vince pitelka on sun 28 jan 01
> Have any potters modified the mechanical pedal attachment so that the
> pedal is relocated below the wheel and in a comfortable position close
> to the floor?
Mitch -
In the past I have recommended exactly such a modification to several
potters, but I do not know for sure if they have used it. The wheel must be
mounted at the desired height on a simple welded steel angle-iron box frame.
At the bottom of the frame, mount pillow-block bearings on either side, with
a shaft for the pedal, all installed directly beneath the original pedal
shaft. Purchase a supply of "body washers" from an auto supply store. In
comparison to regular washers, these are large-diameter washers with a small
hole. Get ones that fit the mounting bolts that hold your pillow-block
bearings in place. Install a 1/2"-tall stack of body washers beneath the
pillow blocks on each of the mounting bolts.
At the left-hand end the shaft should be flush with the outside edge of the
left-hand pillow-block bearing. On the right hand end the shaft extends 5
or 6" beyond the right-hand pillow-block bearing. On this end of the shaft,
mount a 3"-diameter chain sproket close to the bearing. The shaft must be
mounted high enough off the floor so that the chain sproket will clear the
floor, even without the stacks of washers.
Remove the pedal from the Shimpo, and mount another 3" chain sprocket in
place of the pedal. Make sure that the two sprokets are perfectly alligned
one above the other, and then cut off the excess shaft on the Shimpo. Mount
the pedal on the lower shaft. Install the correct chain with a master link,
so that there is as little slack as possible, and then remove washers from
beneath the pillow-block bearings as necessary to snug the chain up tightly.
For this kind of limited slow chain-movement, there need be no slack on the
chain at all, and this will give you very positive, exact pedal movement.
Make a simple sheet-metal cover to protect the chain, so that it does not
get contaminated with clay, and so that your pantleg does not get
contaminated with chain lube. Lube the chain periodically.
With all that said, the reality is that the shaft you purchase will be an
American size, and the Shimpo shaft will be a metric size. The simplest
solution would be to take the Shimpo pedal to your local machinst, and have
the hole bored out to the next larger standard American shaft-size, and
purchase that size shaft and bearings. When you purchase the sprockets, get
the lower one to fit the American size shaft, and the upper one to fit the
metric Shimpo shaft. The metric one may have to be special ordered, but it
is available.
This will work perfectly. If you build it, let me know how it turns out.
Good luck -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Mitchell and Gayle Levison on sun 28 jan 01
Hello wheel throwers:
I have modified my wheel and seat position to lessen the strain on my
back by lifting my Shimpo wheel about 13" from the floor, and lifting
and tilting my seat forward so that the wheel head is about at my navel
and my legs are stretched out around the motor casing.
The Shimpo pedal is now quite high off the floor, and is uncomfortable
to try to rest my right foot onto while centering/pulling and other
times where I want to change the wheel head speed.
Have any potters modified the mechanical pedal attachment so that the
pedal is relocated below the wheel and in a comfortable position close
to the floor?
Thanks for your input. Mitch Levison Fired Up! Studio
Millie Carpenter on mon 29 jan 01
Mitch
you may just be one of those unfortunate tall people :-) I am a bit under 5
feet tall, short, whatever. What I have done is to put my shimpo on a pallet on
top of another pallet that is somewhat larger. I have a brick that is on the same
level as the foot pedal, but what I find myself doing sometimes is to lean forward
and drop my feet down to the lower level pallet. this gives one sort of the
position and feeling of horseback riding with shortened stirrups. I also have my
seat tilted. it is my understanding that there is not a way to modify the pedal.
if I ever get a digital camera I will let someone take a picture of my throwing
set up.
Millie in Md.
the purple " raven virus" seems to have gotten worse since we won on Sunday!!!
Mitchell and Gayle Levison wrote:
> Hello wheel throwers:
> I have modified my wheel and seat position to lessen the strain on my
> back by lifting my Shimpo wheel about 13" from the floor, and lifting
> and tilting my seat forward so that the wheel head is about at my navel
> and my legs are stretched out around the motor casing.
> The Shimpo pedal is now quite high off the floor, and is uncomfortable
> to try to rest my right foot onto while centering/pulling and other
> times where I want to change the wheel head speed.
> Have any potters modified the mechanical pedal attachment so that the
> pedal is relocated below the wheel and in a comfortable position close
> to the floor?
> Thanks for your input. Mitch Levison Fired Up! Studio
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
Frank Simons on mon 29 jan 01
Why can't Shimpo incorporate this into their design? Seems to me wheels
arent built for everybody, but a manufacturers Mod. kit should be on the
manufacturers drawing board!!
-----Original Message-----
From: vince pitelka
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: January 29, 2001 9:58 AM
Subject: Re: Shimpo wheel modifications
>> Have any potters modified the mechanical pedal attachment so that the
>> pedal is relocated below the wheel and in a comfortable position close
>> to the floor?
>
>Mitch -
>In the past I have recommended exactly such a modification to several
>potters, but I do not know for sure if they have used it. The wheel must
be
>mounted at the desired height on a simple welded steel angle-iron box
frame.
