or even a novice wedger...
or even someone who can wedge.
For the folks who don't think about clay every 22 and a half seconds, wedging is allegedly what is done to the clay to take the air out before working with it. I have never mastered it or even come close. My best clay is straight out of the bag after smacking it on the floor several times. Once I use some clay and (attempt to) re-wedge it, the bubbles make me miserable. One day I will really have to learn how to consistently wedge the air out of my clay.
Pictured here is a (choke, cough) wonderful wedging example I achieved the other night. I was in a hurry and was re-wedging about ten pounds of clay while having a conversation. For some reason I suddenly decided to check the consistency of the clay. Not only did I leave an air bubble, but it looks like I had a dowel in the clay while I was wedging it. Someday I will achieve wedge-vana...
Looks sort of like a geode.
Greg stayed after class to finish some pieces.(and laugh at my wedging!)
6 comments:
Dear jbf aka, the geode wedger,
With pugged de-aired clay you may not knead to no how to wedge. Just like spelling, who kneads it when I have spell checker?!
(Just having some fun with you!) That clay geode is amazing. I've never seen that one.
BTW, what is that tangle of wires/cords in that bottom picture. I think that must be what Greg is laughing at!
wedging is like oatmeal I guess, its GOOD for you :)
Michael-
I knead a pug mill AND a spell checker.
That tangle carries the automated legs to kick our wheels. :8^)
Gary-
I am NOT putting raisins and brown sugar in my clay. :8^)
wow thats some technique!!
ok I am speaking heresy, but I don't wedge freshly purchased blocks of clay for my hand built pieces. I just cut off a slab or a block and start working it into a slab built piece and I recycle as I go along, in the end if I have a tiny bit left over I wedge that. I figure a machine can wedge much better than I can from the start. Geodes are pretty though.
Ang-
Thanks. I'm terribly proud of it.
Linda-
I agree completely. The purchased clay is great. I smack it on the floor (in the bag) a few times to "wake it up", but then it's right to the wheel.
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