View Larger Image Use this children's toy to make trimming bottle or vase forms all fun and games.

February 29, 2008

Tip of the Week: Trimming is Child's Play

by James Rozzi | Read Comments (0)

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!

Tired of throwing clay chucks for trimming the bottoms of narrow-necked greenware bottles? A good, cheap, easy and permanent replacement comes in the form of a child's toy: a plastic ring tree that can be purchased at any department store. These consist of graduated sizes of plastic rings that function well when rubber feet are applied. Simply take several of the smaller plastic rings, attach three or four self-adhering rubber feet to each ring (available at any hardware store), and your chucks are complete. You can use them with a grip (as shown) or without, and the narrow neck of a bottle will not have to support the weight of the body.

Do you have a tip you would like to share with fellow ceramic artists?  Email your tip, along with photographs (high-quality 72-dpi jpeg files) today!