Okay, every craftsperson needs tools, I have a whole drawer full of them. Some are purchased, some are made and some come from the kitchen. How many tools do you really need for pottery? Well, every potter is different and we each have our own favorite tools.
For throwing on the wheel I have a few basics, a wire, a pin tool, a kemper KWT6 wooden scraper and kempers RB5 wooden rib, a custom crafted stainless steel metal rib, a sponge and a "sponge on a stick". And of course, my old jalopy of a potter's wheel circa 1970 from Newton's Potter's Supply. It's old, it makes noise, it's hard to clean, it was free and I love it.
Now, to get a basic understanding of the tools...
The pin tool- can be used for checking the thickness of the foot of the pot. It also calls for drastic measures when your pot is so far off center that the lip is has an entire 1 inch variance in height, we use this tool to trim the lip of the pot and make it visually appear as though the pot is nearly centered. *Note- This simple trick of the trade does nothing to make the trimming process easier if your pot is off center. Best to just begin from scratch and learn to center properly.
The Kemper KWT6 scraper- a great tool for carving away excess clay on the foot of your pot. Use it while the wheel is spinning and make a small grove at the base for the wire tool to pass under.
The Kemper RB5 rib tool- I only use this tool when making bowls. After finishing the thrown bowl and sponging away the excess water I carefully run the curved rib along the inside from top to bottom to remove the slurry and create a nice contoured shape.
The wire tool- I use this for cutting down 25 pounds of clay and for cutting my finished pots off the wheel head or bat head. Always have an extra one of these handy. Be forewarned, when the wire frays eventually it will seriously puncture a finger just like a pin.
Metal rib tool- This custom crafted tool is basically used with throwing as well as removing the slurry from the outside of a pot so it can be hand lifted off the wheel. There is a complex method to using this tool which I won't elaborate on here.
Sponge tool- Natural sea sponges are really nice, however, they are not eco- friendly. I use a simple 1" foam padding from a fabric supply store purchased in 4' by 4' lengths and cut it down to size. One of these little sponges last me a whole year and costs only pennies.
Sponge on a stick- This is a great tool for removing excess water from the inside of tall pots or narrow necked pots. I prefer to make my own as opposed to the commercially available ones. It's so simple to make, all you need is a wooden craft dowel approx. 1/4 diameter and 12" long, a rectangular piece of sponge and an elastic band like the ones that come with bunches of broccoli. Roll the sponge around the stick and wrap the elastic around and leaving 1/2" from the base. That's it and the best part is that it won't fly off the stick when the wheel is spinning.
These are my preferred wheel throwing tools, again, everyone has there favorites. If you are just beginning to make pots on the wheel a basic kemper tool kit will suffice. And a simple note on wheel direction, if you are right handed you want the wheel to spin counter clockwise and throwing is done in the 3 o'clock to 4 o'clock position. Vise versa if you are left handed.
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