A method of controlling an axial skinning apparatus for skinning ceramic honeycomb parts; the apparatus comprising a manifold having a chamber, one or more channels, or both, to receive a source of flowable cement and to direct the received flowable cement to an interior skinning region or skinning chamber surrounding at least a portion of the lateral surface of a first ceramic honeycomb part received in the skinning chamber, and to form a cement skin on the lateral surface of the received ceramic honeycomb part, a source of motive force to controllably urge the received article into and through the skinning chamber; and a support member to receive and support the resulting skinned article, the method comprising: setting a tank pressure set point P set point manifold, a nominal skinning speed, a threshold pressure P threshold and a percent Travel threshold %Travel threshold; loading a plurality of parts onto the axial skinning apparatus; waiting for pressure to build up in the manifold; when the manifold pressure is greater than the threshold pressure P threshold starting the skinning process by moving the parts through the axial skinning apparatus or moving the axial skinning apparatus over a part; sensing the pressure of the flowable cement source being delivered to the skinning chamber of the skinning apparatus and the ceramic honeycomb part; sensing the percent Travel, %Travel, of the ceramic honeycomb part traversing the skinning chamber of the apparatus; adjusting the pressure of the flowable cement or the motive force acting on the part traversing the skinning chamber based on the sensed pressure and the sensed % Travel, to minimize skin defects in the resulting skinned ceramic part; when the percent Travel is greater than the percent travel threshold, %Travel threshold, changing the tank pressure set point; if the manifold pressure at the end of the skinning cycle is not below the threshold pressure P threshold, adjusting at least one control parameter by recalculating the thresholds P threshold and %Travel threshold, wherein the threshold pressure and percent travel threshold are calculated using the inverse of a model function, wherein the model defines a relationship between the tank pressure at the start of the cycle, %Travel threshoid, P threshold, and the manifold pressure at the end of the cycle; wherein the %Travel threshold %Travel threshold is less than about 90% and greater than about 40%, and wherein the ratio of P Threshold to P set point manifold is less than about 0.8 and greater that about 0.5. setting a tank pressure set point P set point manifold, a nominal skinning speed, a threshold pressure P threshold and a percent Travel threshold %Travel threshold; loading a plurality of parts onto the axial skinning apparatus; waiting for pressure to build up in the manifold; when the manifold pressure is greater than the threshold pressure P threshold starting the skinning process by moving the parts through the axial skinning apparatus or moving the axial skinning apparatus over a part; sensing the pressure of the flowable cement source being delivered to the skinning chamber of the skinning apparatus and the ceramic honeycomb part; sensing the percent Travel, %Travel, of the ceramic honeycomb part traversing the skinning chamber of the apparatus; adjusting the pressure of the flowable cement or the motive force acting on the part traversing the skinning chamber based on the sensed pressure and the sensed % Travel, to minimize skin defects in the resulting skinned ceramic part; when the percent Travel is greater than the percent travel threshold, %Travel threshold, changing the tank pressure set point; if the manifold pressure at the end of the skinning cycle is not below the threshold pressure P threshold, adjusting at least one control parameter by recalculating the thresholds P threshold and %Travel threshold, wherein the threshold pressure and percent travel threshold are calculated using the inverse of a model function, wherein the model defines a relationship between the tank pressure at the start of the cycle, %Travel threshoid, P threshold, and the manifold pressure at the end of the cycle; wherein the %Travel threshold %Travel threshold is less than about 90% and greater than about 40%, and wherein the ratio of P Threshold to P set point manifold is less than about 0.8 and greater that about 0.5.