Trimming A Foot For Bowls

[alabama]

Hey,

 

     I palm in the bottom of everything - cups and bowls.  That gives me the option of trimming a foot or not.

I trim everything right side up plus I trim an outside foot so I can dip the item upside down in the glaze, it provides

a space to stop glaze runs, and it gives a grip to rinse it off under the faucet also.  Since the bottoms are palmed,

to trim the foot I start from 1/2 inch from the edge and trim towards the center level til the clay runs out.  That way,

its impossible to trim thru.  With the vessel sitting right side up, I center and trim the lip and move down re-centering

about every two inches til I get to the bottom.  That way, its impossible to trim one side thinner than the other.

    There are several really good ideas on trimming... I hope you try several ways just to see which one works best for

your pottery forms.  I trim everything leather hard and tap the sides all the way down and listen to the sound of the tap

to see how thick the sides are..   If the sides are leather hard and dents slightly with alittle pressure, then I know its 1/4 inch thick.

     If anything I make is not palmed or dries out before its trimmed they are all soaked back down.

 

Good luck,

Alabama

[clay lover]

What is 'palmed' ?  I have never heard that term.

[schmism]

I think that

 

What is 'palmed' ?  I have never heard that term.

 

I think that is another term for "thumbing off" a "no trim" foot.  which is to say,  a mostly flat bottom no foot piece.

[alabama]

What is 'palmed' ?  I have never heard that term.

Years ago Jack Troy was a speaker/demonstrator at an Alabama Clay Conference at Tuscaloosa when he suggested that vessels should be "palmed".

When the pots are leather hard, take your palm and make a concave indention on the bottom.  They give the option to trim a foot or not and insure

that the vessel is unlikely to wobble.  Plus, if you make an 18th century German twisted wire tool, it highlights the cut marks.  To me its one level higher than

the standard stainless steel braided wire tool that is in all the kits.  And when the bottom made from the twisted wire tool is stained and wiped off 

it looks impressive with your signature and the "horseshoe" wire tool marks.

In my most humble opinion. ;>)

Alabama

[clay lover]

wouldn't that 'concave indention' make a raised center in the inside of the pot?  I'm thinking of the bowls with the humps in the center, maybe from to much thinning when trimming.

[alabama]

wouldn't that 'concave indention' make a raised center in the inside of the pot?  I'm thinking of the bowls with the humps in the center, maybe from to much thinning when trimming.

Hey,

     In most cases, while you're palming the bottom on the outside, you're watching the bottom on the inside.  A slight concave indention won't make

a "domed" inside.  And to trim a foot with a palmed bottom, just go 1/4" from the edge, dig the blade of the trimming tool to a depth of about 1/16th

of an inch and go towards the middle of the vessel level.  Since you aren't following the concave surface to the middle the trimmings get thinner and

you run out of clay to trim about half way to the middle.  So if you do decide about trimming a foot, it takes about 25 seconds of trimming instead of the old way of trimming from the edge of the foot to the middle and eventually thru the bottom.  Most of my vessels don't have a trimmed foot, but none of my pots

wobble or spin while soup is being served,(I saw that once in someone else's bowl.)  The Lazy Susan soup bowl never caught on for a reason!! ;>)

Later,

Alabama