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make your own trimming tools

updated sun 14 mar 04

 

vince pitelka on mon 21 feb 00

If you are a professional production potter, then I side with Jonathan. Get
the Bison trimmers. But if you love making your own tools, there are two
materials I like using for trimming tool blades. When you are in a city,
any city, keep your eyes in the gutter, and pick up any of those flat steel
street-sweeper bristles you often see on the streets. They are very thin
and strong high-carbon steel, but they will bend to the desired shape. Pull
the blades out of your worn-out trimming tools. Bend the sweeper bristles
over a round or square object, depending on the shape trimmer you want, and
press the shanks into the handle with a little wood glue.

Several other good raw materials - the stainless steel "backbones" from
commercial windshield wiper blades - from trucks and busses. You should be
able to scrounge them at a truck stop or a city maintenance garage. Also,
engine oil or automatic transmission dipsticks make great trimming tool
stock. The material is very hard and springy, but it will bend
appropriately. Go to a junkyard, and for very cheap you can get a lifetime
supply. The street sweeper bristles are so thin that they will not need
sharpening. The other two do need to be sharpened, but that is easily done
on a bench grinder.
This is one of the MANY do-it-yourself tools I will be discussing in the
"Tool Doctors" presentation at NCECA.
Good luck -
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166

clennell on fri 13 feb 04


Sour Cherry Pottery

> You can make some of the best tools yourself and this goes for trimming
> tools too. Just get some strap iron like they use for banding and bend a six
> inch piece in your desired configuration in a U or V shape. Use duct tape to
> tape the two ends to a small piece of wood or knife handle, minus the blade.
> When the strap iron wears down too much, cut off the duct tape and replace
> the blade. Much better than Tony's favorite Kemper trimming tools and duct
> tape is approved the Department of Homeland Security!
>
> Gary C. Hatcher

Oh, Gary you've found a way to my heart. I happen to be one of those guys
that like trimming more than any other task in the pottery. I also make my
own trimming tools from the bristles of a street cleaning machine. Follow
one around in the spring when they're cleaning up and pick up the metal
bristles. They bend beautifully and can be sharpened with a Dremel tool. Of
course we don't sharpen them cause we soft trim.
Don't tell anyone but we have a cleaning lady come in for 4 hours every two
weeks. Her husband has a street cleaning business. I have a life long
supply.
Cheers,
Tony

Gary Hatcher on thu 11 mar 04


You can make some of the best tools yourself and this goes for trimming
tools too. Just get some strap iron like they use for banding and bend a six
inch piece in your desired configuration in a U or V shape. Use duct tape to
tape the two ends to a small piece of wood or knife handle, minus the blade.
When the strap iron wears down too much, cut off the duct tape and replace
the blade. Much better than Tony's favorite Kemper trimming tools and duct
tape is approved the Department of Homeland Security!

Gary C. Hatcher
www.garyhatcher.com
(903) 857-2271 Home/Studio
(903) 566-7486 University
gchfire@pobox.com e-mail

Ivor and Olive Lewis on sat 13 mar 04


Dear Gary,
This must be the Universal International Potter's Trimming Tool.
Watch potters at a workshop where there is a building site. Drawn like
magnets to strap iron.
I wonder how long they would last 'Plasma Sprayed" with one of the
hard super ceramic materials?
Anyone ever tried this?
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia