The Country Potter - a DIY Clay Cutting Wire

ok, so im cheap,  you can get a hand helf cutting wire for about 10$, but they kink,  rust, and worse, they get lost.

here is a quick and dirty method to make your own, for nearly no money and better yet, fully customizable.

Step 1: Making the Handles

the clay cutter consists of two parts, the handles  and the line.

I use 50lb test deep sea monofiliment line, you can get  500 feet for about 10$, thats enough for 200 cutting tools.

you can use wood for handels, though it you use clay, you can make a bunch for nearly nothihg-- I use trim scrap and end bits..

a 4 inch cylinder, with two holes in the side.


the beauty of these is you can carve stamps in the ends, I have several sets that have my pot stamp so I never have to go looking for one...



 

Step 2: Assembling the Cutter

highif your using clay, fire the hadles to at least cone 04- though high fire is better

attach the two handles with about 18-24 inches of fish line with a surgeon's knot.

(loop though, make a granny knot with 3 wraps instead of two and finish with a standard square knot.

this cutter has a loop in one end for haning on a nail by my plaster wedging table  (see my instructable "country potter- Plaster wedge table), and the other handle has a shape that creates a "seam" shape.  becasue the fish line is water proof, if you want to clean them you can just chuck tham into a bucket of water, and not to mention, if the line breaks, or wears out, you can just fix it...

Step 3: Using the Clay Cutter

take one handle in each hand, draw the line towards you though the clay, if the clay is two hard to cut with a line, it will be two hard to throw.


use the same  motion to cut pots off bats, and add a little water to the bat and repeat the draw thoiugh so the pot will slide off..


thats it,...  Ive made a couple hundred,by now...