Monday, August 3, 2009

Have you ever trimmed a pot?

I really don't enjoy trimming pots but it is fun to watch. The clay curls and snakes off in long flat strands and a foot appears from no where.

Watch here if you've never seen it before. I explain a little about the process and reasoning behind it in the video.

4 comments:

  1. I love watching you work. It always prompts me to ask questions. So here goes.
    1. What happens to the trimmed off clay? Is it reusable?
    2. How do you put a hole in the bottom for drainage if it's going to be a plant pot?

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  2. SLM, thanks for the comment! The clay that comes off of the pot IS reusable. Some potters reuse it, others don't. In my post on clay (http://sarahcoffin.blogspot.com/2009/04/dirt-no-no-its-clay.html), the 6th paragraph down, I talk about the trimmings and "reclaim". The trimmings have to be reclaimed, ie. add water, let it sit, and give it a good squish.
    For planters I do one of two things: throw the pot with a hole in the bottom (So, I throw all the way down to the wheel head) or trim the hole into it as I trim. Either way works.
    Good questions!

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  3. Aha! I thought that the trimmings might be part of reclaim...but it's all a new language to the outsider so I thought I'd ask.

    Now what the heck are we supposed to do while you go overseas for 2 months?

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  4. loved watching this video! it was cool to see you work!

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