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kick wheels - slow speeds

updated wed 19 oct 11

 

Jeff Longtin on sun 16 oct 11


For those who have never thrown on a kick wheel I'll share this.

The beauty of a kick wheel is that it forces you to deal with/accept your
own limitations. Kicking a kick wheel, eight hours a day, five days a week,
is rather exhausting.

At a certain point you grow weary of kicking so you just accept that the
wheel will slow down and you have to do the best that you can. You learn to
center quickly and you learn to get in that first pull quickly as well.

You also learn that every pot may not have that pristine symmetry that a
fast wheel allows. If you want pristine pots you make them early in the day=
,
before fatigue sets in, then you make pots that will allow for a little
unevenness.

As a slip caster I don't have a great need for a wheel these days but it
would be great if someone came up with a new wheel design that had the
benefits of a momentum wheel but in a smaller, more compact, version.

take care

Jeff Longtin
Minneapolis

Steve Mills on sun 16 oct 11


I did my first twelve years of production on a Leach Treadle wheel, and on =
a=3D
making day only stopped it to take plates off.=3D20
All other wares, regardless of size came off the moving wheelhead.=3D20
My reasoning was that the amount of effort required to re-start it after re=
m=3D
oving each pot was wasted energy.=3D20
As a consequence of this all my pieces were designed with enough undercut t=
o=3D
allow that process.=3D20
I reckon my fastest speed with that wheel was about 40 rpm, my average was =
s=3D
lower, and I could keep that up all day. Most pieces were completed in thr=
e=3D
e lifts.=3D20
All in all it boils down to focusing on economy of effort.=3D20
A definate case of K.I.S.S.!

On a lighter note, my working Partner Tigger threw on a kick or Monentum wh=
e=3D
el which she operated with her right foot. I powered mine with my left foot=
,=3D
so we used to tell people we had to walk arm in arm to prevent us from wal=
k=3D
ing in circles!

Steve M


Steve Mills
Bath
UK
www.mudslinger.me.uk
Sent from my Ipod touch

On 16 Oct 2011, at 08:53, Jeff Longtin wrote:

> For those who have never thrown on a kick wheel I'll share this.
>=3D20
> The beauty of a kick wheel is that it forces you to deal with/accept your
> own limitations. Kicking a kick wheel, eight hours a day, five days a wee=
k=3D
,
> is rather exhausting.
>=3D20
>=3D20

Linda Stauffer on sun 16 oct 11


I have 2 Pacifica wheels and a Brent C in my studio but I always choose the=
R=3D
andall at school. I love the gradual slowing of the wheel as the form rises=
a=3D
nd expands. I learned to throw back in HS on a Klopenstein wheel. I can sti=
l=3D
l remember the feeling of one "pumped up" leg!

Linda P. Stauffer


On Oct 16, 2011, at 8:53 AM, Jeff Longtin wrote:

> For those who have never thrown on a kick wheel I'll share this.
>=3D20
> The beauty of a kick wheel is that it forces you to deal with/accept your
> own limitations. Kicking a kick wheel, eight hours a day, five days a wee=
k=3D
,
> is rather exhausting.
>=3D20
> At a certain point you grow weary of kicking so you just accept that the
> wheel will slow down and you have to do the best that you can. You learn =
t=3D
o
> center quickly and you learn to get in that first pull quickly as well.
>=3D20
> You also learn that every pot may not have that pristine symmetry that a
> fast wheel allows. If you want pristine pots you make them early in the d=
a=3D
y,
> before fatigue sets in, then you make pots that will allow for a little
> unevenness.
>=3D20
> As a slip caster I don't have a great need for a wheel these days but it
> would be great if someone came up with a new wheel design that had the
> benefits of a momentum wheel but in a smaller, more compact, version.
>=3D20
> take care
>=3D20
> Jeff Longtin
> Minneapolis

KATHI LESUEUR on sun 16 oct 11


On Oct 16, 2011, at 8:53 AM, Jeff Longtin wrote:

> For those who have never thrown on a kick wheel I'll share this.
>=3D20
> The beauty of a kick wheel is that it forces you to deal with/accept =3D
your
> own limitations. Kicking a kick wheel, eight hours a day, five days a =3D
week,
> is rather exhausting.
>=3D20
> At a certain point you grow weary of kicking so you just accept that =3D
the
> wheel will slow down and you have to do the best that you can. You =3D
learn to
> center quickly and you learn to get in that first pull quickly as =3D
well.
>=3D20
> You also learn that every pot may not have that pristine symmetry that =
=3D
a
> fast wheel allows.....=3D20

You also learn that it is going to destroy your knees over time. =3D
Possibly your hips, too.

