1.  The rib head needs to be screwed down tightly to the handle so that the rib does not rotate while in use.  I originally thought a loose rib that changed position in accordance to the configuration of the clay wall would work well.  But it doesn't.  The rib flops around and is hard to control.  It is much easier to secure the rib firmly to the handle.

2.  Hold the handle with the left hand, and tilt the rib slightly so that the rib is trailing along the surface of the clay.

3.  Use an expired credit card, old hotel door key card, or Sherril Mud Tool flexible rib on the outside.  Of course, you can also use your fingers, but I have to say that I find it easier to keep the clay under control when it gets thin when I use a flexible rib on the outside and a rigid rib on the inside.

(More tips below.)

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The ribs on the MKM Ultimate Throwing Sticks are removeable.  They are attached using two washers, and then a machine screw that screws into a tapered metal insert.  The insert is screwed into the wood handle from the opposite side so that it can't be pulled through the handle. 

This means that the ribs can easily be replaced with a rib of a different shape, either one made by MKM, or one made or adjusted in shape by you.  If the hole in the rib is too large, simply use a larger fender washer (a large washer with a small screw hole - available at most hardware stores.)

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This shape of rib is found at one end of all the double-ended throwing sticks.  I have found this shape very useful for pushing out the walls of medium and large sized pots.  The rib has no sharp corners, fits into relatively small openings at the top, and has a nice gentle curve that allows it to smoothly move the wall out.

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This shape of rib is found at the other end of all the double-ended throwing sticks.  This shape is particularly useful for adjusting and lifting the shoulder of a pot, and for moving up the height of the should break (where the shoulder starts moving sharply downward to form the body or belly of the pot).

A thinner version of this rib is used with the MKM Shoulder Tool.

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The MKM Shoulder Tool is excellent for adjusting the angle and break of the shoulder of a pot. On a narrow mouthed bottle or jar form where it is no longer possible to insert your hand or finger, you can use the shoulder tool to form and support the shoulder.  It will fit through a very narrow opening.   If the shoulder begins to collapse, use a hair dryer or heat gun to dry out the clay in the shoulder area, and then use the MKM Shoulder Tool to reshape the shoulder, and to lift the break between the shoulder and the main wall of the form.

Although this is a relatively small tool, it is amazing how useful it can be on large forms as well.  The tool extends out 7 inches (17.5 cm), and it is a rare pot that has a shoulder wider than 14 inches in diamter.

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The MKM Tall Jar Tool is extremely versatile.  It is designed to be used with tall and ralatively narrow forms.  However, it has proven very useful when making minor adjustments to the profile of almost any form when it is awkward to reach in with your  hand.

The bottom of the rib is flattened slightly so that the tool and rib and be used to form the bottom and wall of a cup.

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The MKM Tall Jar Tool can be used to push out or adjust the contour of the belly of a pot.  Because it is a straight tool, it is less useful in the shoulder area of the pot.

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Using the body end of T3c to begin moving the wall of the form out.  If the clay wall is dried a bit during this process, either with a heat gun or blow torch, then the wall can be extended out quite a bit.  Despite the use of the hands for advertising purposes, I actually prefer to use a credit card, or flexible rib such as a Trim Gin rib or Sherril Mud Tool.

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Using the shoulder rib end of  T3c to adjust the shoulder of a pot.

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This is the MKM Craftsman Series Wood Rib number W7a.  It is my favorite rib for pushing out the walls of jar and vase forms.  I use it to get the walls moving out and to set the curve of the bottom of the form before I start using the throwing tools.  It is small and fits into my hand easily, has no sharp corners that might nick the interior wall of a pot, and has just the right curve for working the wall of the pot all the way from the bottom to the top.

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This is MKM Craftsman Series Wood Rib W23.  It is 18 inches long.  Although designed to be a plate rib, some potters use it to extend their reach into large jar or vase forms that are taller than their arms are long.  They hold the rib somewhere towards the middle, brace the sharp end against their forearm, and use the blunt end as an interior rib.

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