Pottery kick wheel

Finished the based. Got the flywheel on and it’s catching slightly where the mould sagged.

So can either raise the wheel slightly or remove some of the concrete with a grinding wheel.

1 Attachment

.

1 Attachment

Got some supports in place to stop it rocking forward.

Now need to replicate the arch at the back and then will have a sort of shelf area for tools and shit.

I need to create a ledge area so I can put my feet up when not kicking

1 Attachment

Nice!

Bought a new lower bearing for this. I wasn’t happy with the movement.

Is there anyway to loosen bearings to make them run faster?

1 Attachment

All the weight on the bearing is coming straight from the top, so the load will be all on the side of the bearing. So ideally you need a thrust bearing

2 Attachments

I’ve got a thrust bearing at the moment, but it’s not cutting it.

I need bigger bearings but still with the 25mm bore.

I would use a massive ball bearing and thrust plate. Would be relatively easy to do, centre the ball to sit on the bottom of the shaft and sit it on a block of ptfe. Would give you minimal resistance and that new bearing you have ought to keep it all in line when you kick it

Added the new bearing and the wheel is much freeer and spinning for longer👍🏼

1 Attachment

I need the forums hive mind on this next bit.

I need to attach the top plate that I will make the pottery on, to the metal shaft. Which is 25mm diameter. I’ve searched for various flanges but they are either not sturdy enough or not small enough.

Not small enough in what sense? You can get 25mm flanges by the look of it.

Cool project btw.

If you can’t find what you need can you make one, or get someone to help weld one if you don’t have welding equipment? You can buy 25.4mm OD with 2mm walls so 25.0, and weld a flat plate or two strips in a cross or something to the top?

Also interested to know what you mean re not small enough.

This is such a cool thing to do, making the tool to make the thing you make.

I would look at rear kart hubs, they come in 25mm. they can take quite a beating so should be fine for this.

I actually have a mig welder. But no gas. The gas would cost more than the piece of metal.

How much torque does the connection need to transfer to the top plate? Is the top plate going to be heavy? Is there any reason that something like this wouldn't work?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254647352516?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=S_pdKU3uRna&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=2oiWpP7gSxu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I think something like that would work well. Can’t hurt to try.

You could always drill (and tap?) a couple of holes into the shaft and replace the grub screws with longer bolts if it starts to slip.

Good shout.

Ordered one of these. Should arrive this week.

The next job is to create some bats that integrate with the wheel.

Something like this

1 Attachment

Hey, @Light_EDDed any update on this?

Anyone here done similar, but primarily using bike bits for all the mechanical parts? I was just poking around for half-term activities for the kids and saw some examples (OSB layered on top of a bike wheel
- but drive mechanism is just a stick?), but none that were well developed...

Feel like you could set up a freewheel, chain and crank arm to drive the wheel