Clay Pottery Wheel Views
Later the fast wheel was developed, which operated on the flywheel principle. It utilised energy stored in the rotating mass of the heavy stone wheel itself to speed the process. This wheel was wound up and charged with energy by kicking, or pushing it around with a stick, providing a centrifugal force. The fast wheel enabled a new process of pottery-making to develop, called throwing , in which a lump of clay was placed centrally on the wheel and then squeezed, lifted and shaped as the wheel turned. The process tends to leave rings on the inside of the pot and can be used to create thinner-walled pieces and a wider variety of shapes, including stemmed vessels, so wheel-thrown pottery can be distinguished from hand-made. Potters could now produce many more pots per hour, a first step towards industrialization.
The most common type of pottery wheel these days is electric. It comes with a foot pedal that turns the wheel faster when pressure is put on it. The wheel is placed in a frame and is about waist high. You sit in front of the wheel and lean forward to work with the clay. The wheel will turn non-stop as long as there is pressure on the foot pedal. As it is turning, the potter is molding the clay into the piece he wants to make. Each step in making the piece will require a certain speed for the wheel to turn. The potter will have it turn relatively slowly as he centers the clay, and much faster as he makes the clay taller. All the while, he is wetting the clay or sponging the clay. He may even be using a special tool to cut lines into the piece. This is what the splash guard is for. As the potter is working on the piece, he doesn't have to worry about the clay getting thrown all over the room.
Clay Pottery Wheel Images
