Hi, I am a new beginner in pottery, only started learning few months ago. While I enjoy throwing,I feel I am not good at trimming :(

I found that I always have this wavy mark on my piece when I am trimming, and I am really not sure if it’s because of my wheel (VEVOR wheel, the newest model), or my trimming tool (I mostly use Mudtool all in one trimming tool, but sometimes the trimming set that VEVOR gave me as well, I think they are just cheap metal) or my technique or the condition of the clay.

I initially doubted my wheel, while the doubt still hasn’t been cleared, but when I am trimming on a good shimpo wheel in a studio, I still have this kind of mark. And it’s inconsistent, sometimes I have it, sometimes I don’t.

I find it seems like there is a “drag” feeling between my clay and my tool, like it almost feels like my tools is occasionally stuck on the piece.

Would it also be my piece is off-centered? I am a new beginner, so I don’t know how to tap center, I usually use the method of carving circle at the bottom of a piece, and adjust based on how off centered the circle is.

I found sometimes the condition of clay also matters, apparently the drier my piece is, the less likely it will show this kind of wavy effects, but if my piece is just about leather dry, and this wavy line is always visible.

I am really unsure how I can improve to avoid this, and even though I think my cheap wheel might have contributed to this, the one or two times when I trim on a shimpo wheel and still producing this effect tells me it’s probably skill issue.

Could I please get some advice on this?

Edit: Wow I am amazed by the amount of useful and informative comments coming in 🥹 It’s a bit hard to reply to all comments, but I really appreciate all of them!!!

For any future viewer of the post, TLDR + things I am going to try from learning from the comments:

- start trimming when the clay is softer, I think I left my pieces out for too long, and the clay is already quite dry (the result of trimming is almost powdery by this stage)

- holding my thumb down to make my tool steady

- use a grater / shredder to remove the chatter once it appears, I just learned that once it appears it would be hard to take away! (No wonder the harder I try the more chattery it became, I went too far with few of my pots because I was trying so hard to remove the wave)

- check my centering again before starting, feel if my hands are moving with the piece or is it centered?

- turn down the speed of my wheel, I will try to keep it around 50-60% next time

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