We make a potter's wheel with our own hands

Most likely, every lover of clay products at least once asked about the possibility of making a potter's wheel with his own hands. The potter's wheel is one of the most ancient mechanisms that were invented by people, and pottery is one of the very first crafts.

Let's figure out what the pottery is made of and how to make a potter's wheel with our own hands. It is a frame on which the axis with a flywheel is vertically fixed at the bottom, and the working table is on top. Work on the potter's wheel is necessary, sitting on a chair, and the level of the table depends on the growth of the person who will work. The important thing is that the table should be approximately at the level of the waist. The flywheel must be located at close range, because it will be necessary to reach it with the foot. It can be done from any side, depending on which foot will be more comfortable to work with.

The main part of the machine can be made with wood. Take planks with a thickness of approximately 25 or 50 mm. To connect everything you need to spiked with glue, because the design should be strong enough.

The most difficult part is the axle with bearings and flywheel. To make an axis, you need to choose a bar made of hardwood (section 35 by 30 mm). To produce a conical bearing, you will have to find a lathe for metal. A bearing consisting of two parts is ground on the machine. The first detail is a tube with an outer cone fixed to the axis, and the second part is tubes with an internal cone attached to the frame. The material is stainless steel. As for the outer cone, the viniplast or fluoroplast is suitable here.

Before you can completely assemble the machine, you need to lubricate the bearings, you can do it with technical petroleum jelly or some other dense grease.

It remains to make the desktop and flywheel. Without them, we can not craft a potter's wheel with our own hands. The table is made of a board, for example, from a piece of thick plywood about a centimeter in size. From it you need to cut out a circle, with a diameter of 20-25 cm. Precisely in the center of the circle make a small hull about five centimeters high. There must be an opening that is equal to the diameter of the axis. The working table is mounted as tightly as possible on the upper edge of the axis, it will be there because of the frictional force.

It should be said about the flywheel, because it must be massive. It is necessary that one push is enough for two or three dozen revolutions. If the flywheel is light, it will be difficult to work, because you will have to push it often enough. We will make a flywheel of two layers of boards, which we glue together in the form of a cross. In the center, make a hole for the axis. The flywheel diameter will be approximately 8 cm. Remember, the flywheel must be connected to the axle before installing the upper disk.

All the details of the potter's wheel need to be processed two or even three times, the best way to do it is hot oil. The fact is that pottery is a rather whimsical process, because water is constantly needed and splashes fly everywhere. You can also paint the oil paint a couple of times. The table can be covered with plastic or some other waterproof material.

As you can see, you can collect the potter's wheel with your own hands, with enough effort.

In the modern toy market, you can find an alternative children's potter's wheel.

With its help, children can develop a love of work, beauty and creativity. In the kit there is a set of colors with which you can immediately paint your creation.