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Wedging makes the clay more pliable, ensures a uniform consistency, and removes air pockets as well as small hard spots in the clay before you use or reuse the clay for a project. Wedging the clay before throwing makes the clay more supple. There are a few different ways to wedge clay.
Does all clay have to be wedged?
NOTE: Keep in mind you will only need to wedge thoroughly for recycled clay or mixing mason satins or other colorants into your clay. Fresh Clay right out of the bag only needs to be wedged 30 to 40 times and the stack and slam about 10 to 15 slices.
What happens if you don’t WEFE your clay properly?
The Clay Was Not Wedged Properly Many don’t see a problem with this but can have a hard time centering and think it has nothing to do with skipping the wedging process. Wedging your clay well removes small hard spots, and you will feel a more uniform consistency throughout your clay while throwing.
What are the two types of wedging clay?
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 many times can you reclaim clay?
We place the wedged clay in heavy duty plastic bags and store about 25lbs in each bag. When you store clay in larger amounts it doesn’t dry out as quickly giving longer shelf life. Additional Clay Recycling Information: There is no limit to how many times you can reclaim clay.
Why is it important to score and slip clay?
Scoring and slipping. Clay pieces that are drier and harder, or that you want to join together without blending or altering their forms, traditionally must be scored and slipped (or slipped and scored). In this process slip, a liquid mixture of clay and water, is used to help weld the pieces together.
Can you reuse fired clay?
With few exceptions, clay cannot be recycled once it has been fired. There is a growing movement in Japan to reclaim and recycle yakimono dishes (a general term for Japanese pottery). The dishes are made using clay rich in minerals such as quartz and kaolin, which are becoming more rare.
Why am I getting bubbles in my clay?
Those bubbles are caused by trapped air in your polymer clay. When you fold over your strip of clay and insert it in your pasta machine fold last, a little pocket of air gets trapped in the fold. If you keep doing this over and over, more and more air gets forced into the layers of clay.
What are the six stages of clay?
There are 6 essential stages of clay: 1. ) Slip. Slip is clay with added water to make it into a paste or liquid. 2.) Wet clay. Wet clay is used by many potters to produce their work. 3.) Leather-hard clay. 4.) Dry clay. 5.) Bisque. 6.) Glaze ware.
What is the best surface for wedging clay?
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.
What are the 7 stages of clay?
What Are The 7 Stages of Clay? An Ultimate Guide Step 1: The Dry Clay Stage. Step 2: The Slip Stage. Step 3: The Plastic Stage. Step 4: The Leather Hard Clay Stage. Step 5: The Bone Dry Stage. Stage 6: The Bisqueware Stage (The Greenware Stage) Stage 7: The Final Firing Stage (Glaze Firing Stage) Some Points To Note.
What are the 4 stages of clay?
What are the stages of clay preparation? Dry Clay Stage. Slip Stage of Clay. Plastic (Workable) Stage of Clay. Leather Hard Stage of Clay. Bone Dry Stage of Clay. Bisqueware Stage of Clay. Glaze Firing Stage of Clay. The Secret 8th And Final Stage of Clay Is Enjoying Your Creation.
What does wedging clay eliminate?
Wedging, the process of kneading the clay to make it more homogenous, is also used to remove air bubbles from clay. This process is similar to kneading dough. Cut the clay in half using clay cutting wire and check for air bubbles. If you see air bubbles trapped, repeat the wedging.
What is score in clay?
To score a pot or piece of clay means to scratch hatch marks on it as part of joining clay pieces together. This is done before brushing on slurry and joining the pieces together. The process is often called “score and slip.” For example, you may say, “I scored and slipped the pitcher before joining its handle to it.”Nov 13, 2019
What is the difference between wedging and kneading clay?
Wedging is a specific type of kneading. The goal with wedging is to mix the clay without adding air bubbles. If you do it correctly, you’ll remove air bubbles. I was taught two types of wedging- knead (or ram’s head) and spiral.
What is clay slip used for?
A slip is a clay slurry used to produce pottery and other ceramic wares.
What are the 5 stages of clay?
Terms in this set (5) slip. a mixture of clay and water, the consistency of pudding. wet/plastic clay. new clay from the bag, very workable. leather hard. the clay has lost most moisture, but you can still carve into it. bone dry or greenware. totally dry clay, all moisture is gone, ready to fire. bisque.
What happens if you add too much water to clay?
If you add too much water, fold the edges of the bag down and let it sit open in the sun so some of the moisture can evaporate. You can also do this if the contents are just too wet to begin with. Once you’ve got your clay well mixed, tie off the bag and let it sit for about 24 hours.
Does clay shrink when fired?
Clay shrinks both in drying and in firing. Different clay bodies shrink at different rates which can be as little as 4%, or as much as 15% for some clay bodies. Our testing showed that about 5% shrink during the drying process, 1/2% during bisque firing (cone 06) and 5.5% during glaze firing (cone 6).
What are the 4 reasons for wedging clay?
Wedging prepares the clay for optimal use. Wedging makes the clay more pliable, ensures a uniform consistency, and removes air pockets as well as small hard spots in the clay before you use or reuse the clay for a project.
