Buying your first pottery wheel (Hard talk)

#pottery #art #ceramicart
and we go over a large variety of beginner wheels here this video is not for specialty or Advanced wheels.
so here you go, a video on what you should buy for your first pottery wheel.

p.o box info :293883 zip : 95829 sacramento, name: Donte the potter

- Music by: Non-Copyrighted Music Chill LoFi Hip Hop Instrumental Royalty Free Chill Hop Music

[Nana]

please make a video about klins and how to decide which one to get as a beginner

[suewilliamsbrawn]

I totally agree with your hard talk. only after a couple of years of classes did I purchase my second hand Brent wheel, almost 30 years ago. Don't recall how old it was then but guess it's 35- 40 years old now. Paid maybe $250? It's still going strong although it's needed at least one good tune up and belt adjustment or replacement (don't recall which).
Classes are a MUCH better initial investment than your own wheel, or investing in studio membership (although they may require you to have taken a couple of courses before you can join). You'll have access to more than a wheel - the benefit of expertise and inspiration from others. Most importantly, you will be taught how to work safely around clay because there are hazards. (Spoiler alert - safety lecture coming). It's critical to know you don't just need a space to work, you need a safe space. Breathing clay dust is NOT a good thing, it leads to a disease called silicosis, and clay dust that is disturbed, or moves into your forced air heating system or circulates through your home is unhealthy for you and anyone who lives there. I've always had tiny studio spaces but I moved to an acreage a few years ago and had the opportunity to repurpose a 20x20 shop & attached garage into my new studio. The first thing I did was get rid of the old furnace and replace it with radiant heat so I could keep myself and materials warm (Canadian here) while keeping particles from clay from being blown around and airborne. It's also important to clean areas where you work with clay - tables, floors and wheels with wet sponges and mops - brooms, brushes, vacuums etc stir up those particles and you'll be breathing them in. Be safe!

[williamedwards]

Thank you so much for making this video! I am so glad I watched the entire video. I was about to spend a pretty good chunk of cash on a new wheel. What you said makes perfect sense. I have no reason to buy a wheel at this point. Instead, I took about a quarter of that money and enrolled in classes which start in a few weeks. Thanks for the reality check.

[kaitlindingess]

Brents really are straight up beasts. Had six in the studio that I used to work in and they have been rocking 15+ years! Still going strong! Some of them have developed personalities over the years, but still super reliable!

[julieward]

I just want to say that I adore you! Your personality, your views on life, the universe and everything!!! (Oh if I were 30 years younger !! ) Anyway, i found your channel a little bit ago and am watching my way thru everything you've done. Thankyou for doing what you do and why you do it. Funding for the arts is being taken away in so many places and your channel is a goldmine of info that's realistic and useful. You're so funny and sassy and salty, I sit watching you saying " mm hmm, that's right, you tell it just like it is sunshine ! ", keep it up sassy, salty potter, you're awesome, you got the right recipe !!, mama J

[bbjo]

After watching this video, I bought the Clay Boss and I LOVE IT!!! Very affordable and easy to clean. Plus the speed variations are very smooth and it's quiet. Thank you for all the info!

[caseytaylor]

I bought the Speedball Artista about a year ago, ~500 hours in it's still going great. The first one they sent was defective, just a bit off at first then turned into a push-start. To their credit, they shipped me a new one right away and made arrangements to pick up the old one. In the early days, I made tools out of old hacksaw blades and they just destroyed the aluminum wheelhead, glad you mentioned those are replaceable. Otherwise, it's portable, ~500 cheap, with a great splash pan.

[cookerymagic]

Apart from being so informative, you are hilarious! So enjoy your videos! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge but also making me laugh. :)

[michaelacruickshank]

Anyone else finding it impossible to find a used wheel? Sooo frustrating

[springbloom]

I tried 6 different <$200 wheels off Amazon. Every one looked different, but had the same table and drive system; same motor, same belt, same drive wheel. Every one, the plastic drive wheel was out-of-round and oscillates. Makes centering and holding center a *B I T C H* . For an experienced user, its probably not as big of a deal, but for a beginner its a pretty hard limitation.

