Update on the Wheels
Firebox will have nine Shimpo VL-Whispers and eight Brent CXCs.
Why two kinds of wheels?
When I asked potters what they preferred, the answer was not one wheel. It was two camps.
Some people love the Shimpo — the quiet operation, the freely rotating wheelhead, the control at low speeds. Others prefer the Brent's feel and torque, particularly when centering larger amounts of clay. Both are excellent wheels. Potters just want different things from them.
Rather than picking a side, we are putting both in the studio. Students and members can try both and figure out which one suits the way they work.
What you do not see
Seventeen pottery wheels draw a lot of power. Every wheel running at the same time, alongside two kilns, ventilation, and lighting, adds up to a real electrical load. Shimpos and Brents have different power draws, and this particular combination — nine of one, eight of the other — fits comfortably within the three-phase electrical system we already have in place at 9 Lexington Street.
That is the kind of constraint that shapes equipment decisions in a studio. It is not enough for a wheel to be a good wheel. It has to work with the building, the circuitry, the kiln schedule, and everything else drawing power at the same time. A studio with seventeen of the same high-draw wheel might need an electrical upgrade that costs thousands of dollars and weeks of contractor time. This mix avoids that entirely.
The orders are going in this week. Some wheels ship immediately; the rest are expected in about four weeks.
Current stage: equipment ordering and buildout
Follow the Build
Firebox Pottery Studio opens Fall 2026 at 9 Lexington Street in Belmont, MA. Memberships, classes, and workshops for every level.
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