# Pottery Wheel



## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

1 Horsepower - would be "sufficient"

In fact it would be major overkill! 

0.1 Hp would be more than enough

They used to use pedals to drive the potters wheel - cycling fairly hard is about 50 Watts

So the actual power needed for a potters wheel is probably more like 10 Watts - or 1/75th of a Horsepower


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## Dalton (Jul 8, 2021)

Duncan said:


> 1 Horsepower - would be "sufficient"
> 
> In fact it would be major overkill!
> 
> ...


Could you recommend some motors and sources?


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## Dalton (Jul 8, 2021)

Dalton said:


> Could you recommend some motors and sources?


I am not going to use it as a potters' wheel.
It will be like a vertical lathe to turn log slabs and cut and shape them with various tools.
It might require a bit more power than a potters' wheel.
I would like it to be coupled to a direct shaft up to the turntable rather than having pulleys and belts.
I know nothing about electric motors.

Thanks, Dalton


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

Dalton said:


> I am not going to use it as a potters' wheel.
> It will be like a vertical lathe to turn log slabs and cut and shape them with various tools.
> It might require a bit more power than a potters' wheel.
> I would like it to be coupled to a direct shaft up to the turntable rather than having pulleys and belts.
> ...


That's an entirely different application to a potters wheel - and will need about 100 times the torque!

Direct drive to something like that is a bad idea!

It would need a big motor to get the torque and if something went wrong it would be lethally dangerous

Belts and pulleys are used to multiply the torque while reducing the speed and also provide a torque limiting feature if something goes wrong


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## Dalton (Jul 8, 2021)

Duncan said:


> That's an entirely different application to a potters wheel - and will need about 100 times the torque!
> 
> Direct drive to something like that is a bad idea!
> 
> ...


I have been using a Dewalt cordless drill to operate it in the past with a small pulley and belt driving a larger pulley.
I have both variable speed and reversible capabilities with this setup.
It is kind of crude and I want to update it to it's own dedicated motor with better controls.
This has been working quite well.
I would like to find a motor with similar capabilities if possible to take the place of the Dewalt.

Thanks, Dalton


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## MattsAwesomeStuff (Aug 10, 2017)

I'd find a broken treadmill and take the motor from that. It'll be DC. It'll have a controller you can salvage too. It'll be reversible by just adding a DPDT switch to the motor leads (motor brushes might be tapered because a treadmill only spins one way, but, should be generally fine).

And you can do all that for probably free.


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## Dalton (Jul 8, 2021)

MattsAwesomeStuff said:


> I'd find a broken treadmill and take the motor from that. It'll be DC. It'll have a controller you can salvage too. It'll be reversible by just adding a DPDT switch to the motor leads (motor brushes might be tapered because a treadmill only spins one way, but, should be generally fine).
> 
> And you can do all that for probably free.


Wow! That is a great idea.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

What this thread really needed for clarity was a much better title, such as "custom lathe" instead of "pottery wheel".


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## Dalton (Jul 8, 2021)

brian_ said:


> What this thread really needed for clarity was a much better title, such as "custom lathe" instead of "pottery wheel".


I thought it would be diffucult to describe my contraption but you are right.
Pottery wheel is way off.
With my crude prototype. I have made and sold quite a few wood creations.
I could post a schematic but that would just raise more questions.
I will continue my search for a more acceptable motor.


Thanks, Dalton


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## Dalton (Jul 8, 2021)

Dalton said:


> I thought it would be diffucult to describe my contraption but you are right.
> Pottery wheel is way off.
> With my crude prototype. I have made and sold quite a few wood creations.
> I could post a schematic but that would just raise more questions.
> ...


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

You would need that motors big big brother - 1.5 kg cm - is 1.5 kg force at 1 cm

You will (guess) need more like 10 kg of force to drive the chisels into the wood at 15 cm distance 

So about 100 times the torque


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## Dalton (Jul 8, 2021)

Dalton said:


> I thought it would be diffucult to describe my contraption but you are right.
> Pottery wheel is way off.
> With my crude prototype. I have made and sold quite a few wood creations.
> I could post a schematic but that would just raise more questions.
> ...


