Homemade Pottery Wheel

Here is what the inside of the Treadmill looked like.

I started by locating materials to see if it was feasible.  

Treated lumber from the barn for the frame = Free
3/4x4x8 Hard Plastic siding panel from salvage yard=$15
Wheel Hub from a 1985 Buick Century Ebay =$20 free shipping
2 pulleys and tractor hitch pin Tractor supply =40
v-Belt auto parts =$7
Corian for wheel head=$5
Misc bolts, nuts, screws=$15
Bat from ceramic supply=$4

@$106

Being able to build this for my daughter....priceless..

I started with assembling the base with a 2x6 ripped in half to form the legs and then used a couple of 1x4s to wrap the frame.

I chose the covering to be a white  ridged plastic siding board that machines well and would be water proof.  I used this panel material before on my old boat "No Alibi" (may she rest in peace).  I used it to cover up a large soft spot in the floor. We beat the snot out of it and it held up well. 

With this material you can use standard woodworking tools.

I used a wheel hub and tractor hitch pin to fabricate a wheel head to pulley connection.  I used an old 110 volt stick welder to assemble the pieces and this was the result....lol...it held but wasn't pretty.  I additionally went back and put JB weld to make sure it wouldn't come apart Christmas morning....still lol.

I thought about building a pulley but for 20 dollars at Tractor supply I couldn't afford to waste anymore time. I used a 12 inch head pulley and a 2" motor pulley.  The wheel head is quiet, plenty of power and you only have to run the speed control about 1/3 way to use it.

Here is the DC treadmill motor that I used.  I kept the same round knob controller for now until I figure out how to wire in a foot pedal.  I just cut the frame from the treadmill and that let me use the adjustment to tighten the belt.  I think I will make a mechanical foot control incorporating the treadmills control knob for now. 

This is how I wired it using the same controller that came with the treadmill.  I mounted the choke and controller inside an old cooler to help with water intrusion.  The wheel will also be plugged into a GFI outlet.  

This turned out to be the thing that took the longest.  I had to get 2- 1/2" pieces and fasten them together to form the wheel head.  I recessed both pieces to accept the wheel hubs 5 bolts and then mounted the two together with three additional bolts to create the head.  Corian was cheap though $5. 

I have to head to tractor supply to find a splash pan...
White silicone caulk ....
and a box of clay!

Ill post some pictures of her art work after Christmas!

Again Thanks to Vertdude and to Instructables for the idea.

I found a rubber splash pan to finish it up. the last thing is two Allen screws to use for bat pins a little caulk and paint and it will be ready to go. Thanks for looking and I hope someone else can use this or improve upon it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfia698a18U

Christmas day.... it worked