Carve vertical flutes on a cylinder
Fluting transforms a plain cylinder into something with rhythm. It's one of the simplest decorative techniques and one of the most satisfying.
Steps
- Take a leather-hard cylinder (a test piece or a mug body you don't love)
- Decide on spacing: mark even divisions around the rim with a pin tool
- Carve vertical grooves from top to base using a loop tool
- Keep consistent depth and width on every flute
What good flutes look like
- Even spacing all the way around
- Consistent depth (not deeper at the top than the bottom)
- Clean edges (the clay peels away in ribbons, not crumbles)
- The cylinder has a rhythmic, faceted feel when you turn it
If the clay crumbles
It's too dry. Next time, carve earlier in the leather-hard window.