Well I went to my friend's house and played for a couple of hours with the wheel. I turned a few kilos of clay into slurry and ground a millimetre of skin off my little finger, and had lots of fun!
I got one bowl-y thing (with rather thick walls) off the wheel in more-or-less acceptable shape. Apart from that I had quite a few forms I liked on the wheel at some point, but inevitably a few seconds later they collapsed, or the top tore off, or my thumb went through the side.
I learned a lot, though. I kept thinking "Well that didn't work, I won't do it that way again", or "I wonder what would happen if I did x, y, or z?" So it was never frustrating, like when it all goes wrong and you just don't know what to do differently. For example, do I need to lose my fingernails? I have long fingernails on one hand (I'm a guitarist, but I suppose I could use a plectrum). Or can I throw pots with fingernails as long as I'm careful where I stick them? I found the clay would start out too hard and be difficult to do anything with - probably I should have spent more time preparing it but my friend didn't have anywhere in the shed suitable for doing that. If I'd known I'd have prepared the clay at home and wrapped it up in plastic before I went. But then after a time trying to centre it and make something, it would be too wet and fall over as soon as I formed any kind of a wall.
I wish I had a wheel. I'd spend an hour a day just getting centring right and learning how to throw nice symmetrical forms. I could easily get in loads of practice, even if it meant the kids had to make their own dinners and my husband had to wash all the clothes for a few weeks.