Country Pottery Kickwheel

by Moose Gueydan in Workshop > Tools

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Country Pottery Kickwheel

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Build a old fashioned rotary flywheel Pottery Kickwheel for about 100$


After a lot of searching on the internt, I could not find a decent drawing of a console style kickwheel for making pottery. so I made one. Measured drawings included...

Building the Base Frame and Seatposts

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Using standard dimensional lumber (2x4) the build begins with the back and floor frame.

Front Frame and Seat Supports

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adding the front frame and the seat supports

The Adjustable Seat

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the adjustabel seat is made of 2 (or 3) 2x4's attached with 7 inch peices of 2x4

Adding Frame Peices

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additiional peices are attached to the frame.

Drawing Out the Flywheel

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drawing the 31.5 inch disks from a peice of 8x4 plywood.



this is a cheap trick, fit you have a center hole drilled, just poke a hole in a peice of cardboard , measure out the radius, poke another hole there, and use it like a disposable compass

Cutting the Flywheel Top and Bottom

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you will need to cut 2 31.5 inch disks from plywood. save all the scrap (see measured drawing)

use a circular saw to split the plywood into 2 4x4 sections, then cut the disks out with a jigsaw.

Flywheel Cuts

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you should have 2 flywheel dosks and 4 half moon shaped peices of plywood.

(only one shown)

drill a 1 in hole on the center of the disks, and attach the 1in floor flanges to the disks.

Weighting the Flywheel

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using constuction adhesive, glue the bricks t the bottom flywheel disks.


Finishing the Flywheel

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using more constuction adhesive, glue the top of the flywheel down and weight down.

imusing a 1 inch hoe handle to aligh the disks while they are drying.

Bolting the Flywheel to the Base

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after temprarily removing the base boards, the flang bearing is attached to the flywheel with a 3 inch pipe nipple.

Flywheel Installation

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the flywheel is slid into place and secured with screws

Wheel Head Shaft and Support

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the wheel head shaft is a peice of 29 inch galvanized pipe. the 1 5/.16 pillow block is driven on, and secured with a top frame support

Completing the Wheel

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more freame peices are cut, the leftover plywood is fit into place to secure the console.


the wheel head is another 10 inch disk cut from the same sheet of plywood. alternatovle, you could but a ready made aluminium disk, or use a cake pan full of plaster...

Moose and the Infernal Machine

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A very tired moose relaxes with his new construction

nothing left but painting...

Measured Drawings

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this is a set of ikea style measued drawing and material list.

if you have any questions ytou can contact me on facebook at Moosestudiospottery

Measured Drawings

wheel 09.jpg
001 flywheel sheet plan.jpg
002 seat asymbly.jpg
003 wheel 01 exploded.jpg
004 wheel 02 exploded.jpg
005 wheel 03 shaft and wheel head.jpg
006 wheelhead.jpg
006 wheel 05 exploded.jpg
flywheel installation.jpg
007 wheel 06 skin exploded.jpg
011 end page .jpg
the following include the build drawings.