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Pottery Trimming Tools
Trimming wheel-thrown pottery – some potters love it, some potters hate it. But if you are going for that tight, refined look in your pottery, you have to learn how to trim it. The articles in this section will help you do just that. We’ll feature tips from potters on everything from trimming pottery with delicate rims to making your own pottery trimming tools. And don't forget to download your free copy of the 2008 Ceramic Workshop Handbook: Clay Tools and Ceramic Studio Reference . This handy studio reference includes valuable technical references and great clay tools to help you with forming, surface decoration and firing. Plus, it has a comprehensive directory of manufacturers and suppliers that provide ceramic equipment, raw materials, clay tools and ceramic supplies.
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October 24, 2008
If you trim your pottery using a bisque-fired chuck—or even if you don’t—you’ll love the superchuck. Watch the video to check out what Tim See has come up with, and then make your own. We've included a materials list and instructions below; don't worry, it's short and the process is easy.—Sherman Hall, Ceramic Arts Daily
May 19, 2008
Multi-Purpose Chucks: Using Household Items When Trimming Difficult-to-Trim Pottery
At some point or another many potters are faced with a conundrum: their creativity goes unchecked and they artfully fashion a beautiful and delicate rim on a pot that they would like to flip over and trim on the potter’s wheel. But flipping the piece to trim will ruin the artfully created piece. A common solution to this conundrum is to use a bisque-fired chuck to prop up the piece so the rim doesn’t come in contact with the wheelhead. Then the challenge becomes finding the correctly sized chuck for the job. And often, in community studio settings especially, there isn’t a chuck that is just right. A couple of months back we published a feature by Sam Hoffman on an ...
February 29, 2008
This week’s Tip of the Week comes to us from James Rozzi of Stone Mountain, Georgia. Last week we saw a technique for trimming large platters with delicate rims. This week, we tackle trimming delicate narrow-necked bottle forms. Not only is Rozzi’s tip a time and energy saver, it may also bring back fond childhood memories!
February 18, 2008
Trimming Platters with Altered Rims on the Potters Wheel
Altering the circular form of a plate is an exciting means of expression for ceramic artists, but it can also present difficulties at the trimming stage. If the rim of a plate is cut or manipulated into an asymmetrical shape, or is delicate, the piece cannot simply be inverted onto another bat for trimming. Instead, the piece must be placed on a clay chuck that supports the plate in the center. Today, Sam Hoffman shows us his method for trimming plates with altered rims on the pottery wheel.
