New pottery tool roundup: Take these for a spin!
DiamondCore® Tools is dedicated to creating innovative tools designed to change the world of ceramic artists. We’re always evolving our line of products and growing the number of offerings. With so many pottery tools to choose from already, we want to make sure each new product gets its time in the spotlight!
New Pottery Tools, Sets & More
We’ve gathered our most recent pottery tool releases here so you can see them all in one place. They include two new sizes of the S4 Pottery Trimming Spinner, two choices of Diamond Files with two grits each, plus an expanded line of nine fine-point pottery carving tools.
Let’s take a closer look and see how these DiamondCore products will be indispensable in your art studio or workspace. Once they become part of your go-to toolkit, you’ll wonder how you created amazing pottery without them!
Pottery Trimming Spinner XS and XL
Our S4 Pottery Trimming Spinner is one of our most in-demand tools by ceramic artists — and for good reason! Nearly everyone who trims pottery can benefit from this handy little helper. It works perfectly in conjunction with our sticky bats and sticky pads too, a real dream team!
Our original S4 Pottery Trimming Spinner clocks in at about 2 inches in diameter with a ¼-inch hole in the center. With its smooth plastic surface and grippy rubber backing, the spinner is an essential pottery tool when trimming material on a wheel. Just trim your spinning piece with a tool in your dominant hand and use your non-dominant hand to place a finger on the spinner for downward pressure and stability.
Now, two new sizes of our fan-favorite pottery spinner will add more versatility to your trimming technique!
S4 XS: Even our smallest pottery trimming spinner is great at stabilizing pottery while you remove material. Just a little larger than a 25-cent coin, the S4 XS Trimming Spinner is perfect for trimming the bottoms of smaller pottery pieces, such as tumblers or bud vases. This XS Trimming Spinneralso features the ¼-inch center hole, and its colored lines give you five options for equidistant divisions.
S4 XL: This tool is kind of a big deal. At about 3 inches wide, this disc will give larger pottery projects the support they need from the top down with that same ¼ hole for a potter’s finger. The larger size also allows the XL Trimming Spinner to feature 360 degrees of hash marks every 10 degrees. Colored lines on this spinner give you 10 options for dividing the bottom of your pottery piece equally.
S4 SET: Have all three pottery trimming spinners from DiamondCore at your fingertips with our new bundled set! With the original S4, the XS and the XL, you’ll always have the spinner that’s juuuust right for the pottery trimming task at hand.
Diamond Files: the little grit sticks for sanding tight spots
Diamond sanding grit is an incredible option for removing sharp edges on bisque or high-fired clay. With durability far, far beyond ordinary sandpapers, our diamond sanding surfaces last longer and reduce hand fatigue — just let the diamonds do the work!
When you need to remove glaze edges and chips in smaller, tighter spots, reach for our Diamond Files. Each handcrafted, hardwood file is 6.25 inches long and features two diamond grit options — 60 and 120 or 200 and 400 — making them the perfect accessory to get the finished look on your small features. (Not recommended for large surface areas.)
J11 Diamond File: Take material off your bisque and high-fired clay quickly with this diamond sanding file featuring sections of 60 and 120 diamond grit. The 60# (coarse) is best for rough, heavy glaze or clay; the 120# (medium) is good for general sanding.
J12 Diamond File: This diamond sanding file features sections of 200 and 400 diamond grit. The 200# (fine) is good for smoothing, and the 400# (extra fine) is best for putting that final, soft touch on your ceramic piece.
J SET: You’ll always have just the right grit for the job with this set of both Diamond Files. Get both diamond sanding files at a discounted price when you purchase them together in our bundle!
Nine fine-point carving tools, infinite possibilities
Just in time for the annual NCECA Conference in March, we released a complete series of fine-point pottery carving tools. We took our previous PF1, PF3 and PF5 tools — popular for carving and sgraffito work — and revamped them, adding six new blade shapes to choose from, plus an extra ergonomic foam grip to ease hand fatigue. And with a replaceable blade, these pottery carving tools will last much longer because you won’t have to throw away the whole tool if your blade ever wears thin.
We were thrilled with the buzz these tools generated at NCECA, and we’re even more excited to see artists on social media sharing the work they’ve created with the new designs!
But which new fine-point carving tool is right for you? It’s entirely a personal choice! Check out these brief descriptions of each tool below to discover how each blade shape can create a variety of groove types. Need a more visual cue? Keep scrolling for a video showing off the tools in action!
FP2 Fine Point Arrow Carving Tool: With its arrow-shaped blade, this new tool is perfect for carving in multiple directions and angles within a tight space. The arrow-shaped blade is approximately 3.5 mm wide.
FP4 Fine Point Javelin: With its V-tipped, javelin-shaped blade, this new pottery carving tool is perfect for making extremely fine, multidirectional lines.
FP6 Fine Point Ballpoint: Similar to a U tip carving blade, this ballpoint-shaped blade is unique and can maintain a consistent groove at various angles.
FP7 Fine Point Arc Chisel: With its arc-shaped blade, this carving tool is great for shaving very thin layers off at a time. Its sharp corners can follow an existing groove and blend edges.
FP8 Fine Point Flat Chisel: With its flat chisel blade, this pottery tool is perfect for removing thin layers of material and creating a sharp edge on both sides.
FP9 Fine Point Micro Half Dome: Like a mini version of our popular T1 Pottery Trimming Tool, this fine-point carving tool allows you to easily transition from round to corner-cut fine lines with its versatile blade shape.
Want to see the DiamondCore fine-point tools in action? Watch the video below for a fast and fabulous demonstration!
What’s next for DiamondCore innovation?
Since our humble beginnings in the founder’s backyard, we’ve always been looking for ways to take DiamondCore® Tools to the next level. But seeing the huge demand for our tools in 2020 and 2021 has inspired us beyond belief. Our research-and-development experts are hard at work to bring so many more products to market in 2022. Changing the world of ceramic artists is just what we do again and again.
We’re excited to hear your thoughts about our newest pottery tools — but don’t stop there! Feel free to offer feedback about our recent releases AND let us know what products you want to see from us in the future. From ribs to sponges to brushes and more, we have a full plate of DCT products in the works. Tell us what you’re thinking by leaving a comment here on the blog, sending us an email or getting in touch with our team on social media — we’re on Facebook and Instagram!
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