The Controller
Okay, this might get a little technical. Our controllers use only the highest quality components. If you look at our controller side be side with competitors you will see that ours is often twice the size. This allows for larger, more robust components that are spaced properly to reduce heat.
Controllers have settings that determine the min/max speed, the torque,the rate at which the wheel head speeds up and slows down and something called IR Comp.IR comp on a potters wheel is designed to send more power to the wheel when it feels that it is being bogged down like when you are centering a large amount of clay or maybe when a student wants to see how strong they are. When you take your hands off the clay, the additional power to the wheel is brought back to normal because the resistance is gone. The problem with this is that these surges may not be perfectly smooth. If you are throwing a big platter this is not good.
This is why all Skutt Wheels are shipped with IR Comp turned off. Our research tells us that most potters prefer to control the needed power with the foot pedal. Find out more by clicking here: What is IR Comp and Why Should I Care