10 Essential Studio Tools
Inspired by Jon’s video on his top ten tools.
First thing to say is that I’m making a distinction between equipment (wheel, kiln, etc) and tools. Obviously the tools won’t be much use without the right equipment! These are my top ten essential tools for producing work on the wheel. They’re in order of use rather than importance, but I don’t know if I could actually sort them in order of importance. These are the tools that I’d replace immediately if they were lost or damaged:
Scales - One of the most effective ways to make pieces of a consistent size is to start with the same amount of clay each time. I just use these kitchen scales, which were just the cheapest (£10 at the time) scales that were capable of weighing up to 10kg. They won’t be the most accurate scales going, but are more than good enough for measuring clay.
Xiem Sponge - If you haven’t tried a few different sponges you might be surprised how much they affect how you throw. Personally I love the Xiem Porcelain sponges (£4.32/$3.95) as they’re a bit stiffer than other sponges. It’s almost halfway between a sponge and a rib, spreading the pressure out over a greater area.
Mudtools Green Rib - Unlike the sponges, I think the Mudtools ribs are significantly better than the Xiem ribs. They’re equally good for throwing but the thinner and firmer plastic on the Mudtools green ribs (~£6/$7) make them ideal for burnishing leather hard clay (this is how I get the bottom of my pieces smooth. It’s much easier than sanding!)
Foot Trimming Tool - This tool adds a rounded foot to a piece in seconds at the end of throwing, saving a lot of trimming time. I made the first one of these for my own use because I couldn’t find anything like it for sale, and have since started producing more for sale. If you have the tools to make your own, the build instructions are here.
Trimming Tool - Jon suggested the Mudtools Do-All, which is a great tool, but I actually do most of my trimming with cheap loop tools. I prefer the rounded ends as I don’t generally leave sharp corners on my pieces, they’re easy to sharpen, and inexpensive to replace.
Giffin Grip - Pricy, but it’s the best trimming aid I've ever used. It centres and holds pieces with very minimal effort, allowing for much faster and more controlled trimming. I also use mine for wax resisting and sanding the bottom of pots after they’re fired. Definitely an investment, but will pay for itself in saved time pretty quickly. (£214/$219)
Extruder and Handle Dies - These are how I make my handles. It’s a quick and easy way to make consistent handles, and allows for design with an interesting cross section. I use this handheld extruder (£33/$52) and my own dies (£10-15).
Sculpting Tools - I got this kit of basic tools ages ago, and they’re some of my most used tools. I use them to tidy up my handle joints, and burnish smooth curves onto the bottom of my pieces when trimming. They’re so good and so cheap I actually got a second set so I wouldn’t have to move them between the wheel and workbench.
Diamondcoretools Sanding Pads - They do a variety of grade (£19/$15+). I have the 60, 120 and 240, and use them to finish every piece. If you’ve burnished the bottom of the piece they won’t need much, but if there’s a glaze drip you’ll find that’s where the diamonds are really worth paying extra over regular sandpaper.
I’m sure your list will look different. I’d love to know what you’d add/remove. Let me know in the comments, or on Instagram/Reddit/Facebook/wherever you found it, and I’ll do a follow up post with other people’s suggestions.
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