Vfd won’t work on a single phase motor. You’d need to replace it with 3 phase, or find a 6 pole single phase, which would run at 2/3 speed, but as rare as rocking horse droppings. You mug t be able to fit a DC motor

First post on this electronics forum says: “The motor is an AEI BK-2410-C B56, it’s 4 pole 3 phase 415/230V 1hp / 0.75kW“.   If true, then a VFD is the answer, but it begs the question of how the wheel is powered at the moment?   Most of us don’t have a 3-phase supply.

We need to correctly identify the motor and how it is controlled.   Most helpful for MrCharly to provide photographs of the motor, the wiring inside the motor’s terminal box, the control switches, and anything inside or outside the cabinet the cabling connects to up to and including the mains plug.

Dave

I have only delved into the internals of a potter’s wheel on one occasion, and that certainly used a VFD and 3-phase motor. Also had a strange mechanical linkage allowing a foot pedal to operate a pot for speed control, although it seemed to work OK. Well, until the VFD gave up the ghost, which is where I came in. That wheel belonged to a professional potter.

While my preference would be for the VFD/3-phase solution, I wonder if this might also be an application for the DC sewing machine motors that often get mentioned in this forum, available at relatively low price complete with speed controller. Don’t have a source for them, but my guess is that they would meet the speed control and power requirements.