KATHI LESUEUR
http://www.lesueurclaywork.com=3D

Lee on sun 16 oct 11


On Sun, Oct 16, 2011 at 7:53 AM, Jeff Longtin wrote:

> Kicking a kick wheel, eight hours a day, five days a week,
> is =3DA0rather exhausting.

Surprisingly this is not true. I always got leg cramps working long
hours on an electric. I've worked full time on electric and manual
and the great advantage of the kick wheel, is that the exercise
actually helps your legs and back. This is especially true if you
throw on the korean wheel on a platform. The platform really helps
your back.

The Woodley treadle is good too. But you need to pad the
saddle. All day on the wood saddle will give you an aching butt.



--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/

=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue

Lee on sun 16 oct 11


On Sun, Oct 16, 2011 at 7:53 AM, Jeff Longtin wrote:
> You also learn that every pot may not have that pristine symmetry that a
> fast wheel allows. If you want pristine pots you make them early in the d=
=3D
ay,
> before fatigue sets in, then you make pots that will allow for a little
> unevenness.

This is not true either. Do do get "machined" looking pots on fast
wheels, but it all comes down to the skill of the potter. You can be
as careful and symmetrical on a kickwheel as you would like to be.
And you can slow an electric down too.

--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/

=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue

Lee on sun 16 oct 11


On Sun, Oct 16, 2011 at 10:47 AM, KATHI LESUEUR
wrote:

> You also learn that it is going to destroy your knees over time.
>Possibly your hips, too.

Only if you don't know what you are doing.

The biggest mistake is throwing with the stiff clay most people use
on electric wheels. The extra horsepower allows this and transmits
the horse power directly to your human joints. Want to protect
your body? First rule: use soft clay. (bagged clay is always too
hard.)
I love my Shimpo Gold. It sits between my korean and my
woodley, unused. It is primarily there for visitors and students, or
when I want to use porcelain and am too lazy to clean the other
wheels.

--=3D20
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/

=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue

Taylor Hendrix on sun 16 oct 11


I want to add a treadle wheel to my collection. My first wheel was the
Lockerbie + motor I purchased from a local Art Center for a 50 dollar
donation. Hee Haw. Next came my whisper which I love more than the
Brent wheel I learned on. Sure wish I moved enough clay to warrant
finding a treadle wheel (Leach for sure) to buy.

And need I say it? NO BAT PINS!


Taylor, in Rockport TX
wirerabbit1 on Skype (-0600 UTC)
http://wirerabbit.blogspot.com
http://wirerabbitpots.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirerabbit/



On Sun, Oct 16, 2011 at 11:44 AM, Steve Mills
wrote:
> I did my first twelve years of production on a Leach Treadle wheel, and o=
n a making day only stopped it to take plates off.
> All other wares, regardless of size came off the moving wheelhead.
...

Jeff Longtin on sun 16 oct 11


Actually Lee my postings are "true" but obviously we have different
experiences. I worked on a kick wheel professionally for two years. I know =
of
which I speak.

Take care

Jeff Longtin
Minneapolis

Randall Moody on sun 16 oct 11


On Sun, Oct 16, 2011 at 7:20 PM, Jeff Longtin wrote:

> Actually Lee my postings are "true" but obviously we have different
> experiences. I worked on a kick wheel professionally for two years. I kno=
w
> of
> which I speak.
>
> Take care
>
> Jeff Longtin
> Minneapolis
>

Kickwheels aren't inherently better nor worse than electrics. They are
simply different. Don't like bat pins? Don't use them. They are not better
nor worse than not using bat pins. They are simply different. Don't like ho=
w
fast electric wheels go? Don't press the peddle as far.

