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Wheels & Throwing
Studio Potters Wheels
 &
Ergonomic Throwing Positions

Robert has a variety of electric wheels in his studio including a Shimpo, Soldner, Brent, and Pacifica.

Manual wheels in his studio include a custom made
"Standing Treadle" and a "Leach Treadle"

Robert added leg extensions to potters wheels making them very
comfortable on which to throw.  This particular wheel, a Pacifica, has a strong molded splash pan on which he rests his forearms for leverage.

After a back injury, Robert taught himself good posture when at the wheel.  He accomplishes this by keeping his back vertically aligned and his pelvis tilted. The unusual wooden platform he built under his chair is the key to a comfortable days work.

The wheel height is above that of the potter's waist. .The potter has  30-60% of his weight on the seat and can vary this up or down shifting more or less weight to their legs.

An office chair with an adjustable height control, air piston, is secured to a wood frame that is 2.5 inches taller in the back. This results in a chair that is always tilting forward to a slight degree.

The chair legs are secured to the wooden box with metal straps

When the potter sits on the chair, he can lean forward, tipping the wood box on it's front edge.

This propels the potter forward and over the wheel. The front edge of the wooden frame could even be secured to the floor with a hinge, since the potter does not need to slide the chair forward.

This design means a potter can sit on the chair, tip it forward to be over the wheel. When done throwing, he simply tips the chair back. Even with muddy hands, there is no need to touch the chair, and when tipped back on the wooden frame, there is ample room to access and egress the wheel.

Robert added a weight ( note duct tape at top of photo) under the front of the seat. This insures the chair remains in its proper position, with the chair's back  in the uphill position. There was a tendency for the seat to swing 180 degrees. The added weight countered balanced the weight of the chairs upper back support.

The wheel head can turn freely, when not engaged. This enables it to be used as  a sturdy turntable. 

Robert throwing on an Alpine gear driven wheel.

 In 1991 he was just starting to experiment raising the wheel height, shown in this photo, using cement blocks.

This was a first step in helping prevent back strain.

Robert improvised an ergonomic wheel when demonstrating at the New Zealand Potters Conference in 2002.

The wheel was raised onto cement blocks and the chair received its tilt by taping a wood block under the back legs.

Robert learned to throw with better posture by keeping his pelvis tilted, and raising the height of his wheel, to keep his back vertically aligned.

He can balance his weight between legs and seat, if the chair is tilted. 
This keeps his spine aligned and causes him to sit with good posture.

Robert  gets the seat angle by mounting an office chair to a wooden platform, that is raised in back.

 The entire box will tilt forward when he centers himself over the wheel.

The wheel was attached to the ceiling and used for making tall thin pots.

This technique has the potter working with gravity rather than against it.

Robert demonstrating throwing to a group of students as part of the Vermont Crafts in Schools program.

In the 1970's he threw in the low, bent over position seen here.
Back problems in later years caused him to re-think how to approach throwing on the potters wheel.

Chester Nealie
(Guest Potter from Australia)
at the 2002 New Zealand Potters Conference
 
This beautiful Leach Treadle Wheel  was made in New Zealand by Seaboard Joinery in the 1960's..

Chester Nealie
 (Guest Potter from Australia)
at the 2002 New Zealand Potters Conference

Chester uses the Leach Wheel as a turntable, by standing next to the wheel and slowly treadling.  In the photo above he is torching a piece to speed dry it.

Robert Compton, guest potter, at the 2002 New Zealand Potters Conference

  Sitting on an angle keeps his spine aligned and helps create good posture.

Robert achieved the tilted angle by taping a block of wood to the back feet of a stool.

When he is ready to throw, he tilts the chair forward onto it's front legs.

NZ potter, Peter Collis, at the 2002 New Zealand Potters Conference

Peter is using the same Pacifica Wheel to demonstrate at the conference, as Robert, but Peter throws in the more traditional low seated position.

Momentum or Kick Wheels are enjoyed by many potters.  When he was young it was his primary wheel.  Now, Robert finds the position hard to tolerate (hurting his back) for long periods of time and prefers to use electric wheels.

The wheel in this photograph was designed and built by Robert when he was starting out in clay in 1971.

Leach Wheels

In 2002 Robert brought back to the USA two Treadle Wheels made by Seaboard Joinery of Auckland, New Zealand.

 The wheels were made in the 1960's and were the most common potters wheel in the country for many years.  Kiwi potters now prefer electric wheels.  Many of these Leach Wheels has been abandoned and are rotting away in garages or even left outdoors.

In 2005 Kevin Ryan (left) purchased one of the two wheels Robert brought back from NZ.

Standing Treadle Wheel

This wheel was custom made for Robert in 1975. The design is such that the potter stands on his right leg while threading with the left leg.  He keeps his balance by leaning against a support board to the potter's right.

Robert used this wheel extensively in the 1970's and 1980's for trimming and as a large turntable for assembling thrown forms.

It's large catch basin is wonderful for catching trimmings, and the design gives you the ability to slowly rotate the wheel head, a great feature when assembling large forms.