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Hello! I’ve run into an issue where I’m having a hard time removing my pieces from the wooden board they were drying on. I’m trying to remove it with just the wire tool but it’s not budging. I have two pieces, one that has been drying for 5 days and another for 11 days (which would leave it close to bone dry but because of the studio restrictions I couldn’t come in to trim it sooner). Both pieces were kept wrapped and aren’t bone dry yet I think. I’m debating on wetting the board and using water to help glide my wire tool to slice it off the board but I wanted to get other people’s opinions on it first. Thanks ahead!

Hi folks, no new questions in the pool, so I will pose one. I was recently watching a youtube video posted from House Beautiful about Heath Ceramics in S.F.. The video shows some interesting things including the use of a Griffin Grip! This production pottery also shows quite a bit of trimming, some throwing and ware on the storeroom walls. I was enthralled with the amount of trimming done with the GG, and how much trimming was done. I had always been taught to trim only the base, and make my throwing thin enough to not need trimming, and to use ribs when in need of smooth surfaces. Quite different story here in the video. This makes me reevaluate my values in the way of time, expediency, and even aesthetics. I have on occasion believed a piece was too heavy, and would trim some weight off up the sides, but very infrequently, Not being judgemental, as a teacher I would always encourage/require my students to get the most out the clay walls even testing them on height/weight throwing. Now I wonder if I was imposing my own learned biases on my students. So it brings to mind the question for my own justification or approval/disapproval. .. . QotW: How much do you trim? best, Pres