The Moorlands Repair Café recently received an appeal for help from another local voluntary organisation, the Foxlowe Clay Collective, to see if we could repair a faulty Shimpo Potter's Wheel, which no longer revolved.
A thorough inspection and testing were conducted, and we concluded that the microcontroller on the motor driver board had failed. Thankfully, the motor and mechanical components were all working as expected. Repairing surface-mount components of this nature is usually beyond the skill set of our volunteers, so a replacement part was recommended.
Research discovered that Shimpo machines were imported from Japan by a local business, PotClays Ltd. of Etruria, so an email was sent to their technical department seeking their help. Further troubleshooting was advised, and they too concluded the motor driver board was dead.
Thankfully, parts were readily available, so a new driver board was purchased and promptly fitted. After calibration, testing, and reassembly, the machine was back to full working order; a final electrical safety PAT test was completed and the unit was returned to the pottery studio.
‘What a feat of efficiency and collaboration!’ said the members of the Foxlowe Clay Collective ‘Many thanks to the Repair Café for such expert help. Working together and summoning local resources, our pottery wheel was swiftly diagnosed and repaired. Reaching out to the Moorlands Repair Café has saved us hundreds of pounds, and without Simon and the team our wheel would have been out of action for weeks, if not months, sending it off for costly diagnostics, replacement part sourcing and repair. Instead, we have thrown our first pots again already. Happy potters!’