Pottery making is a beautiful work of art that requires delicate craftsmanship. No doubt, essential equipment helps the pottery-making process easier to carry out. No doubt, a Pottery wheel is one of the most needed gears for pottery making. But buying one can be very expensive for someone who wants to practice the art as a hobby.

Indeed, this craftmanship still requires a best pottery wheel, so why not make a cheap yet sturdy pottery wheel that will help you perfect the skill. Yes, this article is all about making a pottery wheel at home, and it is relatively cheaper than buying a professional one. Moreover, we guarantee that it will work just fine and help you make incredible things!

Homemade Pottery Wheel: Structure

Since we are getting deep into the discussion about homemade pottery wheels, we must know our options for making one at home. You might find the structure complicated, but there are two basic types you need to know:

1. The manual Pottery wheel: Of course, it requires a paddle that is further operated through the foot to make the pottery wheel spin while you craft. It can be tiring, but you can adjust the wheel’s speed accordingly.
2. The electrical Pottery wheel: The electric motor has an electric motor that helps the wheel rotate. It is the most used and more reliable one because it requires no paddling, and your complete focus will be on the pottery clay.

Indeed, which one is more appealing and perfect for your project is your personal choice. But we have some easy yet affordable ways to make the pottery wheel at home with just a bunch of components. This DIY pottery wheel project will help you stay on budget and help you pursue your hobby and leisure time of enjoyment.

Ideas for Pottery Wheel DIY

Here are a few ideas that we have tried and love for making a perfect pottery wheel:

• Kick Pottery wheel
• Ceiling fan Pottery wheel
• Car wheel Pottery wheel
• Bike and the electric drill Pottery wheel
• Scooter Pottery wheel

Making a Pottery wheel: Kick Pottery wheel

The kick pottery wheel is manual. It may require lots of strength in rotating because we are using a concrete rotator weighing around 100 pounds. Keeping the high weight of concrete will help you have a steady speed and a bit of leg work out too.

Requirements

Following are the things that you will need:

• One wooden plank cut into a circle of around 16 inches in diameter.
• Concrete circle of around 20 inches diameter with a hole on the size of the dwell in the mid. The concrete must weigh around 100 pounds.
• Thick wooden dwell, adjust according to your height.
• Metal washer rings or rotating washers.
• Base plank of wooden that would be around 5 inches thick.
• Drill
• Screws
• Industrial glue
• Two 12-inches squared metal plates with screw holes and the middle hole of the thickness of dwell.

Building Method

1. First, with the help of the drill, screw down the metal washers.
2. Also, screw the dwell to the upper end of the washer.
3. Slip in one metal plate and screw it to the dwell just right above the washer.
4. Now carefully, push down the concrete circle through the dwell, and you will notice the metal plates will stop it. Screw the plate with the concrete.
5. Similarly, push the remaining metal plate over the dwell and concrete and screw it too for a firm structure.
6. Now place the 16-inches wooden plank over the upper end of the dwell and screw it down as well.
7. Lastly, fill the screw gaps with industrial glue and let it cure extra safety.
8. Now place a chair near your kick pottery wheel. Rotate the concrete with your foot and make pottery over the top wooden plank.

Making a Pottery wheel: Ceiling fan Pottery wheel

The ceiling fan pottery wheel is straightforward to make. It required the connection of the wooden plank to the motor from the ceiling fan and the connection through the bucket. It is one of the cheapest options for an electrically powered pottery wheel.

Requirements

Following are the things that you will need:

• One wooden plank
• Electrical motor from a ceiling fan
• Bucket
• Drill
• Screws
• L-shape metal brackets
• Industrial glue

Building Method

1. Cut the two plies of wooden plank according to the diameter of the bucket.
2. Use the other plank to fit into the bucket. Use L-shaped brackets if needed.
3. You will notice that one part of the fan motor rotates while the base doesn’t. Screw the rotation part to one of the wooden planks.
4. Now carefully place the motor inside the bucket and connect it to the lower wood with the help of industrial glue and an l-shaped bracket.
5. Now drill the sides of the bucket for wiring.
6. Connect the motor to the power and watch it rotate like a pottery wheel.

