Hybrid Powered Potter's Wheel

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Hybrid Powered Potter's Wheel

This was a collaboration between me and John Palombo with the assistance of Mariya Kalso. The idea was to create a potter's wheel that married the desirable stability of a kick wheel with the comforting ease of a powered wheel - without the inherent instability of electrically powered models on the market now. And do it all for only a few dollars cost in specialty bearings! I came up with an idea to drive a larger sized wheel with a very small lower amperage electric motor, intending for the operator to kick the wheel to speed, and then flick a switch to keep it running. The result turned out to be a wheel that has all the torque and smooth running stability of a massive kick wheel, but can be run with a solar PV system to avoid the repetitive strain of constant kicking. The project realized this vision in the summer of 2000. Enjoy the pix detailing what it looks like and some of the construction detailing.

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