I found this on Amazon which I think will work:


Duncan said:


> You would need that motors big big brother - 1.5 kg cm - is 1.5 kg force at 1 cm
> 
> You will (guess) need more like 10 kg of force to drive the chisels into the wood at 15 cm distance
> 
> So about 100 times the torque


I was infomed that a one horsepower motor would be way overkill.


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## Dalton (Jul 8, 2021)

Dalton said:


> I found this on Amazon which I think will work:
> 
> I was infomed that a one horsepower motor would be way overkill.


How do kg's cm equate to horsepower?


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Dalton said:


> How do kg's cm equate to horsepower?


That's a measure (in not-quite-correct units) of torque. Power is torque multiplied by speed.


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## Dalton (Jul 8, 2021)

brian_ said:


> That's a measure (in not-quite-correct units) of torque. Power is torque multiplied by speed.


How would a 1.5 kg cm motor compare with a 1 HP motor?


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## Duncan (Dec 8, 2008)

Dalton said:


> I found this on Amazon which I think will work:
> 
> I was infomed that a one horsepower motor would be way overkill.


That was for the potters wheel!
For your vertical lathe 1 hp is about right

1 hp = 750 Watts 

WEN Technology - Calculators

Required Torque - it would take 20 lbs force to drive the chisel (?) and the work piece is 20 inches diameter 
So 20 lbs x 10 inches = 200 lb inches 

Put that into the calculator

Rpm - call it 100 rpm (?) - put that into the calculator 

That gives 0.32 Hp

Stick your own numbers into the calculator - you will have a much better idea of how much force the chisels take and how many rpm you need


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## Dalton (Jul 8, 2021)

Duncan said:


> That was for the potters wheel!
> For your vertical lathe 1 hp is about right
> 
> 1 hp = 750 Watts
> ...


I believe you.
Thank you for the calculations.


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## Dalton (Jul 8, 2021)

Dalton said:


> I believe you.
> Thank you for the calculations.


What does 1/150 horsepower mean?


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Dalton said:


> What does 1/150 horsepower mean?


It's hard to be sure without some context (where did you see this?), but presumably it simply means one one-hundred-and-fifieth of one horsepower... 150 motors with that power output would add up to one horsepower of total output. 746 divided by 150 is about 5, so that's 1/50 hp is 5 watts.

Here's a motor of that size, randomly found in a web search: C-FRAME MOTOR,1/150 HP,3000RPM,120 It's for driving a small fan.

I don't think that you should use a hundred of those motors together.


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## Dalton (Jul 8, 2021)

brian_ said:


> It's hard to be sure without some context (where did you see this?), but presumably it simply means one one-hundred-and-fifieth of one horsepower... 150 motors with that power output would add up to one horsepower of total output. 746 divided by 150 is about 5, so that's 1/50 hp is 5 watts.
> 
> Here's a motor of that size, randomly found in a web search: C-FRAME MOTOR,1/150 HP,3000RPM,120 It's for driving a small fan.
> 
> I don't think that you should use a hundred of those motors together.


Thanks again, Brian. I think I will look for a 1 HP motor.


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## Functional Artist (Aug 8, 2016)

Maybe a simple 48V 1,000W My-1020 type motor kit may do the trick (~1.2HP)
This kit comes with the motor, speed controller, key switch & throttle control. (~$100.00)
1000 W 48V electric scooter motor kit w BASE+control box key lock & Throttle | eBay 

The controller & throttle should allow you to set the speed infinitely (within the motors RPM range anyways)

I have used them on many different go karts & can tell you, their very powerful & can take a load pretty well

Here is an example of their capability
...check out !ARRIBA!


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## Dalton (Jul 8, 2021)

Functional Artist said:


> Maybe a simple 48V 1,000W My-1020 type motor kit may do the trick (~1.2HP)
> This kit comes with the motor, speed controller, key switch & throttle control. (~$100.00)
> 1000 W 48V electric scooter motor kit w BASE+control box key lock & Throttle | eBay
> 
> ...


Thanks, I looked at it and it would probably be perfect.
I ordered a motor and I should get it tomorrow but I am sure it will be lacking in power.
I will strongly consider this kit if I need more power.

Dalton

[edited for formatting by Matt]


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