Help! I HATE trimming

Some of why we trim and some tips on making it easier. Thanks for liking the video!

[@timseepots]

I LOVE seeing my old crappy work now. When I visit family I hunt them out and get to say hi again.

[@ClayThrower]

I'm the same way. I love revisiting my old pots. They suck, yes, but they make up for it in enthusiasm! The work evolves. People liked my early work better than my current work in many ways, partly because it was so...um...*cough* unique. It was "different". That has its own appeal. Plus, Grandmother will eventually have a collection that shows of the progression of your work.

[@MamereClaire]

Tips on centering were much appreciated. As a potter/grandmother, don't tell students to give their poor pots to grandma ! Poor old gal will be stuck with them for the rest of her life and they will hate looking at them when they go to see her. Thanks again, Mamere Claire

[@ChaseBenjaminCollects]

You're an awesome teacher. They say the teacher always makes the difference and when it comes to something like throwing, it really does! Thanks for the wonderful videos!

[@julienorris4865]

Thank you, Tim. These tutorials have really helped me! I'm a middle school art teacher and want to be able to get my students on the wheel. Clay is not my specialty...so these videos were exactly what I needed!!!!!! Great tutorials!

[@jessicam3811]

I'm so glad I watched this video! I recently got back into pottery after being away from college for 5 years, and I trimmed some pieces today. The rim of my bowl got ruined because I was trying to trim all the way down to blend it. After watching this, I feel more confident to trim. Oh. and it was really satisfying to watch!

[@miwanabanana]

I love trimming. Its like turning a lump of rock into a faceted gem.

[@SAF57]

my exact feeling. If someone would throw and make bowls for me, I would gladly trim them ALLLLLL...... :-D

[@terraliastudio318]

i love trimming too..haha..i dont know why.

[@porsche914v8]

That tapping tip was really great. I wish you uploaded more videos, they really help me out.

[@aaroncameron213]

I wish you taught in Calgary, i've learned more in the last half hour than in a month of classes, can't wait to try these tips out

[@kolanut78]

I am a beginning pottery student and your videos have helped me immensely! Thanks, and keep them coming!

[@BYKIMIYA]

Love the out takes! You had me at the title! Thank you for creating this SO freaking helpful video👍🏼👊🏼

[@carolynbaker6762]

I just started I wish I had you as a teacher. You have such a great way to explain what you are doing. Love my teacher but you show it in such away it makes sense to me.

[@sarajohnson9521]

He seems angry.

[@chuckgrunt100]

Tap centering always was difficult,but I forced myself to learn it! Your methods look very easy to learn. Thanks for the video!

[@NYTruthseeker]

Outstanding, such clear instructions...I've already improved after seeing your mug video! Thank you!!!

[@saltwaterpots4322]

Loved the bloopers (and sound effects)! Thanks for this great video. It will be added to my playlists which are already full of Tim See "Help!" videos. I see my little pots at my Mother's house, my sister's house, my brother's house.....well, you get the picture.

[@lynneyoung800]

For the first time tap cantering makes sense! Thank you 😊

[@donnajackson1240]

Tim, I love your informative videos! Thank you!

[@dannaiam]

I'm so glad I watched this video. I always have problems with the tapping. I usually use my needle tool to mark if it's in the middle or the bumping and pushing it in the middle. And the end is very helpful too cause sometimes I can't trim too much and the dome in the middle is too high. I haven't had this problem yet this year but when I first learned I did.

[@celiagreenaway725]

Great demo! I'm gong to be going back to this over and again. Thank you.

[@nickneknok9949]

Thanks for this as I have all of these problems. Your vids are very helpful and are appreciated!

[@dtowne2]

Excellent & informative video with the added benefit of humor! Many thanks!

[@travelwell6049]

Trimming is so beautifully satisfying and relaxing. I spent almost three hours this morning trimming. Why someone hating it? 🥺

[@amo22602]

Luv that you added bloopers xD

[@CookbooksonRepeat]

These videos are so good!! You’re a good teacher. 🥰

[@Michlhu1]

Great video! Thanks for sharing. I detest tooling so much that I am doing all slab work LOL! Guess I'll have to get back to the wheel :) You make it look easy.

[@barbarashultz9132]

Thank you. You make it look so easy

[@dent6767]

Trimming is one of my favorite parts of clay!

