C.Burkhart on wed 3 oct 01
I have been trimming small-mouthed pots on chucks that are difficult to
center because they are not exactly true. Would some of you elaborate on
methods you use other than bisque chucks?
Thanks,
Carolsan
Imzadi Donelli on thu 4 oct 01
These are two rechniques I use:
I trim a lot of my pots right-side up. I just rewet the bottoms a little bit,
slide the pot around on the wheelhead a little until the pot sticks
(centered) to the wheelhead, then trim away. I create a small indent for a
'false" foot and glaze stop, at the very bottom. When I wire the pot off, I
simply take a sponge to smooth out the bottom, (no foot), or take a bottom of
round soup spoon, gently tap the bottom to create a rounded, inverted,
indent in the center of the pot.
The other way I trim, is to get a four inch thick piece of foam rubber, cut
to fit the top of the wheel head. Cut a small hole in the center -- using the
foam as a chuck instead of a ceramic chuck. When you place your piece in this
foam chuck, the foam is forgiving enough that it conforms to odd rims and
irregularly shaped pots. Hold the pot down in the center with your left hand,
gently, while it is turning, to keep it in place and level while you are
trimming. (Assuming you trim right handed.) It takes some practice, figuring
out how much pressure to use so the pots don't trampoline off the foam when
you let up on pressure! You actually don't need much pressure, just to keep
the pot still while applying the trim tool. You may loose the first few pots
to bad trimming until you get the hang of it. But keep at it! Soon the rest
of your pots will be evenly and cleanly trimmed.
Imzadi
Cindy Strnad on thu 4 oct 01
Alisa's right, Carolsan.
A fresh chuck for your bottles. The Giffin Grip
works well for well-thrown pieces with a rim large
enough to rest on. You can use it for bottles with
nothing feasible to rest on, but it's tricky and
you can't really trim an even foot. In that case,
I'm just burnishing the base, not carving a foot.
Most of my pots have the look of a foot on the
outside, but no true foot. That's why the Giffin
works so well for me. I smooth, burnish, carve the
outside. It requires a light touch and the ability
to move with the wobble of the pot.
If you truly want your pieces centered so you can
carve a precise foot, there's nothing like a
freshly thrown chuck. Skim the wet clay off the
edge with a rib, dry it (while spinning) with a
dry sponge, and it will only stick a little. Soon,
it won't stick at all. You may even find yourself
wetting it a bit so your pots don't spin along
with the trim tool.
Best wishes,
Cindy Strnad
Earthen Vessels Pottery
RR 1, Box 51
Custer, SD 57730
USA
cindy@earthen-vessels-pottery.com
http://www.earthen-vessels-pottery.com
miriam shelomith on thu 4 oct 01
Carolsan...Have used flower pots, the red inexpensive ones, as chucks...
They come in all sizes. miriam
>From: "C.Burkhart"
>Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Subject: trimming with chucks
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>I have been trimming small-mouthed pots on chucks that are difficult to
>center because they are not exactly true. Would some of you elaborate on
>methods you use other than bisque chucks?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Carolsan
>
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Des Howard on thu 4 oct 01
Carolsan
I gather you are using a "chum", that is, a female chuck.
We use a 90 mm dia.x 90 mm high PVC pipe fitting that is fastened to the wheel
head,
a ring of clay is attached to the top of the fitting & turned true when it stiffens
a bit.
Des
ps Altogether everyone, "How much wood would..."
D
"C.Burkhart" wrote:
> I have been trimming small-mouthed pots on chucks that are difficult to
> center because they are not exactly true. Would some of you elaborate on
> methods you use other than bisque chucks?
>
--
Des & Jan Howard
Lue Pottery
LUE NSW 2850
Australia
Ph/Fax 02 6373 6419
http://www.luepottery.hwy.com.au
C. Burkhart on thu 4 oct 01
Gee, Des, I thought one went fishing with "chum". Learn something new
everyday on Clayart. Female=chum; Male=chuck? Thanks for the info. I'll
have to clean out my garage and find some PVC pipe. On second thought I
believe I'll go to Lowes.
Thanks, Carolsan
> I gather you are using a "chum", that is, a female chuck.
> We use a 90 mm dia.x 90 mm high PVC pipe fitting that is fastened to the
wheel
> head,
> a ring of clay is attached to the top of the fitting & turned true when it
stiffens
> a bit.
>
WHC228@AOL.COM on thu 4 oct 01
I use a method for trimming with chums that are made with sponge rubber. I
get thick spongy rubber from an upholstery shop. I cut it round on the band
saw and glue it to a bat with a glue called GOOP that I get from a True Value
hardware store. I use a section of broken bandsaw blade that I form a loop in
and wrap tape around the end for a handle. Holding the blade against the
rubber will cut it into a useful shape. Female shapes seem to be the most
useful, however I do have some male shapes for trimming mugs and small vases.
These rubber CHUMS will take up for an irregular shape and will never scar a
pot. They do save a lot of time when a lot of pots need to be trimmed.