>At the bottom of the frame, mount pillow-block bearings on either side,
with
>a shaft for the pedal, all installed directly beneath the original pedal
>shaft. Purchase a supply of "body washers" from an auto supply store. In
>comparison to regular washers, these are large-diameter washers with a
small
>hole. Get ones that fit the mounting bolts that hold your pillow-block
>bearings in place. Install a 1/2"-tall stack of body washers beneath the
>pillow blocks on each of the mounting bolts.
>
>At the left-hand end the shaft should be flush with the outside edge of the
>left-hand pillow-block bearing. On the right hand end the shaft extends 5
>or 6" beyond the right-hand pillow-block bearing. On this end of the
shaft,
>mount a 3"-diameter chain sproket close to the bearing. The shaft must be
>mounted high enough off the floor so that the chain sproket will clear the
>floor, even without the stacks of washers.
>
>Remove the pedal from the Shimpo, and mount another 3" chain sprocket in
>place of the pedal. Make sure that the two sprokets are perfectly alligned
>one above the other, and then cut off the excess shaft on the Shimpo.
Mount
>the pedal on the lower shaft. Install the correct chain with a master
link,
>so that there is as little slack as possible, and then remove washers from
>beneath the pillow-block bearings as necessary to snug the chain up
tightly.
>For this kind of limited slow chain-movement, there need be no slack on the
>chain at all, and this will give you very positive, exact pedal movement.
>
>Make a simple sheet-metal cover to protect the chain, so that it does not
>get contaminated with clay, and so that your pantleg does not get
>contaminated with chain lube. Lube the chain periodically.
>
>With all that said, the reality is that the shaft you purchase will be an
>American size, and the Shimpo shaft will be a metric size. The simplest
>solution would be to take the Shimpo pedal to your local machinst, and have
>the hole bored out to the next larger standard American shaft-size, and
>purchase that size shaft and bearings. When you purchase the sprockets,
get
>the lower one to fit the American size shaft, and the upper one to fit the
>metric Shimpo shaft. The metric one may have to be special ordered, but it
>is available.
>
>This will work perfectly. If you build it, let me know how it turns out.
>Good luck -
>- Vince
>
>Vince Pitelka
>Appalachian Center for Crafts
>Tennessee Technological University
>1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
>Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
>615/597-5376
>Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
>615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
>http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
___
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com
Logan Oplinger on wed 31 jan 01
Mitch,
The location of the foot pedal, after raising the wheel, should be about even w/ or a little lower than your right knee. The hand lever may also be in the way somewhat if you have not already taken it off.
Possible options to modify your Shimpo wheel:
See if the design of the shaft where the foot pedal is attached allows the pedal to be turned upside down. (If there is a flat notch on the shaft where the set screw tightens against, it will be necessary to file a new notch on the other side of the shaft). Rotating the pedal around will also turn the hand lever toward the floor. If the hand lever is too long, then rotate the hand lever until the hand knob is about 2 - 3" off the floor.
1. Replace the hand knob with a bicycle pedal that can be clamped to the hand lever. The position of the bicyle pedal will require speed adjustments to be made by puting your foot on the pedal and moving the pedal forward to reduce speed, and back to increase speed.
2. Replace the hand knob with a stirrup similar to the type used on a doctor's examination table. The part of the stirrup where the sole of the foot rests will have to be removed. The stirrup will have to be attached to the hand lever at a right angle so that it will wrap around your ankle as your foot rests flat on the floor.
Speed adjustments are made by sliding your foot forward and back on the floor. This pushes against the stirrup with the front or back of your leg as you move your foot.
I hope this helps some with ideas. I do not yet know how the bicycle pedal or the stirrup must be attached to the hand lever. My wheel is not nearby. Also, your specific body dimensions and seating arrangement will determine how successful the above suggestions are.
Logan Oplinger
---- you wrote:
> I have modified my wheel and seat position to lessen the strain on my
> back by lifting my Shimpo wheel about 13" from the floor, and lifting
> and tilting my seat forward so that the wheel head is about at my navel
> and my legs are stretched out around the motor casing.
> The Shimpo pedal is now quite high off the floor, and is uncomfortable
> to try to rest my right foot onto while centering/pulling and other
> times where I want to change the wheel head speed.
> Have any potters modified the mechanical pedal attachment so that the
> pedal is relocated below the wheel and in a comfortable position close
> to the floor?
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Lili Krakowski on wed 31 jan 01
Having stood while throwing for many years now I find it just as good on
back, knees, neck, ankles, (and temper) as I had hoped. At Seagrove was
it? I saw a production potter not only standing at his wheel but
manipulating the pedal BY HAND. I have been doing the same for about 2
years now and have found that if I "set" the wheel I can adjust my
throwing accordingly so that I really do not have to change the setting
more than once or twice and then only for big pots or large plates.
On many kick wheels and the really old-time waerdriven factory wheels the
potter adjusted to wheel speed, not vise versa. It takes practice (abut a
day's worth) but altogether is worthwhile. Try it.
Lili Krakowski
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