Ceramic Pottery Tools – Rib Profile Guide and Mug Trimming Tool NR. 3

Elevate your pottery wheel experience with our Rib Profile Guide & Mug Trimming Tool Nr. 3 – a versatile ceramic pottery tool designed to help you shape and trim your clay creations with precision and ease. This tool acts as both a mug shaping rib guide and a trimming tool, ensuring consistent curves and smooth finishes on all your wheel-thrown mugs and cups. Handmade and sustainably 3D-printed, it’s a professional-quality addition to your collection of pottery wheel tools that also carries a warm, eco-conscious touch.

Versatile Pottery Wheel Tool: Functions as both a rib profile guide for shaping clay and a trimming rib for refining the form of mugs and cups. This single tool allows you to replicate identical mug shapes and clean up edges effortlessly, making it an essential part of your pottery wheel tools arsenal for consistent results.

Multiple Sizes Available: Choose from three convenient sizes – 10 cm, 12 cm, or 14 cm – to suit different projects. Whether you’re crafting espresso cups or larger mugs, you can pick the rib profile that best fits your needs for optimal control and accuracy in shaping and trimming.

Material Options (PLA or PETG) Select the material that matches your usage and preferences:

PLA (Strong & Rigid)
Stiff and sturdy with a pleasing matte finish. It’s an eco-friendly bioplastic made from renewable resources, offering strength and rigidity for precise shaping. The PLA tool is my most affordable option and is printed using leftover PLA filament in random assorted colors, and leftover filament reduce waste. This sustainable practice means your tool may feature unique color mixes, highlighting my commitment to sustainable pottery supplies.
(Note: PLA is quite strong and stiff, but it’s less tolerant of heat and can be somewhat brittle under high stress so it’s best suited for normal studio use away from high temperatures.)

PETG (Durable & Flexible)
PETG upgrade for those who need extra durability. PETG offers enhanced toughness and slight flexibility, resulting in a tool with a longer lifespan and resistance to cracking It has a glossy, translucent finish and is more heat-resistant than PLA, making it dishwasher-safe on gentle, low-temperature settings (PETG’s glass transition temperature is around 80°C, so it can endure typical dishwasher cycles up to ~70°C without significant warping. This material is ideal if you want a sturdier tool that can handle heavy use and occasional higher temperatures, and wish to have a bit of flexible rib.

Each rib profile tool is an original design, thoughtfully created and 3D-printed by me. A 3D-Printed Tool from someone who also has a passion for pottery.

Eco-Conscious and Sustainable
To minimize waste, the rib tool is printed in the current filament color available (unless you choose another color or filament). Occasionally, you may receive a unique marbled pattern, crafted from leftover filaments. If you prefer a specific color, select it from the options—otherwise, enjoy the surprise!

Easy to Use
This rib profile guide is suited for all skill levels. Simply throw your mug or cup on the wheel as usual, then hold the profile tool against the clay at the desired angle to shape the wall to a consistent profile. The trimming edge can be used when the clay is leather-hard to refine the foot or sides, giving your piece a clean, professional finish. It has a groove on both sides, so it is possible to use by both right and left handed.

Care Tips: Taking care of your 3D-printed pottery tool will ensure it lasts a long time.
After use, gently wash off any clay residue. PLA tools should be hand-washed in cool or lukewarm water (avoid hot water). PETG tools are a bit more forgiving and can handle warm water cleaning or even a dishwasher’s top rack on a low-temp cycle if needed

Store Flat in a Cool Place: When not in use, keep the tool stored flat in a cool, dry area to maintain its shape. PETG is also more forgiving here.
This is especially important for the PLA version – high heat (for example, direct sunlight in a hot room or a car) could cause PLA to soften and warp over time. Keeping it flat and away from heat sources prevents any bending or warping of the profile, so it will remain perfectly true to shape for your next project. (PETG has higher heat tolerance but i still recommend avoiding extreme heat to keep it in pristine condition.)

Avoid any prolonged pressure on the tool when stored – laying it flat (rather than standing on its edge) ensures it doesn’t deform. Both materials are strong, but like any precision tool, a little care in storage will go a long way in preserving its functionality and shape.

📬 Shipping Details: To keep your costs low, all orders are shipped as an untracked letter, which means that there is no track and trace and the product will end in your mailbox.