For platters I just glue an inch thick piece of the foam to a bat and set the
platter on it. It will never move and scar a rim.
Try it you'll like it.
Bill Campbell
Martin Howard on thu 4 oct 01
Some of my chucks are not exactly true; warped in the kiln probably.
But they are still the best for small items with small necks.
For large, heavy items, I use a pad of foam rubber, almost the size of the
wheelhead. One side is covered in slip and sticks on the wheelhead fine.
Another, newer method for me, is called "Jaws" Universal Turning Chuck,
which is suitable for Lotus and drilled heads.
Three padded arms hold the piece centrally, moving out and in to fit the
ware and hold it safely; but if the pot is not thrown true to centre, even
this will not work.
There are pads for holding the ware higher up, rather than just on the lip
of the pot, which can help when just the rim is out of true and is smaller
diameter than the body.
Obtainable from Potters'Mate, sales@pottersmate.com cost 116.33 Pounds
Sterling plus p&p. Bit bulky for sending across the pond probably!
It seems, IMHO from what I have heard about the Giffen Grip on this list, to
be an improvement on that invention.
Martin Howard
Webb's Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road, Great Saling
BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
England
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
http://www.webbscottage.co.uk
This web-site is about to be updated.
Alisa og Claus Clausen on thu 4 oct 01
Hi Carolsan,
I throw the chucks as I need them. If I do not have time to let them set
enough so that they do not stick to the pot being trimmed, I line them with
thin plastic. I like wet chucks because if I need to adjust the opening a
bit from pot to pot, I can.
Others may tell you to get a Griffen grip. I did not know what that was
until I joined the list! modern potter that I think I am! As cool as they
sound, I like wet chucks because they disappear when you do not need them.
Best regards, Alisa in Denmark
Doug Gray on thu 4 oct 01
Carolsan,
Try using a freshly made chuck. Throw one exactly the size and height
you need every time. May need to dry it some (hairdryer or heat gun) to
keep them from sticking too much.
The other alternative is to use a bone dry chuck. It works, really.
Doug, SC
Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 11:52:26 -0400
From: "C.Burkhart"
Subject: trimming with chucks
I have been trimming small-mouthed pots on chucks that are difficult to
center because they are not exactly true. Would some of you elaborate on
methods you use other than bisque chucks?
Thanks,
Carolsan
Steve Mills on thu 4 oct 01
Carolsan,
The method I was taught is to throw the chuck on the wheel out of
plastic clay, cover it with cheese cloth, and set the pot to be trimmed
in it. The cheese cloth prevents the leather hard pot from sticking to
the clay. The beauty of this technique is that the chuck can be changed
for each pot, and very quickly too. As I spend my time now mostly making
bottles, I am very glad that this was the technique I learnt. I have got
a Giffin type Grip, but I virtually never use it.
Steve
Bath
UK
In message , C.Burkhart writes
>I have been trimming small-mouthed pots on chucks that are difficult to
>center because they are not exactly true. Would some of you elaborate on
>methods you use other than bisque chucks?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Carolsan
--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
Rick Hugel on fri 5 oct 01
>Carolsan...Have used flower pots, the red inexpensive ones, as chucks...
>>They come in all sizes. miriam
>>I have been trimming small-mouthed pots on chucks that are difficult to
>>center because they are not exactly true. Would some of you elaborate on
>>methods you use other than bisque chucks?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Carolsan
For bisque chucks, submerge them in water for about thirty minutes before
using so they are water saturated and don't suck the water out of your pots
while trimming causing uneven drying. Actually, it is best to cover the
saturated bisque chuck with clay, trim it and then put your pot on it for
trimming - the pots bond better with the chuck that way. I don't bisque
the chucks I use. I keep them leather dry by wrapping them in plastic.
They can be trimmed or clay added to fit different sizes. If the chuck
seems to be getting a bit too dry, just submerge it in water for a few
seconds before wrapping and storing. You can also dampen the part(a bit)
that comes in contact with the pot to get a better bond between the two.
When using flower pots, add a coil of clay around the dampened flower pot
rim, then trim it round/smooth so your pots fit snug. If your pots that
have spouts and/or other body projections making snug fitting difficult,
get the pot into/on the chuck so that the bottom is even when turning, then
move the chuck - pot and all - around on the wheel head until the the
POT is centered - not the chuck.
Hope this helps.
Rick
Valerie Johnson on sat 6 oct 01
I've recently discovered that my huge collection of tupperware and other
plastic containers has a size for every job. I've used a square 2 quart tall
container to trim my medium sized long-neck pots. I put 1 piece of clay on
each top side, invert the pot, center the chuck and secure it with 2 pieces
of clay to the wheel. I was amazed at how well it held to the wheel the
first time i tried this. Someone recently mentioned here that they use pvc
pipes; the tupperware was languishing in the cabinet and looking for its
highest and best use.
Valerie Johnson
Eads, Tn
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