How to trim a bowl with a giffin grip

A giffin grip is a super useful tool when working with clay on a wheel. Giffin grips attach to your wheel to hold your piece in place while trimming, glazing, and more. It also helps to center your piece on the wheel. In this video, SPS team potter Sean Tessandori shows us how to set up and use a giffin grip to stabilize a bowl while he trims the foot. 

Trimming helps a pot, bowl, mug, or vase sit better on the table by leveling and defining the pot. It also removes excess clay at the bottom so the pot will dry evenly and be less prone to cracking (the bottom is often thicker than the walls, as many potters don't pull all the clay up the walls while throwing). We also feel that trimmed pots feel better in the hand because the physical weight of the vessel matches or is lighted than the visual weight of the piece.

In this video, Sean is using a bowl made out of our mid-range translucent porcelain, Seattle Freeze.

How to use a Giffin Grip for Trimming on a Pottery Wheel