I wanted to make an easy to find list of the tools that people most commonly ask about. These are the ones that I use all the time and would replace immediately if lost.
US Link / UK Link - Gunson Mini - A very useful tool to hold pieces for dipping. Read more about it here
US Link / UK Link - I use these all the time to apply slip. They're much better at sucking up thick slip than the usual bulb type tools. I usually use the 50ml and the 150ml.
US Link / UK Link - Add texture to a surface, as well as stamp patterns (like Peacock Eye). I also use them to flair the ends of my handles before attaching.
US Link / UK Link - I use these to smooth any joints, such as handles. The cheap ones are fine, the Xiem ones last much longer.
US Link / UK Link - Fantastic and cheap photographic lighting. They do need to be wired in to a plug, but they're probably the best option on a budget.
Link - Hartley & Noble Russian Doll system. I absolutely love this nested tile insert system, as space is limited in my studio and the smaller inserts allow me to throw so much more work without filling the shelves compared to my standard batts. You can get a free gift on H&N orders over £100 by mentioning my name at checkout.
US Link / UK Link - This is a very useful tool that clips onto the wheelhead and has three horizontal sliders that centre and grip work. It makes trimming much easier and faster, and reduces the likelihood of a piece becoming unstuck and flying off the wheel. I use mine for trimming and wax resisting for glazing.
US Link / UK Link - Xiem Applicator - I use this for the Impulse dots.
Mark Dally makes a soft slip trailer that is great for more gestural designs, but harder to use as precisely as the solid ones.
US Link / UK Link - Mudtool Green - My all time favourite rib.
US Link / UK Link - Xiem Porcelain - I love the Xiem sponges. They’re a little firmer and almost halfway between a sponge and a rib, and I find them much nicer to throw with. Another popular option is the Mudtools sponges (US Link / UK Link) which are thinner and softer.
US Link / UK Link - Diamond Core Tools T7 and T9 - I’ve used a variety of trimming tools over the years, and up until recently my preferred tools were the budget double ended loop tools. The Diamond Core Tools T7 and T9 do everything I liked about the cheap tools but better. I use the T7 for the bulk of my trimming but the ‘sawtooth’ design of the T9 is great for trimming rims.
US Link / UK Link - Diamond Core Tools 60/120/240 Flexible Pads and 240 Grit Disc - These are one of the best investments you can make in the studio. I’m still using the sanding pads I bought when I started, and they’ve done thousands of pots at this point. The discs are very effective at levelling the bottom of pots to stop them wobbling, they’re actually so effective that I only ever use the 240 disc as the others remove clay faster than I need.
US Link / UK Link - A cheap fence sprayer will do a surprisingly good job of spraying glaze. I use mine to add a splash of glaze to one side of a piece. Best to use them outside or into a vented spray booth.
US Link / UK Link - This is sometimes called a Power Mixer or Paddle Mixer. They’re powerful motors attached to large mixing heads, and they do an amazing job of mixing up reclaimed clay to a perfectly smooth consistency. I picked mine as it has the wire handle that looks like it would be easy to swap for a wall mounted bracket (I haven’t done this yet though).
US Link / UK Link - I use this to weigh out the clay before I throw. It's cheap, more than accurate enough, and goes up to 10kg. I also use it for weighing ingredients for larger glaze batches.
For smaller glaze measurements I use this 3kg/0.1g scale (US / UK) and 500g/0.01g (US / UK)
US Link / UK Link - A heatgun or blowtorch is essential if you want to throw pieces with a round belly and narrow neck
US Link / UK Link - Attaches to a cordless drill and mixes glazes up quickly. I prefer the plastic ones to the coated metal options as I’ve found they often rust and contaminate the glaze.
US Link / UK Link - Handheld clay extruder that is perfect for extruding handles (see below for the dies). If those ones are sold out, there are often variations on Amazon. Anything that looks similar is likely identical and it’s just the dies that come with it that vary. You can also get DIY extruders in the same barrel size, which will work almost as well.
These are the tools I couldn’t find for sale anywhere, initially made for myself, and now produce for other people to purchase if they want:
I get a few questions about the larger pieces of studio equipment I use. I want to first add that I haven’t used many of the other options, so these choices were based on my research rather than personal experience:
Wheel: Skutt Steven Hill
Kiln: Skutt KMT 818 (previously Potterycraft Comet)
