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Every potter needs a surface to wedge clay on, and there are many different types. The most common are plaster, plaster covered in canvas, and plywood covered in canvas. Other possibilities are concrete, granite, masonite, concrete board and hardibacker board. The simplest wedging surface is a piece of canvas.
Can you wedge clay on wood?
If wood is your clay wedging surface of choice, an old heavy wooden table is also a good option. Unvarnished wood has enough grip to make a great wedging surface. And it is nicely absorbent, without drawing too much moisture from your clay.
What is the best surface to use clay on?
Polymer clay is naturally sticky and tends to stick to your tools as you use them. When cutting pieces or shapes from a sheet or slab of polymer clay, the best way to keep the clay from sticking in the cutters is to use a work surface that the clay sticks to. A glossy ceramic tile or a glass work surface is perfect.
What is the best surface for wedging clay?
The easiest wedging board surface to easily purchase is canvas. Simply stretch the canvas over a frame of any kind, and staple it into place. Be aware that there is a concern that clay dust is created when you wedge on canvas over time.
What happens if you don’t wedge clay properly?
There are usually no air bubbles in it! In fact, improper wedging will more often add bubbles and you’ll just dry out your clay in the process. Simply make sure the pieces get enough drying time and have no plaster mixed in with the clay- that IS a sure recipe for explosions.
How do you wedge a large amount of clay?
If you’re throwing large pots, try using softer clay and throw it dry (or with less water) to avoid degenerating it to mush. Wedge using the weight and strength of your whole body on a wedging table of the proper height. Ideally, the table height should be equal to the distance between fingertips and floor (figure 1).
How long do you wedge clay?
You should wedge at least 30 times when it’s fresh out of the bag. When it’s recycled clay, you will need to wedge it at least a 100 times if not more depending on the condition of your clay.
Does clay stick to aluminum foil?
If you crumble the surface of aluminium or form it to a ball the surface of the foil will no longer be flat and the clay can stick to the aluminium foil easily. So polymer clay can not stick to the flat surface of aluminum foil. If the surface of Aluminium is rough, however, it will stick very well.
What surface does clay not stick to?
Most air dry clays are sticky, and you don’t want that on your work surface. We recommend protecting the work area with items such as wax paper, silicone baking mats, or vinyl placemats. This will keep your table protected and make clean up much easier!Mar 8, 2018
Do you add water to clay?
While clay is wet Water can be added to Air-Dry Clay to soften or join pieces. If too much water is added and clay is very soft, allow excess to evaporate before molding pieces; otherwise, cracking may result.
What are the two main ways can wedge clay called?
So it’s important to learn how to wedge clay properly. There are various different ways to wedge clay— ram’s head, spiral wedging, and wire wedging to name a few.
How do you keep clay from sticking to an excavator bucket?
Working in clay or blackland, keeping a shovel or bucket dripping wet helps to keep it from sticking. Using a hand shovel, I’ll keep a bucket of water to dip it in while working.
How thick should a wedging table be?
It calls for 2 x 4 lumber for the legs and sides, 5/8 inch (minimum thickness, you can go thicker) plywood for the floor, and leg braces made from 1 x 3 lumber.
What is clay pounding?
When the clay is refined and purchased, the pottery studio will often knead it in order to make the clay more flexible, giving it a nice putty-like consistency. Traditionally this process was done by hand using a large wooden mallet.
Can I use drywall to reclaim clay?
The plaster is a really absorbent surface which will suck the water out of the clay in a matter of hours, but a piece of drywall or wood could work…. even canvas, just change it out if it gets too damp before the clay is workable. (Newspaper or paper towels NOT recommended!)Aug 10, 2017
What do you put on clay so it won’t crack?
In short, knead the clay very carefully and for at least 3 minutes before using it. The clay should be approximately a quarter-inch thick for drying. This is the perfect thickness for drying clay without it cracking. Adding small amounts of water during moulding will also help to avoid cracks later on.
Can you get polymer clay wet?
As polymer clay is a waterproof oil based material it can get wet, either in it’s baked or unbaked state. Water can however make the clay a little more brittle, if a design is submerged after baking.
Do you wedge clay before Handbuilding?
If you’re throwing, no matter what, it’s a good idea to wedge the clay so no air pockets are trapped. Hand building is a bit more forgiving since your manipulation of the clay will allow you to see/feel and air pockets. Trapped air = explosions in the kiln and potentially loosing an entire kiln load.
What should I put down when working with clay?
If you want to continue working on a piece another time, please wrap it up very well with some sheets of plastic, or put it in a well sealed plastic box, then put it somewhere out of direct heat or sunlight. This should slow down the drying of the clay to enable you to keep working on it.
Does polymer clay break easily?
Polymer clay beads should be bendable if they are baked correctly. Under-baked polymer clay won’t be bendable. It will be brittle and easy to break.
Why is clay dust bad?
Dust from ordinary clay and several other materials contains some free silica that is too fine and heavy to be expelled from the lungs. Over time this can cause fatal silicosis if breathed often enough. Never carelessly produce dust.