[@GhilayneAndrew]

Love the video, and learned good stuff -- thanks so much.

[@krissyshadbolt1697]

This is brilliant - thanks from New Zealand😁

[@createniks]

Country bumpkins....holy crap that's hilarious. Great tips on centering.

[@sherihartman8653]

Thanks. I'm new to pottery. This demo was great for me! Cheers!

[@staryng7644]

Great video for beginners!! Thanks a lot!!!

[@D_Artella]

This really helps! Thank you so much!

[@myramadd6651]

New to potting. Worked with sculpey and air dry clay for many years, just got my first wheel, a small battery powered one, something to whet my appetite for something bigger. Thanks for being here, so I can learn What I'm doing

[@RubinaMerchant]

Thank you!!! So so well explained.

[@brianreed8524]

Tim thank for the video, I enjoy your videos and information sharing. Trimming is one of my favorite activities. Call me weird. When I tell some of my other potter friends that they tell me it is a waste of time. However my first teacher told me that a pot was not done until it had a foot ring. I do not believe that now, but I still like the foot ring.

[@hobbypotter]

LOL! This made me laugh! As the potter who likes to give things to "grandma" my sentiments were confirmed, that's why I stopped doing it! :D!

[@TaiChiKnees]

OMG you are a lifesaver.

[@sandym6665]

Tim your videos are very helpful. I had to laugh when I saw this one on trimming because your pot it so trim it looked like it was trimmed before you even started. My pots always have too much clay at the bottom and the edges in the area to be trimmed are lumpy/chunky around the bottom (partly from me picking it up odd the wheel) can you show how to trim a pot that actually looks like it was thrown by a beginner?

[@CarolynNooney]

HA HA love the bloopers!

[@sineadquinn321]

Thanks so much for this video!

[@TariHuffaker]

i LOVE this video. Thanks so much!!!

[@ClayThrower]

Nice video, clear and good information.

[@tarotfortheheathens9556]

Great video!

[@marielossalazar]

Excelente video.

[@angieb.877]

You are awesome. How I wish I lived closer, I would take your classes, wedge clay, mop, anything to learn more from you! Well, almost anything. I do have some pride.

[@RulaHanna]

it feels like torture to be already centered and then move it out

[@migueldelaperla]

thank you for making more videos. they are pretty good

[@carolinacortella2734]

awesome video, thanks!

[@debbiesmith297]

Thank you so much!

[@megancoyne4408]

First off I just found you and you are amazing!!! Your videos are so clear and the way you throw is beautiful! I was wondering if you could give me an estimate on how long you should wait for your clay to dry before trimming? Thanks, Megan

[@salamore8589]

TIIIIM, I love your vids, just discovered you. You actually inspired me, I may ask my parents to take me to pottery classes now. I love your names for the tools, loopy thing and mettle ridge of death. XD

[@Sk8_365]

Samuel Light. 😂 ikr

[@vesnakozina224]

Thank You!

[@ferdindierock]

Thank YOU!!!

[@Chris21709]

Hi Tim - Great videos always! Could you do a video explaining the advantages and disadvantages of working with cone 10 clays and glazes versus cone 6. Clearly, cone 6 uses less energy to fire, so cone 10 must have some other advantages. But what? Look better? Harder? Thanks!

[@shauhengli5177]

I like the video and the funny sounds you made! enjoy this!

[@joshuadailey9931]

First off I just found you and you are amazing!!! Your videos are so clear and the way you throw is beautiful! I was wondering if you could give me an estimate on how long you should wait for your clay to dry before trimming? Thanks, Megan

[@timseepots]

The time it takes depends on how dry it is and how warm it is. Hot and dry and it could take a day to dry cold and damp could take a week. It should be about cheese hard like cheddar. I keep things covered under plastic. The longer it takes the better chance you have of catching it when it is right.

[@timseepots]

first time on the wheel was Jan 1999 so like 14 years.

[@mmallick9837]

how do you know you are not trimming too much? I always have a scary moment that I will trim too much and my piece will have a hole. BTW great help to centering I came across this video and I am a beginner even though I took a 2-semester Wheel Throwing course but this video really helped.

[@PanEtRosa]

That bowl turned out gorgeous. o.o What source was the clay from?

