Maintaining your pottery wheel

Over the last few years, we have seen several customers buy Shimpo Pottery Wheel in India. Whether they are accomplished artist or novice potter, it is a prized possession. This needs to be maintained properly for it to have a better life span. Below are few maintenance tips that can be followed easily to provide better longevity.

Power Surges:

Sudden power surges are encountered across several states in India. This could cause your wheel components to get damaged. To avoid this, buy a surge protector and connect your wheel to this.  This will cut the power to the wheel, when there is a power surge and thus prevent damage to wheel components. You can buy this from Amazon and there are several brands, the Belkin brand is a good option.

Rusting:

Corrosion or rusting of the wheel head is one of the common problems. This could be caused because of

• leaving wet clay on the wheel head overnight
• not cleaning the wheel head thoroughly after every use
• Using acid based cleaners 

Cleaning Wheel Head:

To prevent corrosion, always clean your wheel head thoroughly after every single use. You can use tap water and a sponge to clean. Once cleaned, wipe with dry cloth. Always keep your wheel head dry after every use.

If you notice any spots on the wheel head, you can clean this with a super fine emery sheet (800-1000 size) or scotch bright from your kitchen. Note: This tip is applicable only for Shimpo wheels that are made of Aluminium Alloy.

Cleaning Splash Pan:

Very important and easy to follow tip is to never clean your wheel pan leaving them on the wheel. You may tend to spill clay slurry into the bearing shaft. This could cause irreversible damage to the wheel. So always remove the wheel pan and have them cleaned elsewhere.

Switch off power:

One last recommended step is to always switch off the power of the wheel when not in use.

With the above simple and easy tips, one should be able to maintain your electric pottery wheel for longer duration.