet, a hammer with some fabric in between, and the hammer with wood in between, and after whacking on it for a while it, shaft still didn't move at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted September 2 Report Share Posted September 2 (edited) 45 minutes ago, captaincaden said: Attempted with a rubber mallet, a hammer with some fabric in between, and the hammer with wood in between, and after whacking on it for a while it, shaft still didn't move at all. Maybe call speedball, might be pressed in bearing. Later tonight / tomorrow I will dig mine out and see how it is removed Edited September 2 by Bill Kielb captaincaden 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captaincaden Posted September 3 Author Report Share Posted September 3 (edited) Thank you @Bill Kielb! I did send them an email, and they responded this morning with instructions to remove it. Essentially the last two steps that are important to this: 5. Loosen set screws on wheel head pulley with 3 mm allen wrench. Lift pulley off you should also see 3 wavy washers remove and set aside. 6. Lift the pottery wheel up and the wheel should slide out. I'll try some more later and see if I can make any progress. Tried again last night and still didn't move after hammering on the shaft from underneath. I did get the washers off, and did confirm that the part at the bottom of the shaft is one of the spacers/washers. I'm missing two, which probably confirms that was the part that originally was broken. (speedball gave info on how to get replacements from them) Update, I finally got the wheel head off. Everything above the shaft appears normal. Will clean, relubricate and reinstall. Going to get the spacers/washers ordered. The only thing that doesn't look like the diagram at this moment is this part: I don't remember any other parts here when I opened it for the first time years ago, and to me it only looks like the metal square is the only part on that side of the flywheel. That would be this part: When I opened it, the bottom of the shaft was just directly against this part. Doesn't seem like multiple other parts like the diagram, Edited September 3 by captaincaden Bill Kielb 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted September 3 Report Share Posted September 3 (edited) 2 hours ago, captaincaden said: I'll try some more later and see if I can make any progress. Tried again last night and still didn't move after hammering on the shaft from underneath. Great news! I brought mine out of dry storage last night - sounds like you got it to move , won’t take it apart unless we absolutely need to. (I ought to order and put a new belt on it anyway.) Edited September 3 by Bill Kielb captaincaden 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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