Argh!! Giffin grip gripe, anyone else have issues?

[Pres]

There are ways, and then again tap centering the piece above would work if tapping higher. GG will work also with longer arms and bigger pillow area. All in the ingenuity and determination. I will never over look other techniques, and knowing how they work helps to figure new ways to use the GG if needed.

 

best,
Pres

[Min]

15 hours ago, Bill Kielb said:

Maybe a bit of Right tool, right time actually

 

Maybe just use some lugs for this, GG probably not the best choice.

Or a chum would work, would prevent pressure on the points that are in contact with the wheelhead / surface that could lead to cracks from the pressure.

[neilestrick]

On 11/5/2022 at 2:55 PM, BungalowRanchstyle said:

Neil Estrick disallows them at his studio. They’re supposed to be learning, he says. It’s a 40 year old tool that aids in trimming. The actual trimming planning and skill is still done by the potter. Glad someone else compared this to wood fired kilns and car technology.Hobby potters are limited on time and spend their disposable income at your place of business. They’re still building trimming skill, knowledge, and confidence.

You could buy a few and rent them to students. It’s in your interest to encourage skill building in a way that supports  your studio as well.

As an engaged learner, I just spent hundreds of dollars and hours learning and practicing this craft. I have a degree and career in Fine Art. I just centered and shaped my clay into the form I want and know how I’ll glaze it. I’ll be GD’d if I waste all my time by screwing up my piece while trimming because of some irritating, avoidable factor.

If I take centering, lost time and lug clay, and accidents out of the equation, I can maintain my time/money investment and focus on perfecting my actual trimming.

Finishing the bottom of a pot is a necessary step in the process, just like throwing and glazing, and all three steps are equally important to the success of the work. Finishing the bottom can be very involved like trimming a fancy raised foot, or it may be very simple like just rolling the foot on the table to smooth out the corner. Whatever method you choose, it needs to be done well and the results should enhance the pot. Too many people see trimming as an annoyance that has to be tolerated rather than mastered- everyone wants to put all their effort into mastering throwing. Mastering trimming  will make one a better potter just like mastering throwing and glazing, and to me that means mastering all aspects of trimming, including centering and anchoring your pots. The Giffin Grip works great for some types of pots, but not so much for others, so learning other techniques is absolutely necessary.

As I said in my original post, if you want to use a Giffin Grip then go for it. If it works for you, great, nobody is stopping you! But I do not allow them in my studio because it is my job as an instructor to lead my students to mastery, and that does not involve using a GG. And I can assure you that my students appreciate that and are making beautiful work despite my tyrannical methods. If you would like to open your own studio and rent Giffin Grips to your students, then by all means do it, and good luck.