Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This week, I'm throwing and trimming a tall angular vase/urn whilst discussing a question I'm very regularly asked about, chattering, specially when tungsten carbide tools—what it is, why it happens and how I deal with it. Dealing with it is the best way to approach it as even with tens of thousands of hours trimming under my belt, chattering, (which is when the blade bounces and creates a linear texture on the surface), still occurs. Thus, it's still something that I deal with rather than completely try to avoid. The truth is, there are just so many variables that can contribute to chattering and sometimes it's something that simply has to happen but you also need a way of fixing it.
For me, tungsten carbide trimmers are tools that I do approximately 90% of the shaping with, then, that final 10% of turning is some with steel tools and sharp scrapers, these perfect the shape and remove any chattering marks that are left.
On the other hand, if chattering is something you're intentionally going for, then all the power to you! My opinion is generally this though, if you're going to include chattering, make it a standout feature on your vessels, if you don't want it, you need to avoid it all costs, otherwise it can be appear, albeit subtly, in the finished pots under thin washes of glaze.
I hope you find this niche video helpful and thanks for watching!
⚙️ • How to attach pots onto the wheel: youtu.be/mfTZU3lQsLY
📚 • You'll find many more guides on how to centre and pull up the walls of clay here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2WJhtTF0eGhQwf8g2LHcom_KrvJpH_JT
📖 • ORDER MY BOOK: geni.us/bymyhands
📢 • Find out much more about my work here: https://linktr.ee/floriangadsby
⏱ • Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction/what is chattering
5:01 - Trimming the jar, identifying properly leather hard clay
6:52 - How to fix a slight wobble in the rim
8:41 - Some information about tungsten carbide trimming tools
9:06 - An example of chattering and how I fix it
10:28 - Trimming the lid to be in-line with the body
12:40 - Trimming the underside of the jar
14:06 - The infamous chin-trimming technique
16:02 - Quality control...
17:20 - Clean up
*I throw using both a Rohde HMT 500 & 600 potter's wheel and fire using Rohde kilns too, the electric is a TE-200 and the gas kiln is a KG-340.
____
Instagram – instagram.com/floriangadsby
TikTok – tiktok.com/@floriangadsby
Website – floriangadsby.com
This week, I'm throwing and trimming a tall angular vase/urn whilst discussing a question I'm very regularly asked about, chattering, specially when tungsten carbide tools—what it is, why it happens and how I deal with it. Dealing with it is the best way to approach it as even with tens of thousands of hours trimming under my belt, chattering, (which is when the blade bounces and creates a linear texture on the surface), still occurs. Thus, it's still something that I deal with rather than completely try to avoid. The truth is, there are just so many variables that can contribute to chattering and sometimes it's something that simply has to happen but you also need a way of fixing it.
For me, tungsten carbide trimmers are tools that I do approximately 90% of the shaping with, then, that final 10% of turning is some with steel tools and sharp scrapers, these perfect the shape and remove any chattering marks that are left.
On the other hand, if chattering is something you're intentionally going for, then all the power to you! My opinion is generally this though, if you're going to include chattering, make it a standout feature on your vessels, if you don't want it, you need to avoid it all costs, otherwise it can be appear, albeit subtly, in the finished pots under thin washes of glaze.
I hope you find this niche video helpful and thanks for watching!
⚙️ • How to attach pots onto the wheel: youtu.be/mfTZU3lQsLY
📚 • You'll find many more guides on how to centre and pull up the walls of clay here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2WJhtTF0eGhQwf8g2LHcom_KrvJpH_JT
📖 • ORDER MY BOOK: geni.us/bymyhands
📢 • Find out much more about my work here: https://linktr.ee/floriangadsby
⏱ • Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction/what is chattering
5:01 - Trimming the jar, identifying properly leather hard clay
6:52 - How to fix a slight wobble in the rim
8:41 - Some information about tungsten carbide trimming tools
9:06 - An example of chattering and how I fix it
10:28 - Trimming the lid to be in-line with the body
12:40 - Trimming the underside of the jar
14:06 - The infamous chin-trimming technique
16:02 - Quality control...
17:20 - Clean up
*I throw using both a Rohde HMT 500 & 600 potter's wheel and fire using Rohde kilns too, the electric is a TE-200 and the gas kiln is a KG-340.
____
Instagram – instagram.com/floriangadsby
TikTok – tiktok.com/@floriangadsby
Website – floriangadsby.com
