"Buck" wrote in message
t...
They're all over the place, of course, and have dozens of characteristics
and quirks.

I remember two things (From how long ago I will not mention!):

1. A MASSIVE foot powered wheel that seemed to hold momentum forever. No
power required except the legs. Are these antiques, (or at the very least)
vintage now?

Any DIY possibilites?

[I've seen kickwheels built from car parts; a VW as I recall. But these are
pretty simple machines; all you need is a bottom thrust bearing, a flywheel
(a tire filled with concrete) an axle, and a top plate with axial bearing,
plus a wooden frame to hold all that and sit in. I still like my kickwheel
for trimming, but it's hard to beat the electrics for throwing, especially
for larger pieces.]

2. A little kick lever powered rig with an aluminum top wheel, that seemed
to want to fly apart when you were pedaling it up to speed, and DID NOT
hold momentum.

[I haven't seen one of those for quite a while.]

Well, there are now a myriad of these little electrical ones all over
the web, and they do look simple, but I want something that just doesn't
vibrate.

They look so light that I have suspicions.

Any Help?

thanks.

Buck

[There are some wheels sold as toys, that really don't work at all for
things larger than a teacup. But the professional brands are pretty good;
modern electric speed controls are cheaper than the mechanical systems that
used to prevail, and actually do function pretty well.]

'

(P.S. Good sources of equipment and raw materials in the SF Bay Area.
Tools, clay, glazes?)

Thanks Again
[The SF Bay Area has lots of good ceramic supply places: Leslie Ceramics in
Oakland, Claypeople in Richmond, Ceramics and Crafts on Bryant St. in SF;
Sherry's in San Carlos - I'm sure there are more.]

Andrew Werby
www.unitedartworks.com