The Nidec Shimpo 9 1/2” wide banding wheel.
Banding wheels are one of the most useful tools in a ceramic studio, especially for handbuilding, decorating, and carving. They allow you to turn a piece while building, and can be extremely useful during the glazing process.
A good banding wheel will spin freely and with some speed, allowing you to hold a brush steady and paint a “band” or line of or underglaze glaze. But they can be so much more than that.
This post will cover quality banding wheels that can handle the weight of clay and be cleaned. You don’t want to mess with cheap plastic options, or lazy susans that aren’t designed to get dirty and be cleaned again. Those cheaper options will often break down or don’t have enough weight to spin freely.
The best banding wheels are heavy and made out of metal, but there are a variety of options to fit each studio and budget. Read below for a full buyer’s guide to banding wheels.
This guide is based on personal experience with all the banding wheels, along with observations of what works and holds up in academic and community ceramic studios, and what tends to fall apart and not be worth the money.
Table of Contents
Top Pick: Shimpo Banding Wheels
Budget Pick: CSI Banding Wheels
Great option: Generic Metal Banding Wheels from Falling in Art etc
Other Banding Wheels
Summary
Top Pick: Nidec Shimpo Banding Wheels
The complete line of Shimpo Banding Wheels. The three shorter options are 2 1/4” tall while the two “pedestal” banding wheels are 4 3/4” and 7 1/2” tall.
Nidec Shimpo banding wheels are made of cast iron and painted with rust-resisted blue paint and are heavy, durable and will last a lifetime. They have sealed ball bearings, a one-piece design that will not come apart when picked up, and the weight of the cast iron results in a smooth, even spin. These banding wheels are a pleasure to use whether you are coil building, painting, carving, or sculpting.
Once again, these are solid, durable cast iron. Take good care of this banding wheel and it you will be passing it down to the next potter in decades or longer. They are easy to clean, just don’t submerge the whole thing in water.
Shimpo banding wheels come in five sizes ranging from 7” to 11 3/4” wide. The three smaller wheels are all 2 1/4” tall, while the two taller sizes are 4 3/4” tall and 7 1/2” tall.
My preference is for the shorter, lower-profile banding wheels but a pedestal-style banding wheel may work for your studio. Some may find these banding wheels to be on the heavy side, but the weight works to your advantage to create a steady, even, long-lasting spin.
Shopping tip: These banding wheels tend to be cheaper at Blick than Amazon. Yes, the Nidec Shimpo are the most expensive banding wheels out there but they are also the heaviest, most durable, and the weight allows them to spin for much longer than other banding wheels. In the 5 years we have been maintaining this guide to banding wheels, the Nidec Shimpo banding wheel prices have only increased by a few dollars to they have remained a good value.
The Shimpo 25L Banding Wheel is 9 7/8” x 2 1/4”
Shimpo Banding Wheel Specs:
Model number, diameter, height, and weight:
18L 7” x 2 1/4”, 6.5 lbs, $66-$82 (Shop at Amazon | Shop at Blick)
22L 8 3/4” x 2 1/4”, 13 lbs, $77-$90 (Shop at Blick)
25L 9 1/2” x 2 1/4”, 15 lbs, $131 (Shop at Amazon)
25H 9 7/8” x 7 1/2”, 19 lbs, $123-$148 (Shop at Amazon | Shop at Blick)
30M 11 3/4” x 4 3/4”, 28 lbs, $142-$172 (Shop at Amazon | Shop at Blick)
More pics of the Nidec Shimpo banding wheel
Top view
Bottom view
Budget Pick: CSI Banding Wheels
CSI Banding Wheels come in sizes ranging from 8” to 16” in diameter.
CSI Banding Wheels are heavy-duty, economical banding wheels made from two Formica-covered particle boards with stainless steel ball bearings. They are 2 inches tall and range from 8 to 16” in diameter. These banding wheels are portable and stackable, and are lighter than cast-iron options such as the Shimpo. They have decent turning capacity but they don’t turn as readily and easily as the Shimpo banding wheels. They are great for everything except a very fast and continuous painting of a line or band.
For heavy sculptures or vessels these are great options for handbuilding where you will be turning the piece slowly. The 8” and 10” wheels have a 200 lb capacity, the 12” is rated to 300 lbs, and the 14” and 16” are rated to an 800 lb capacity.
The CSI banding wheels range in price from around $28 to about $42. That’s an incredibly great deal for a heavy-duty banding wheel, making this a great option for educational studios, beginners, or those more focused on sculpture and handbuilding rather than spinning decoration.
