Pottery Trimming Stand

Intro

I always thought it was frustrating to be unable to feel the thickness of my pot's walls while I trim it, so I made this tool to lift the pot up while I trim. A handy hole in the middle allows me to reach inside and gauge for myself how thick the walls are. It's been a game-changer for me.

Printing

The trimming stand is made up of 6 pieces, with five more optional:

The included 3mf files are set up for printing on a Prusa MK3S+ with a build volume of 240x210x210. The platform is 26cm in diameter but it fits on the platform by positioning it diagonally. If your printer can handle the 26cm diameter directly on its build plate, you should print it flat – it'll print much faster.

The risers should not be printed in PLA, which is too brittle – the tabs could break when inserting. Better is PETG, which is still fairly strong but has some give and won't break off so easily. All other parts can be printed in whatever material you wish – I would suggest PLA for ease of printing.

When printing the large platform, you may want to include a brim or mouse ears. PETG can warp a bit and raised corners will lead to an uneven top surface of the assembled platform.

Assembly

Assembly is pretty straightforward – insert the riser tabs into the slots on the base and platform and click them into place. It should feel quite secure when properly installed, with no wiggle. The wings on the risers should be at the top, touching the platform and pointing out from the center.  They provide support to the outer edge of the platform.

Use

The trimming stand privides an elevated platform with a hole in the center. It lets you reach your hand inside to test wall thickness. Perform your trimming then stop the wheel and feel for wall thickness. Repeat until you've trimmed to your preferred wall thickness.

Optional Parts

There are two optional parts for this build:

Insert

Slot this into the center of your platform to have a narrower center hole for smaller rims.

Platform Large Quarter

Print four of these and you can have an extra large (nearly 400 mm diameter) platform for those really big bowls. The pieces snap together similarly to how the risers snap to the base and platform. They should be printed in a material such as PETG. There's a very good chance PLA will be too brittle and the connectors will break. Even when printing in PETG, though, be careful – the fully assembled large platform can break its connectors if you drop it. If you don't need to be able to take it apart, gluing the joints would make it more sturdy.

If you choose to make the large platform then you don't technically need the medium one. I find the medium one is almost always sufficient and easier to deal with but you may want the larger diameter.

The Obligatory How-To Video