Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus is provided for forming a miniature pot. A pottery wheel has a diameter no larger than two inches and rotates about a vertical axis. The wheel has a facing flat surface for supporting the miniature pot. A motor is coupled to the wheel for rotating the wheel about the axis at an adjustable rotational speed of between 200 and 10,000 revolutions per minute. A support base contains the motor and further includes a power source. The wheel extends above the base, and preferably includes the rotor portion of the motor. The wheel further includes a disk shaped platform and a support shaft. The platform is disengagable from the shaft so that a replacement platform may be engaged with the shaft. The platform further includes a clay preform attached to the surface of the platform. The apparatus is preferably small and light weight enough so that it may be supported by a hand and easily carried therein. A switch is also included that breaks the circuit between the motor and the power source, thereby allowing manual braking of the wheel for slowing wheel rotation. A vibrator is further included that produces lateral vibrational excursions of the platform. The vibrator allows special effects to be molded into the pot by producing lateral pot movements while the pot is rotating.

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First Claim