Saturday, October 7, 2017

Most awesome DIY studio tool ever

This $7 nifty plastic bin may be the best thing I’ve ever added to my home studio and gifted to my community studio. Please let me introduce you to my Giffin Grip Trimming Catcher!



Trimming leads to clay bits all around the wheel. I tend to trim many pots in one sitting, so the bits that fell on the ground had time to dry out and then were ground to dust as I got up from the wheel. This scenario is bad enough in a one-person studio, but in a group setting, it’s even more of an issue. 

But this nifty bin solves those dusty messy issues. Using a piece of cardboard as a template, I cut out the shape of the splash pan where it connects below the wheel head. I used a dremel tool cutting disc to cut through the plastic bin. I cut out one of the long sides of the bin, leaving a lip along the edges, except for where the bin needed to slide under the wheel head. Then I used the cardboard splash pan template to trace the same shape to the bottom of the bin and cut that section out with the dremel. 



After a little testing and more trimming with the dremel, the bin slides easily under the wheel head. 



An addition of a long piece of material draped over the cut edges of the bin of the bin, tucked under the wheel head, and over my legs keeps all of the trimmings off the floor.



Then I store my Giffin Grip, all of its bits, and the material in the bin. 



Best $7 that I’ve ever spent! 

While I made this specifically to use with a Giffin Grip, it should work just about as well just trimming on the wheel head. 

7 comments:

  1. very clever-I love easier clean up!

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  2. Thant's an excellent idea. Thanks

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  3. I am curious what dimension bin you bought? I am excited to make one myself and help with the overwhelming Giffin cleanup mess. I would rather be working on the wheel than cleaning! Thanks Fiona

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