Banding Wheel

Banding wheel image

A simple turntable rotated by hand, onto which work may be set and spun around in order to apply decorative bands or work the piece evenly. On many banding wheels, including very heavy cast-iron ones, the wheelhead is not attached to the base, and if the banding wheel is picked up by the head, the base will fall off and hit the floor - or your toes - with an embarrassing crash that I hear dang near every day in my studio. Don't say I didn't tell you too.

In my high school studio, when students are using banding wheels to help build coil pots, for example, at the end of the day they tend to want to wrap up their pieces and the banding wheels together in plastic and then carry them to their shelves. I rule against this because I don't have enough banding wheels for every student in every class; because carrying projects on banding wheels, especially all wrapped up, is precarious (I've seen more than one pot meet its end this way); and because it can make pieces taller than what will fit on the cabinet shelves, which frustrates some rocket scientists. I instead recommend they use small ware boards to transport and store their pieces on.

time well spent

closeup view Jack Troy cup, links to Jack Troy artist page

time to explore

link to newest page of ceramic artist links, including link to Scott Parady, pictured

time flies

Link to monthly image blog