This was my first attempt at making a machine and it was good fun.

A commercial potter’s wheel with the same capabilities would cost over £600. I think I spent about £80. It was a nice opportunity to learn about different types of bearings, gears, motors and pulleys, as well as variable speed motor controllers.

I knew I needed a motor able to produce high torque at low speeds, so I chose a 24V 150W motor normally used in electric scooters. It’s powered by a 24V power supply capable of supplying 10A. The trick to achieving variable speed was to use a cheap PWM motor controller capable of handling the current. I used a heavy cast iron pulley and hub to give the wheel some momentum. The wheel itself is just a piece of chipboard machined to fit the hub, with holes for fastening socket cap screws. These are aligned perfectly into matching holes in the removable bats. The plastic splash pan, normally sold for £50-90, was made by modifying a mechanic’s oil drain pan – which cost £2.99.

I designed main structure with an integrated seat, so that the weight of the user provides extra stability. Not being a potter, the height of the the seat in relation to the wheel seemed about right to me. However after some research into the ergonomics of a potter’s wheel, it turns out the wheel should be much higher. There seems to be a consensus that navel height is the optimum place for the wheelhead.

I haven’t noticed any back aching yet, but in future I will probably cut the seat off, move the leg close to the wheel and then use a separate height-adjustable stool.