i'm looking for a good pottery wheel to buy my significant other for christmas. she is quite good at it, so i want something nice. my problem is that i don't know the first thing about pottery. i'd like to get her a nice wheel with an electric foot pedal, and enough hp to center weight well. i think 1/2hp or higher should do. if possible, i'd also like a small kiln. unless you can use the oven?? any advice is appreciated, thank you.
2007-09-19 07:53:23 · 4 answers · asked by shaolin_guitarist 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Visual Arts ➔ Sculpture
Look in your local yellow pages for clay suppliers, pottery suppliers and kilns. Any of those may lead you to the products you are looking for in your own local area. On the Internet, Cheap Joes' Art supplies is an excellent source for art supplies. You might also call the local community college art department for recommendations of where to buy new or used equipment. Some of their professors might have just used his or hers enough to be looking for a new one, and be willing to sell you an old one. Good luck. She's lucky to have someone so sensitive to her needs.
http://www.cheapjoes.com
2007-09-21 19:44:15 · answer #1 · answered by Jeanne B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've been a professional potter for over 35 years. I use a Pacifica potters wheel. Brent is also a good wheel, but I prefer the foot pedal on the Pacifica. It feels more soild and easier to control speed. I just purchased an Artista Wheel from Creative Industries. It is a small portable wheel with plenty of power that I take to shows with me.
For a Kiln I suggest L&L. I've owned several brands over the years and L&L is the best! It has a patented method of holding the kiln elements (the wires that heat up) in place using a ceramic channel. ALL other kiln have the elements resting in a channel carved into the soft insulating brick. In time the walls will chip and the elements willl sag out of the channel. Not in an L&L. L&L does sell seconds. I bought my last one as a second, had a small chip on the bottom, just cosmetic. The L&L is also a digital kiln. You can program the firing cycle to rise X degrees per hour, and hold at specific temperatures and you can control the cooling, a VERY important factor in glaze control. No oven!!! You willl also need to know your electric info (single phase, 3 phase) when ordering a kiln.
Hope this helps. My website is below. I do have plans for a Leach treadle wheel(foot powered).
2007-09-22 13:13:05 · answer #2 · answered by Linda S 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If she is a potter you will need a kiln not your oven.
You can actually build a wheel if you are slightly talented. Go to the library or might even find instructions on the Internet. A bench and a motor and a turntable is about all they are. Depending on where you are look for a pottery supply house and you can get prices on both items to buy. A good side kiln can be from $900 to $2500. A good wheel could be as low as $500 and goes up from there.
Again depending on where you are check local auctions. I've bought kilns at auctions for as little as $25.00
2007-09-20 09:14:47 · answer #3 · answered by Lyn B 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Go to a craft store or hobby shop. You can also check the yellow pages to see if there is a store that specializes in making pottery. EBay or Amazon might help you find a used one at a pretty good price.
2016-05-18 07:45:33 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