I recently discovered several remnant pieces of wood molding in my garage. I was intrigued by the concave and convex curves and ridges on the profile. It sparked my curiosity. What if a clay bowl were grooved along the rim with this profile? I cut a small cross-section of molding with a miter saw, and I sat at the wheel to create textured designs around the rims of my bowls.
Most home improvement stores have a range of molding profiles. The store in my neighborhood allows customers to pre-cut their molding purchase at the store, so there’s a basket to collect the scraps. After asking, I was allowed to keep any small scraps from their scrap bin. My collection of molding tools quickly grew to a half-dozen interesting profiles (1). After a little experimenting, the different profiles brought a nice design feature into my work.
Ready-Made Advantages
Several tool manufacturers produce an array of wood and metal profile tools for use with clay. But there are three interesting sculpting advantages that a scrap of molding can provide. First, the varied sizes of the ridges and the profile’s concave and convex curves can be very extreme. The molding is not made to carve perfect grooves into the clay. In fact, some of the nooks and crannies on the molding may not be mirrored successfully in clay since some details might be too deep to be captured. This can result in void areas in the band of grooves; however, I don’t mind these, as I like the variation and space that results.
Second, the molding profiles are sometimes dramatic, with large bulbous curves. When the clay rim is pressed along the surface, the full rim is shaped to match these major curves. The grooves are not just cut into the clay surface, but the shape of the clay rim follows the curve of the profile. The resulting rim can then be gently modified or exaggerated further depending on the desired effects.
The last advantage relates to clay thickness. Because the clay conforms to the molding profile, it does not need to be extra thick to accommodate deep recessed carving. When using a piece of molding, there will be thick and thin spots, but extra clay is not needed in the rim to compensate for the grooves. I throw a rim with an average thickness and let the clay follow the profile’s shape.
Creating Grooves
Begin by centering, opening, and pulling the clay into a standard bowl form, either tall or wide and open. To create grooves in the rim of the bowl, begin by wetting the rim’s surfaces, inside and outside, with a damp sponge. Select a piece of wood molding that aesthetically fits the rim and determine which will be the top or bottom of the profile. Wet the wood molding profile and position it against the rim as the wheel slowly spins. Place your other hand under the rim on the outside surface (2). This hand will support the clay as the wood molding is pressed down. Your fingers can also press the clay into the molding’s void areas. It is not critical that the entire rim come in contact with the full surface of the profile. The major ridges and high points will leave a groove. The result is a clay rim with a roughly uniform thickness. As the molding is pressed against the clay, the rim may also be tilted out and down or stretched outward to slightly open up the bowl. If the ridges are too sharp, use a sponge and smooth out the surface as the wheel rotates.
Clean and round the rim edge with a chamois. A cross-section shows the angle of the rim as well as the depth of the grooves made in the rim by the profile tool (3). The angle created compensates for the upward curl of the rim as the clay dries and shrinks.
This article by Frank James Fisher was first published in the 2011 May/June issue of Pottery Making Illustrated.
We understand your email address is private. You will receive emails and newsletters from Ceramic Arts Network. We will never share your information except as outlined in our privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Please enjoy this complimentary article for the month.
For unlimited access to Pottery Making Illustrated premium content, please subscribe.
We understand your email address is private. You will receive emails and newsletters from Ceramic Arts Network. We will never share your information except as outlined in our privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Subscribe to Pottery Making Illustrated
I recently discovered several remnant pieces of wood molding in my garage. I was intrigued by the concave and convex curves and ridges on the profile. It sparked my curiosity. What if a clay bowl were grooved along the rim with this profile? I cut a small cross-section of molding with a miter saw, and I sat at the wheel to create textured designs around the rims of my bowls.
Most home improvement stores have a range of molding profiles. The store in my neighborhood allows customers to pre-cut their molding purchase at the store, so there’s a basket to collect the scraps. After asking, I was allowed to keep any small scraps from their scrap bin. My collection of molding tools quickly grew to a half-dozen interesting profiles (1). After a little experimenting, the different profiles brought a nice design feature into my work.
Ready-Made Advantages
Several tool manufacturers produce an array of wood and metal profile tools for use with clay. But there are three interesting sculpting advantages that a scrap of molding can provide. First, the varied sizes of the ridges and the profile’s concave and convex curves can be very extreme. The molding is not made to carve perfect grooves into the clay. In fact, some of the nooks and crannies on the molding may not be mirrored successfully in clay since some details might be too deep to be captured. This can result in void areas in the band of grooves; however, I don’t mind these, as I like the variation and space that results.
Second, the molding profiles are sometimes dramatic, with large bulbous curves. When the clay rim is pressed along the surface, the full rim is shaped to match these major curves. The grooves are not just cut into the clay surface, but the shape of the clay rim follows the curve of the profile. The resulting rim can then be gently modified or exaggerated further depending on the desired effects.
The last advantage relates to clay thickness. Because the clay conforms to the molding profile, it does not need to be extra thick to accommodate deep recessed carving. When using a piece of molding, there will be thick and thin spots, but extra clay is not needed in the rim to compensate for the grooves. I throw a rim with an average thickness and let the clay follow the profile’s shape.
Creating Grooves
Begin by centering, opening, and pulling the clay into a standard bowl form, either tall or wide and open. To create grooves in the rim of the bowl, begin by wetting the rim’s surfaces, inside and outside, with a damp sponge. Select a piece of wood molding that aesthetically fits the rim and determine which will be the top or bottom of the profile. Wet the wood molding profile and position it against the rim as the wheel slowly spins. Place your other hand under the rim on the outside surface (2). This hand will support the clay as the wood molding is pressed down. Your fingers can also press the clay into the molding’s void areas. It is not critical that the entire rim come in contact with the full surface of the profile. The major ridges and high points will leave a groove. The result is a clay rim with a roughly uniform thickness. As the molding is pressed against the clay, the rim may also be tilted out and down or stretched outward to slightly open up the bowl. If the ridges are too sharp, use a sponge and smooth out the surface as the wheel rotates.
Clean and round the rim edge with a chamois. A cross-section shows the angle of the rim as well as the depth of the grooves made in the rim by the profile tool (3). The angle created compensates for the upward curl of the rim as the clay dries and shrinks.
This article by Frank James Fisher was first published in the 2011 May/June issue of Pottery Making Illustrated.
May/June 2026: Table of Contents
Must-Reads from Pottery Making Illustrated
Unfamiliar with any terms in this article? Browse our glossary of pottery terms!
Click the cover image to return to the Table of Contents