[kitkatglhf]

8:27 Lololol marriage he said 🤣 “Now it sits in the corner staring at you demanding food and you don’t know what to do with it.” 😂

[franktomizuka]

I use old Lockerbie Kickwheels. They are silent, extremely easy to clean and keep your blood moving a little bit. If you are patient you can get these wheels for almost nothing. People have had them in their garages since 1978 and are happy you showed up and hauled it away. You can get motors for them but I'm a leftie so that will never work. I have one outside under a tree that I can work at most of the year (Tucson). If you learn to use one of these wheels it will benefit you in many ways. Thanks for the great video : )

[dalewright]

Picked up some tools for my wife recently. Neighbor was selling the whole lot. Old Skutt KS 818 that needs a little TLC (replace some bricks) and a Clay Boss wheel...plus tons of tools and glazes/bats/shelves ... etc. $200 for the lot. Cost me a grand to get the dedicated 240v power but I think we did well.

[zachkaufman]

I have the shimpo VL lite and it's been great for me, because of the size of my kiln I'm not often making abnormally large pieces, the only downside to this wheel is the torque when under pressure, when pulling a large cylinder you don't get the kind of low end torque that you get on a Brent or Pacifica and can struggle with thickness issues, took a bit to get used too after using Brent's for a while when I first learned how to throw, I found ten pounds is about the limit on this wheel while having adequate control. so like you said this wheel got me through my early stages and for my budget at the time but now I need something that's a bit more well rounded. So keep in mind if you buy the shimpo VL lite with intentions to work for yourself take Dante's and my advice here and save your money for something that produces more torque at low speeds

[RuthBradford-HarrisPhotography]

So glad I saw this. In the UK the best selling/most used wheels seem to be Shimpos and Rohdes. I hadn't heard of the Speedball Clay Boss, but it sounds like it could be the best wheel for me (if I find I want one after I've finished experimenting with hand-building and done a throwing course) taking everything into account and knowing I have little upper body strength and wrist problems.

[baumes]

Best video on the choice of wheel. I am taking pottery class after I stopped of a while. I am practicing as much as I can at a nearby studio and waiting to choose the right wheel for my home studio. I will keep searching and wait the the right fit. Thanks a lot for your insights.

[mbrang]

Just got into pottery, bought a Shimpo and a Skut 1022 LOL...got a good deal on the Skut (brand new, never used for 50% from a friend that never wired up for it)...no regrets...the shimpo XL lite will work for what i want to do for a while while I learn. I dont need to even attempt 25 lbs of clay with my skills yet. might consider buying a claybsos as well. the way it is right now, the wife and i like to throw clay and it sucks having to wait for a turn at the wheel. Im not buying one of those cheap amazon wheels.

[ahorowitz]

I work at a studio where we have Brents. The splash pan is extremely easy to remove and clean. You don't really need to jimmy it at all. There are little tabs on the sides that you push down and it will just pull apart when you press them. They're also super quick and easy to put back together.

[kitttykodama]

After registering to a ceramics class at my college I have been spending 15-20 hours a week at the school studio. Within five weeks I have realized how easy I have it, recycled clay ready to go when I need it!Glazes, wash and all kinds of colored slip ready at my disposal. 25 lbs clay bags for 5$. Wheels, basically everything I need. I go home after the studio closes wishing I could keep going into the wee hours of the night. I have been looking into wheels but I do not have the finances to buy more than that. Do you think it is best if I buy the wheel and get a membership at the local AMOCA ? Where I can pay to have my stuff fired?! I know it’s has only been a short amount of time but I swear I found my new passion. After a roller coaster of emotions and getting past centering and really seeing my progress in throwing I just can’t see myself stopping!!! I dream about ceramics lol I stay up at night thinking of how I want to glaze my pieces that are sitting at the studio just waiting for me! Help! #nerdingout

[roseannwoolverton]

Am so happy Found your cute, funny, and helpful with information Thankyou Donte