We have all experienced disappointment when the rim of a beautiful, freshly made cup is damaged after we put it upside down on the wheel for trimming. It is best to trim thrown pieces while they are on the soft side of leather hard to get a neat surface, but the rim is still very fragile at that stage. This technique will help you keep your neat rim safe and also help keep it perfectly round.
You may have seen potters use a chuck, a form that holds a pot steady while it’s trimmed. Chucks are often cone shaped, thrown from clay or cast from plaster, and are used repeatedly, possibly for years.
A much easier option, which we use in the Mud Dept. studio, is to buy a small 3–4 inch (7.6–10.2 cm) terra-cotta pot from your garden supply store, then follow these steps.
Begin by turning your plant pot upside down and placing it in the center of your wheel. Make sure to center the pot well. Secure the pot in place with some clay pressed around the base, where the pot joins the wheel (1). Then, place your thrown piece upside down on the pot and center it (2). Continue by trimming your piece like you usually would (3). Finally, remove your piece and admire your intact, undamaged, non-warped rim. Repeat these steps for as many cups as you need. Follow along at www.muddept.com or on Instagram: @mud.dept for more.
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We have all experienced disappointment when the rim of a beautiful, freshly made cup is damaged after we put it upside down on the wheel for trimming. It is best to trim thrown pieces while they are on the soft side of leather hard to get a neat surface, but the rim is still very fragile at that stage. This technique will help you keep your neat rim safe and also help keep it perfectly round.
You may have seen potters use a chuck, a form that holds a pot steady while it’s trimmed. Chucks are often cone shaped, thrown from clay or cast from plaster, and are used repeatedly, possibly for years.
A much easier option, which we use in the Mud Dept. studio, is to buy a small 3–4 inch (7.6–10.2 cm) terra-cotta pot from your garden supply store, then follow these steps.
Begin by turning your plant pot upside down and placing it in the center of your wheel. Make sure to center the pot well. Secure the pot in place with some clay pressed around the base, where the pot joins the wheel (1). Then, place your thrown piece upside down on the pot and center it (2). Continue by trimming your piece like you usually would (3). Finally, remove your piece and admire your intact, undamaged, non-warped rim. Repeat these steps for as many cups as you need. Follow along at www.muddept.com or on Instagram: @mud.dept for more.
Unfamiliar with any terms in this article? Browse our glossary of pottery terms!
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