May 18, 2001, Newsletter Issue #38: Wedging the clay !

Tip of the Week

Wedging the clay

After selecting a clay, you must wedge (knead) it to remove
air bubbles and insure uniform consistency. A clay body
that has been mixed properly and extruded from a de-airing
pug mill is homogeneous, and because a vacuum removes
most of the air, it does not usually need as much wedging
for its first use.



There are two common kinds of wedging, the cut wedging
method associated with potters in the Western world and
the spiral wedging method associated with potters in the
Eastern world. The spiral method is more efficient,
particularly when wedging a large chunk of clay, but the
spiral method does take longer to learn. Cut wedging is
only successful when the clay is very soft, so it is only
recommended if you are mixing a very wet and a very dry
chunk of clay for later use.

Spiral wedging

The spiral wedging method has three main steps:

1. Push a cone of clay away from your body on a horizontal
surface with the heels of your hands (the left hand does
most of the work).

2. A thick slab of clay is created by this pressure. Partially
roll this slab of clay back onto the cone with a twisting
motion of your hands.

3. Repeat the process.

With each pushing motion, the tip and lower surface of the
cone are partially squeezed off, leaving the form with less
mass. When the rolling action takes place, new mass is
added to the form.

Cut wedging

Cut wedging has two steps:

1. Cut a chunk of clay in half with a wire that is attached
diagonally between a horizontal and a vertical surface.

2. Slap half of the clay, cut face down on the horizontal
surface. Throw the other half of clay, cut face up on top of
the first half. Repeat this step until the lumps, soft spots,
and air pockets are removed from the clay.

About LifeTips

Now one of the top on-line publishers in the world, LifeTips offers tips to millions of monthly visitors. Our mission mission is to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Expert writers earn dough for what they know. And exclusive sponsors in each niche topic help us make-it-all happen.