Metal Wheel Budget Pick: Falling In Art Banding Wheel
These generic metal banding wheels, available under a variety of names online such as Falling In Art or US Art Supply, are highly rated and run about half the price of the Shimpo banding wheels. Available in 7” and 12” diameter, with a 4 inch pedestal, and a weight of about 10 lbs, these wheels have a set screw to hold the top and bottom pieces together. They are not quite as heavy as the Shimpo, but much heavier than other options such as the CSI Turntables or plastic wheels. For 1/3 to 1/2 of the price of the Shimpo banding wheels, these are a decent option for any studio, especially if you are on a budget.
As with all the banding wheels, do not submerge these in water for cleaning to avoid damaging the ball bearings.
7” banding wheel, generally $28
12” banding wheel, generally $38-$40
Other Banding Wheels options:
Laguna Banding Wheels
The Laguna NL-278 Banding Wheel is 12 inches wide and 2 inches tall.
Laguna Clay makes a line of banding wheels with a cast iron base, steel bearings, and aluminum wheel head. Often, the wheel head will be very similar to the wheel head of a regular pottery wheel.
There are 6 options in the Laguna product line; 4 pedestal banding wheels that range from 5” to 6.5” tall, and 2 that are 2 inches tall. My favorite model is NL-278 which is 12 inches wide and 2 inches tall and retails for around $140. It’s basically a full-size wheel head, but as a banding wheel.
Because these are aluminum on top, they don’t spin as long as the Shimpo wheels, but they are well made and hold up. These wheels are available at a variety of ceramic suppliers, or directly from Laguna via their Axner Clay website.
Yncotte 7” Aluminum Banding Wheel
This light duty banding wheel is 7” wide, made out of aluminum, and is ok for light duty work. It doesn’t spin very long, due to the light weight. But it can be used in either direction and it fits just about anywhere as it is small.
I have used these more recently in a number of academic studios and they are definitely better than a plastic banding wheel, but given the $32 price tag, I would go for either the Falling In Art banding wheel, or spend more and get the Nidec Shimpo Banding Wheel.
Amaco #5 Banding Wheel
The Amaco #5 Banding Wheel is a 7” wide aluminum banding wheel that sits on a pedestal stand. Along with the Shimpo and CSI banding wheels, it’s quite common to see this in many ceramic studios. The smaller size, lighter weight, and pedestal stand makes it popular for decorating, carving, scraffitto work, and painting. It is not designed for heavy weight, but it is sturdy.
The drawbacks with this stand is that it is in two pieces and will separate if picked up by the top piece. There are also a variety of mixed reviews online, mentioning poor construction quality. AMACO may be having production issues with this unit, but in my experience, it’s a quality turntable that is great for small decorative tasks.
As of 2025, this turntable doesn’t appear to be listed on the Amaco website or at any stores. It is most likely out of production, but you may still see it for sale used.
Plastic Banding Wheels
The Richeson Plastic Banding Wheel is 8” wide and 1 1/2” tall.
To be completely honest, I feel that plastic banding wheels are not worth buying. They can’t really be used for painting or banding, as the light weight doesn’t result in any lasting spin. They are also prone to breaking. You’ll be better off spending a bit more to get a CSI wheel or Falling in Art.
The only reason I can see to get a plastic banding wheel is for working with young children. They are lightweight and stackable (but not robust…treat them carefully!) Or the other reason if you just need a lightweight turntable for detail work such as carving or fine detail sculpting.
Given the price of these, ranging from $21 to $36, the money would be better used to get a metal banding wheel.
Richeson Plastic Banding Wheel
8” diameter, 1 1/2” tall, $21
The Amaco Decorating Wheel is 8” wide, all plastic, and is available in brown or off white.
Amaco Plastic Banding Wheel
8” diameter, $36
Jack Richeson Mobile Sculpture Stand and Turntable
A mobile sculpture stand gives you the freedom to work on pottery and sculptures from all sides, and roll your work station out of the way if needed. This can be a great option for figurative sculpture, or if you want to create an additional workspace without adding another table. To work on this stand comfortably, you’ll need a tall stool or work standing up. The center shaft is adjustable for a working height of 39.5 to 44 inches. The wooden work surface is 12 inches square, and the base is 29 inches square with 4 locking caster wheels. It’s a great stand for working on sculptures, pottery, or as a display stand.
Jack Richeson Mobile Sculpture Stan
$215 to $225.
Summary
This post has covered a variety of banding wheels, turntables, and sculpture stands. In general, the best option is the heavy-duty cast iron Shimpo banding wheels, especially if you need to get a smooth, steady spin for painting pottery. If you are working with heavy sculptures, the CSI Turntables are a sturdy, economical option. And there are other cheaper and lighter options.
What banding wheels do you use? Let us know in the comments.
