Method for producing ceramic honeycomb body

A method for producing a ceramic honeycomb body having large numbers of longitudinal cells partitioned by cell walls, with its peripheral portion removed by machining, comprising

• rotatably holding said ceramic honeycomb body on a main axis of a lathe, and rotating said ceramic honeycomb body around said main axis, to remove a peripheral portion of said ceramic honeycomb body by machining with a cutting tool;
• said lathe comprising a first fixing jig and second fixing jig on said main axis, said second fixing jig substantially opposing said first fixing jig;
• each of said first and second fixing jigs having an abutting portion opposing each other, said abutting portion having a smaller outer shape than that of the end surface of the ceramic honeycomb body, and said abutting portion having a substantially flat abutting surface perpendicular to the main axis;
• and
• said ceramic honeycomb body being held by pressing said abutting surfaces of said first and second fixing jigs to both end surfaces of said ceramic honeycomb body, such that the center axis of said ceramic honeycomb body is substantially in alignment with the main axis of the lathe;
• and
• wherein said abutting portions are detachable from said fixing jigs and made of resin;
• wherein said abutting surface has surface roughness (maximum height Rz) of 10-500 μm;
• and
• wherein an area ratio of said abutting surface to a cross section of said abutting portion perpendicular to said main axis is 30-100%.