[@LambentLark]

"Metal rib of death" I thought that was just my pottery teachers name for it. Now, I'm think that might be its official name! Lmao

[@timseepots]

LambentLark totally is

[@gonuleker3469]

Teşekkür ederim çok eğitici bir video oldu benim için 👏👏👏

[@timseepots]

Hey you're still active on the tube. I still get students that ask about the guy who throws the pot in seconds

[@rosiedeschipper1987]

Thanks for a great video! I'm still a beginner and I tried to trim the bottom of my pieces but I stopped since I noticed that if they aren't perfectly centered when throwing, then the bottom won't get even when I'm trimming. The pieces would get all wobbly and wouldn't stand evenly. Do you have some advice to how I can get them even eventhough they're not perfectly thrown?

[@timseepots]

If the thinks cut true before taking them off the wheel they should be trimable where it counts.

[@chrisamar5137]

Hey Tim. You said you wrap your pieces in plastic for drying. What material do you put the piece on? Plastic bat, Masonite bat, plaster bat or hydro-bat? With the little experience I have, I've found that the bottoms of my pots don't seem to dry enough for effective trimming when wrapping them in plastic and putting them on a plastic bat. But when I use a plaster bat, the drying seems to be just right. What are your thoughts on that?

[@timseepots]

Chris Amar I will throw them pop them on a board and cover them with plastic. When they have dried enough I flip them over on the lip on the the same board. that board will have sucked up some of the water and stop the pieces from drying out too much. It is normally a week from throwing to trimming. If I have to wait longer I will put them upside down on a plastic bat and cover them with plastic.

[@midlifeblessings]

Burnishing made such a difference in how finished my pots look! Is there a way to burnish the rest of the pot near the rim, where the “hot dogs” are holding down the pot?

[@timseepots]

you can try centering it right side up. or remove the hot dogs for the last little bit being careful to push down on the pot

[@Midnyako]

I think trimming is so fun!

[@pearlpark7259]

Can you trim and blend the rest of the bowl? The top portion and the rim. Even maybe the inside of the bowl..?

[@pearlpark7259]

Ah, me three years ago was even more clueless than the current me. Now I know to pay more attention to the top portion of the pots and remove the slip and throw lines inside while throwing. Still gets that ‘potters hump’ though.

[@wadepatton2433]

Hahaha! Trimming to make poor work look better, is akin to grinding a weld to make it look better. Works but isn't the best practice. Thanks for the laugh.

[@user-os6sc4bj5x]

잘만듬ㅎㅎGoog

[@typhoons91]

Love it! especially the outakes :)

[@user-os6sc4bj5x]

보는게 재밌다ㅎㅎGoog

[@marielipocky6789]

What is the advantage of trimming the inside of the foot ring with the corner of the loop tool first?

[@timseepots]

The small point allows you to take small amount off and not just ride along the surface. It also reduces drag which can help to prevent your piece from coming out of the wads.

[@kendrakatnik8350]

My pots always get smooshed when I put the chunks of clay on to hold it in place. Does that mean it's too wet?

[@timseepots]

yep trimming when it is too wet.

[@____Ann____]

If you burnish it, will the glaze stick alright?

[@timseepots]

Ann glaze sticks because the piece is absorbent and burnishing doesn’t change the absorbency so burnishing hasn’t been an issue and can actually reduce some glaze faults.

[@____Ann____]

@@timseepots thank you!

[@hhysug7inwhs37]

Any tips on centering a smaller piece?

[@timseepots]

Hhysug7inwhs make a ring of clay a little bigger than the piece and kinda scootch it with the clay to get it in the middle and hold it.

[@hhysug7inwhs37]

Timsee clay Thanks! I like making smaller things, but have trouble with that

[@susanjaracz1574]

My three year old thinks you stepped on a duck there at the end.

[@timseepots]

Susan Jaracz quack quack quack little buddy

[@susanjaracz1574]

@@timseepots Haha. He thought that is funny and went off for awhile about stepping on ducks.

[@lulzhoteloffical]

What are your tips for one who gets so anal about how their trimming looks they end up with holes in the pieces?

[@jhalsteadable]

Omg! No country bumpkin lines!

[@timseepots]

lol

[@ClayThrower]

That's funny. Ya, I'm not vlogging now, but I still make the odd video here and there. Back in the day, there were hardly any pottery videos here, but now there are many by far better potters than myself, so I don't feel I have as much to add these days.

[@brantbacon3829]

Quit being so sassy you are to old to do that. XP