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What is Wedging? 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.
When should 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 100 times if not more depending on the condition of your clay.
What is a wedged ball of clay?
Wedging clay definition: the process of kneading the clay with the hands to remove air bubbles and ensure a homogenous mass. Wedge the two chunks together and when the clay is no longer marbleized, the clay is sufficiently wedged!.
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.
Can you pre wedge clay?
If you let your clay dry enough before firing you wont get an explosion, but an air pocket in your peice will show up very soon while wheel throwing pottery and it will mess up your piece. You will have a physical bulge that looks like a bubble and messes up the contours of the piece.
Do I need to wedge new clay?
In theory, a new bag of clay does not contain air bubbles. Nevertheless, even if your clay is brand new, it is still a good idea to wedge it. There may be some air pockets present. It is important to remove air bubbles is that they cause your piece to explode in the kiln.
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. When reclaiming clay, wedging ensures all the clay is incorporates together.
What surface should you wedge clay on?
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 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 are the 6 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 surface is best to work with clay on?
Some artists prefer glass or tile as a work surface because they can help keep clay cooler if the artists has rather hot hands. They can also go directly into the oven with your project. In fact, at lots of retreats, small tiles are used as baking surfaces, because several can be placed in the oven at one time.
What happened if press the clay?
Answer: if you will press a clay the clay will mold depends what shape or texture that you use. because clay is a stiff, sticky fine-grained earth, typically yellow, red, or bluish-gray in color and often forming an impermeable layer in the soil.
What happens when you press clay?
What changes if you press a clay? Answer. Shape changes because clay is soft and it is easy to create another shape again.
Is there a machine that wedges clay?
A Pugmill is a machine with a horizontal chamber that loads on the top. The chamber is a metal cylinder with an auger inside. An auger looks like a large screw. It turns and wedges the clay, discharging the wedged clay at the other end.
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 is Clay prepared for pottery?
Processing Clay for Pottery. To use the wet extraction method, start by filling a bucket about 1/3 of the way with soil. Add water and use your hands to break up the soil particles as finely as you can get them. Allow the soil to hydrate for a few minutes, or preferably a few hours.
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 does it mean to throw clay?
To throw the clay means to bend it between your finger joints. The right finger is lower than the left. This is important since the discrepancy is what forces the clay to bend. As the potter’s hands move upward, the clay is stretched through the bend, with the excess clay being forced upward.
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.