Making a Pottery wheel: Car wheel Pottery wheel

The car wheel pottery wheel is an affordable manual pottery wheel idea. It may require rotating from one hand and crafting from the other, but it is very cheap since you can find wheels at a cheaper price or primarily free.

Requirements

Following are the things that you will need:

• Wooden base or a log
• Car wheel
• Hub of the wheel from the car
• Drill
• Screws
• Industrial glue

Building Method

1. Start with connecting the hub to the car wheel. It would be best to secure it in place so that it doesn’t wobble around.
2. Now drill and screw the other end of the hub to the base. We are using a log here but be creative and find a sturdy base.
3. Make sure that the hub piece must connect the base.
4. Now spin the wheel with your hand and look that the wheel spinning like a pottery wheel.
5. Lastly, seal all the screws with industrial glue and enjoy.

Making a Pottery wheel: Bike and drill Pottery wheel

The bike and drill pottery wheel may not be an easy project and may also need technical expertise. It may also require a lot of work, but in the end, it is worth the struggle and the money you have saved.

Requirements

Following are the things that you will need:

• Bike frame
• Electrical Drill
• Bike gears
• 3 to 4 Wooden planks
• Screws
• Zip ties
• washers

Building Method

1. Place the bike frame in a horizontal position. We use wooden planks as support, screw them to the fame, and make sure it stands upright.
2. Now cut the wooden plank into a circular shape. We are going for 16 inches in diameter.
3. Find the center of the circular plank and drill a hole in it.
4. Place a washer through the front sprocket of the bike.
5. Now connect the drilled middle with the same sprocket of the bike frame.
6. This part is a bit technical. Connect the drill to the back sprocket. You can do it by inserting the sprocket inside the drill bit. Make sure it is tight so that you get steady rotation.
7. To place the drill on the bike frame, find a linear position to the wooden plank. Use zip ties if needed.
8. Now add the bike chain to connect both sprockets.
9. Finally, press the ON button on the drill and look at the circular wooden plank moving.

Making a Pottery wheel: Scooter Pottery wheel

The scooter pottery wheel is ideal for someone who wants to work on advanced pottery techniques. We will not guarantee that the process of making this pottery wheel will be easy and quick, but once you make it, it is the best and long-lasting DIY pottery wheel you will ever have.

Requirements

Following are the things that you will need:

• Oil pan
• Sturdy yet Old wooden table
• Electric motor from the scooter
• Wheel from the scooter
• Old scooter frame
• 3 to 4 Wooden planks
• Wooden dwell
• Screws
• Zip ties
• Industrial glue
• L-shaped brackets

Building Method

1. Take the oil pan of the scooter. Measure the circular dimension of the pan and cut the wooden plank according to it.
2. Place the wooden plank inside the oil pan and fix it with screws or industrial glue.
3. Let us make a frame now, and we are using an old wooden table that is large and sturdy. Secure the table in one place as a base.
4. Drill a hole in the middle of the oil pan.
5. Push the wooden dwell through the pan so that the wooden plank and dwell seem plain. Fix the dwell from the bottom of the oil plan with screws or L-shaped brackets.
6. Connect the bottom of the dwell with the sprocket of the scooter frame.
7. Now connect the motor from the scooter with the smaller sprocket of the frame. You can also use a chain from the bike to connect the motor and the sprockets.
8. Secure the motor with zip ties instead of welding it to the frame.
9. It is time to add a power supply with the motor. We are using the rechargeable battery from the same scooter. Carefully connect the wires and look at the motor moving.

Final Verdict

So, we have come up with the best DYI projects to make your pottery wheel. They all have a difficulty level from easy to hard, but one thing is assured that they are all worth the effort and help you save a lot of money.

Just look around; you can find the readily available equipment for making a pottery wheel. Indeed, you might be new to this, but if you follow the steps and look at the technical details, you will make the best one with precision. So, enjoy making one and then enjoy your time with the pottery making itself: cheers and best of luck for the projects.