It is true that using a kickwheel can cause knee issues just the same as
running can cause knee injuries. It doesn't have anything to do with
"knowing what you are doing". It just happens. It is sheer arrogance to say
that someone that had knee injuries due to a kickwheel didn't know what the=
y
were doing.

Personally, I like my Thomas Stuart Pro with the bat pins. If you don't, yo=
u
don't have to use it.

--
Randall in Atlanta
http://wrandallmoody.com

Brandon Phillips on mon 17 oct 11


I rebuilt my seat so it's more of a paddle shape, closer to the shape of
the tractor seat on the randall's. All the padding in the world doesn't
help if you're sitting on a seat the width of a 2x6(as the plans I used
called for.) I can now sit all day at the wheel though rarely do so.

brandon phillips
supportyourlocalpotter.blogspot.com

> The Woodley treadle is good too. But you need to pad the
> saddle. All day on the wood saddle will give you an aching butt.
>
>
>
> --
> Lee Love in Minneapolis
> http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
>
> "Ta tIr na n-=F3g ar chul an tI-tIr dlainn trina ch=E9ile"-that is, "The
> land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
> within itself." -- John O'Donohue
>

Lee on mon 17 oct 11


On Sun, Oct 16, 2011 at 6:20 PM, Jeff Longtin wrote:

> Actually Lee my postings are "true" but obviously we have
>different experiences.

Different experience, training, and skill, with different clay and
equipment, including the Korean Kickwheel.

>I worked on a kick wheel professionally for two years. I know
>=3DA0of which I speak.

I've worked professionally, almost exclusively, on the Korean
kickwheel and Woodley treadle for 12 years. Maybe in another 8 I
will be able to speak as confidently as you do.

Euan Craig sent me this photo linked below, of the 281 cups he
threw that morning. Tomo Hamada gave Euan one of Shoji Hamada's
(Tomo's Grandfather) Korean Kickwheels, after Euan decided, partially
because of the Earthquake, to switch from electric to exclusively
working on the Korean wheel.
281 Cups:

http://bit.ly/qFPAb3
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/

=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue

Dan Hill on tue 18 oct 11


O.K.
Let me get my head around this.
281 cups in lets say a 5 hour morning.
That is just over 1 minute a cup. Lets round it off to a minute each
leaving time to get up for a pee.
Am I to believe, looking at the defined shape of those cups that they were
made in that amount of time?
I need to learn how to do that. Make a few thousand dollars worth of pots i=
n
a morning. Yahoo!
Dan Hill
www.hillpottery.com




--------------------------------------------------
>
> Euan Craig sent me this photo linked below, of the 281 cups he
> threw that morning. Tomo Hamada gave Euan one of Shoji Hamada's
> (Tomo's Grandfather) Korean Kickwheels, after Euan decided, partially
> because of the Earthquake, to switch from electric to exclusively
> working on the Korean wheel.
> 281 Cups:
>
> http://bit.ly/qFPAb3
> --
> Lee Love in Minneapolis
> http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/

Lee on tue 18 oct 11


On Tue, Oct 18, 2011 at 6:44 AM, Dan Hill wrote:

> I need to learn how to do that. Make a few thousand dollars worth of pots=
=3D
in

Yes Dan. It was for an order. Actually, it was a day's work. That's
what you get from a potter trained by Aussie-Scots in Bendigo and then
polished by a National Living Treasure in Mashiko. Now, after moving
twice after the earthquake destroyed his home and kiln in Mashiko, he
is working in Minakami.,Gunma Prefecture. Euan is an amazing potter.
The photo is of his new studio in the gankin of the house that used
to be Mika's grandmother's home.

http://bit.ly/qFPAb3

Blog about Euan's work:

http://euancraig-pottery.blogspot.com/

Webpage:

http://euancraig.web.fc2.com/

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=3D3D100000320440015

--=3D20
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/

=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue