At the studio where I dabble, they have a countertop with some kind of canvas on it that's used for wedging and drying used clay--it seems to work okay. Never heard of using plaster before. Any reason why plaster or concrete would be better?
Most of us use plaster actually, including myself. Some people use wood, some people used concrete, but I've always use plaster. the main reason that we use these things are because they are porous enough to absorb the moisture through your clay when you're trying to dry it out or wedge on it. plaster is extremely absorbent and helps you recycle your play faster and is also heavy enough to withstand most people wedging on it. This is why many people make tables out of them to wedge on. Some people caution those who use plaster that the plaster might get stuck in your play body and cause little explosions in kiln. But in the seven years I've been doing this that is literally never happened to me.
At our studio, the tables covered in canvas are for hand-building/wedging because clay doesn’t stick to it. But in the throwing room, we have plaster tables, as tired or collapsed wheel thrown clay often needs the plaster to pull moisture out so it can be used again. Handbuilders often have the opposite problem, when pieces dry out too quick as they’re building, so they only need to wedge it back together to homogenize it. That’s what I was told, anyway.
I was actually taught never to use canvas to wedge, as the clay that inevitably gets in the surface of the material dries and is released in the sir, so that you eventually breathe it. That is also why It is very important that surfaces are wet mopped/sponged, rather than swept/brushed clean…
I love how you easily explain things in your video. Some folx are so sciency that I literally just checkout. Thanks for your content and the side of humor 😊
I started wedging recently, after being laaaaazzzzzyyyyy. Amazing how much easier it made throwing. I wedge on a piece of birch plywood (2'x2') i got at the local building supply store for $4.
"But Dante, I don't WANT to wedge my clay. It hurts, and I'm laaaaazy!". Literally me! I am here after 3 years of refusing to wedge and dealing with wobbles. But I can't get my clay centered so I'm finally giving in and learning how to wedge 😞. Thanks for the awesome video!
Great video donte, excellent explanation for beginners on clay wedging. For me I dont normally wedge bag clay since it was already pugged. I've tried throwing with and without wedging bag clay and theres.not much difference for me. A few potters I know have recommended to at least drop the bag a few times to compress and get rid of the memory then cut and ball/bullet for the wheel The one thing people should know is the direction of the spiral when throwing on the wheel since the rotation affects the platelet alignment when centering.
I just want to thank you for being a great teacher and making all your videos. I started pottery about 3 weeks ago and your videos have helped me more than you know 😂 I've watched so many that helped me out with specific issues and I'm having a great time doing pottery
Thanks for the excellent way you explain things. I never thought about wedging on the concrete floor before. Since I'm short, I have a harder time using my upper body at the wedging table at the studio.
Thank you so much! This was very helpful. Through internet I found out I didn’t wedge properly, causing all kinds of trouble at the turning wheel. Thanks to your video, I now know what I did wrong and how to correct myself. Yes, basically I was just moving the clay 🙈 Going to practice what you showed in tomorrow’s class.
I can't tell you how often I watch this video to remind myself if the correct hand position. Thank you Donte! This video is the best for us newby potters cuz I don't want to fight with my clay when it's on the wheel... I usually don't win! LOL
Thanks so much ! I'm a beginner learning at home and I've been struggling with wedging and other videos just didn't do it for me. I think I finally get it 😅
Yeah I haven't been taught well at the studio I went to 🤦🏽♀️ They gave me a piece of cloth to wedge on, and did not explain a proper technique. Thanks for this! Imma go watch the whole damn playlist now.
Love your videos! I have always hated spiral wedging, and seem to put more air bubbles into my clay than take them out, using that method. Thanks for explaining the difference. I'll stick to the rams head method......
Just got my first wheel for Mother’s Day. Received my first two blocks of clay!! Terracotta and white stoneware clay. These videos are so helpful! 🙏🏻. Any tips for a beginner would be greatly appreciated! Happy throwing everyone!! ❤
I keep trying to convince my son to wedge my clay for me, he just laughs. Argh teens! Love your vids Donte, thank you for all the effort you put into sharing your knowledge.
@@XcrazytomboychickX as a person fresh outta my freah outta teenage stage. I'm on the mom's side...he should try out a nice hobby like this, spend some time with his mom.
awesome video. im greener than green clay at working with clay and, i find spiral wedging hard on my forearm. I have defaulted to something like rams head and now know the righter way
my ceramics teacher played this except it was through a really bad speaker so it's just this playing in horrible quality while you hear the teacher snacking the clay
For me, I would love using the ram's head wedging method because that's the most easiest for me to use instead of spiral wedging because that did look a little tough for my needs.
When we get to quantities of clay too large to wedge by hand, we do slamming. That is, we cut the clay into two pieces vertically, slam them together, then pick the entire thing up, turn it over, and hurl it down onto a concrete slab. Repeat. In my experience, this is easier than spiraling.
Hello so excited I came across your channel. I am very new to clay pottery . I've been working with air dry clay and wanted to step it up a notch. I recently bought a table top pottery wheel its so intimidating. But I subscribed to your channel and looking forward to learning from you're channel. New Subbie 🥀 Thank you 🤗
Thanks, I just stomped around the shop vocalizing "I am not an animal! I wedge!" I thought I was alone. Some smart ass yelled back, "your underwear doesn't count!" Why me?!
I tend to spiral wedge, because I have very weak wrists and favor one over the other, so it just kind of naturally started going in that direction anyway lol
Thanks for sharing your tips! I’ve watched your video on how much water to use and one thing I’ve been suggested by others to do when pulling out fresh bagged clay is to slice it up and let the pieces soak in water for 5 minutes before wedging, can I get your thoughts on this Dante? Thanks!
My son and I are just getting into pottery. How long does that bag of clay last in storage? If the clay dries out, is it just a matter of moisturizing it with water and kneading to get it back to a workable state?
I dug my own wild clay and it is so difficult to work with and if sometimes it doesn't crack in the process it cracks while resting (before biscuit). Wedging doesn't seem to develop more elasticity. Don't wanna waste my time if it is not going anywhere. I'm avoiding to blame the clay but is it the clay? (just doing that for fun and for the first time btw) Thank you!
@@amberwaters2998/videos Yes I suppose I did, followed what I learned on youtube and applied it (water, sift, settle, lay to dry etc ...) but the result is kind of earthy (not that elastic) and all the pottery I made cracked while drying (thin, thick, large and small shapes). Is it the quality of clay ? Thank you
I want to make tiles. I have seen videos where the person just cuts directly off the bagged clay and did not wedge or knead. Is this a good idea? Or should I wedge to make sure no bubbles are in the clay?
Tiles are usually just a slab of clay that are cut out. So it would help a little but not as much as if you were throwing with said clay. But If you find an air bubble while making a slab, you'll know why.
I'm pretty new to pottery and have recently noticed that I am much more successful after I re-wedge and throw a failed pot. The clay is obviously much more wet and I was wondering if there is a way to incorporate more water into the clay body while wedging the first time. I have tried spraying with water but it usually turns into a slippery slimy mess and makes wedging much more challenging. any tips?
You can poke holes throughout the clay while its still in the bag and add water that way (you can use a chopstick). Then it all slowly absorbs into the large mass before you cut off bits to wedge. I've done that with older clay that's been sitting a while and it softens it up nicely.
My teacher taught us to slam wedge clay. You take clay that is two or more hydration levels, and you alternate slamming bits of them together, then you cut it in half, slam it on top, and repeat. It’s like building layers in croissant dough. After doing it a few times, you have dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands of layers. The idea is to make the lines disappear, and the clay to feel homogenous. So, you take overly wet clay (maybe soak some in a little excess water, or incorporate slip?) and you slam it together with your regular clay.
I know this sounds kind of like a general answer, but as long as it takes. Sooner or later I understand how my clay feels and when it's ready to be thrown but this only comes with experience. if I feel like the clay is not right I will keep going
![แข่งเพิ่มน้ำหนักใน 24 ชั่วโมง!! [Ver 2025]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/20xn0g6k-ec/mqdefault.jpg)
At the studio where I dabble, they have a countertop with some kind of canvas on it that's used for wedging and drying used clay--it seems to work okay. Never heard of using plaster before. Any reason why plaster or concrete would be better?
Most of us use plaster actually, including myself.
Some people use wood, some people used concrete, but I've always use plaster.
the main reason that we use these things are because they are porous enough to absorb the moisture through your clay when you're trying to dry it out or wedge on it.
plaster is extremely absorbent and helps you recycle your play faster and is also heavy enough to withstand most people wedging on it. This is why many people make tables out of them to wedge on.
Some people caution those who use plaster that the plaster might get stuck in your play body and cause little explosions in kiln. But in the seven years I've been doing this that is literally never happened to me.
@Quentin Maxwell Actually, its just plywood. But thanks for your reply!
At our studio, the tables covered in canvas are for hand-building/wedging because clay doesn’t stick to it.
But in the throwing room, we have plaster tables, as tired or collapsed wheel thrown clay often needs the plaster to pull moisture out so it can be used again.
Handbuilders often have the opposite problem, when pieces dry out too quick as they’re building, so they only need to wedge it back together to homogenize it.
That’s what I was told, anyway.
I was actually taught never to use canvas to wedge, as the clay that inevitably gets in the surface of the material dries and is released in the sir, so that you eventually breathe it. That is also why It is very important that surfaces are wet mopped/sponged, rather than swept/brushed clean…
"If you dont have a lot of upper body strength..." I'm listening...
My thoughts exactly 😂
I love how you easily explain things in your video. Some folx are so sciency that I literally just checkout. Thanks for your content and the side of humor 😊
So glad my teacher assigned taking notes on this video for Digital Learning today
Seriously needed a laugh
Yesss finally someone I can watch for pottery. Love your personality AND info
I’m a happy camper. Hubs bought me a wheel 2 years ago, daunting to use. Your videos give me confidence to get started. We both thank you!🎉
I don't normally comment on videos but this is a hilarious video. Fantastic sense of humor and informational.
This made so much more sense than when my ceramics teacher demonstrated it today. Thank you!
I still want to learn spiral wedging, I’ve never been able to get it right. But ram’s head wedging has never let me down!
Your capacity for clear explanation is fantastic. I’m obsessed.
You mean you want to marry him?
I started wedging recently, after being laaaaazzzzzyyyyy. Amazing how much easier it made throwing. I wedge on a piece of birch plywood (2'x2') i got at the local building supply store for $4.
"But Dante, I don't WANT to wedge my clay. It hurts, and I'm laaaaazy!". Literally me! I am here after 3 years of refusing to wedge and dealing with wobbles. But I can't get my clay centered so I'm finally giving in and learning how to wedge 😞. Thanks for the awesome video!
I can’t wedge my clay right someone help
Great video donte, excellent explanation for beginners on clay wedging. For me I dont normally wedge bag clay since it was already pugged. I've tried throwing with and without wedging bag clay and theres.not much difference for me. A few potters I know have recommended to at least drop the bag a few times to compress and get rid of the memory then cut and ball/bullet for the wheel The one thing people should know is the direction of the spiral when throwing on the wheel since the rotation affects the platelet alignment when centering.
I just want to thank you for being a great teacher and making all your videos. I started pottery about 3 weeks ago and your videos have helped me more than you know 😂 I've watched so many that helped me out with specific issues and I'm having a great time doing pottery
So grateful I found your videos. I want to start ceramic making.
Just found these lessons and I’m loving it! You’re a great teacher.
Thanks for making this! I don't have time to watch it right now but I'll study it thoroughly when I can.
Thanks for the excellent way you explain things. I never thought about wedging on the concrete floor before. Since I'm short, I have a harder time using my upper body at the wedging table at the studio.
I'm pretty good at spiraling downward if I do say so myself. Been doing it for years, so spiral wedging should be a piece of cake!
Thank you so much! This was very helpful. Through internet I found out I didn’t wedge properly, causing all kinds of trouble at the turning wheel. Thanks to your video, I now know what I did wrong and how to correct myself. Yes, basically I was just moving the clay 🙈 Going to practice what you showed in tomorrow’s class.
I can't tell you how often I watch this video to remind myself if the correct hand position. Thank you Donte! This video is the best for us newby potters cuz I don't want to fight with my clay when it's on the wheel... I usually don't win! LOL
Thanks so much ! I'm a beginner learning at home and I've been struggling with wedging and other videos just didn't do it for me. I think I finally get it 😅
Yeah I haven't been taught well at the studio I went to 🤦🏽♀️ They gave me a piece of cloth to wedge on, and did not explain a proper technique. Thanks for this! Imma go watch the whole damn playlist now.
Great explained! Thanks very much! Now I think I´ve got it!! And I have been trying this such long....
Love your videos! I have always hated spiral wedging, and seem to put more air bubbles into my clay than take them out, using that method. Thanks for explaining the difference. I'll stick to the rams head method......
I like your course and your sense of humour😅 thanks for these videos )))
Thank Dante, great information and entertaining. I can’t wait to give this a try
I like your videos, you always make it interesting and fun.
Thank you for showing spiral from your point of view!! This finally makes sense. I can only do rams head for a few pounds.
Just got my first wheel for Mother’s Day. Received my first two blocks of clay!! Terracotta and white stoneware clay. These videos are so helpful! 🙏🏻. Any tips for a beginner would be greatly appreciated! Happy throwing everyone!! ❤
Your videos make me hate ceramics class a little less :)
How is your I'm hoping to take ceramics in my junior year (highschool btw)
Cierra Maggard honestly it’s wasn’t bad but I didn’t like it, but I passed so that’s all that matters.But watching his videos helped me out a lot 😅
I just came into 3 wheels from a school. im using this to teach my friends. thank you
Getting started in Ceramics and this series is so helpful.
also shoutout that little bug on the left at 9:03
The motorcycle analogy really helps!
I am so happy I found your videos, the MOST helpful videos I've seen for a beginner like meeee :D
I try
@@EarthNationCeramics just finished watching your video on pulling, and it suddenly made sense why my attemps today were all just attempts 😬
Just a beginner at the JC…. like your methods! Thanks
I’m watching your videos and manifesting that I get the opportunity to learn pottery. These are so helpful. Thank you, oh great clay bender. 💚
I keep trying to convince my son to wedge my clay for me, he just laughs. Argh teens!
Love your vids Donte, thank you for all the effort you put into sharing your knowledge.
As a person fresh outta my teens im on your son's side.. it's your hobby not his 😅
@@XcrazytomboychickX Yeah but no, he's 6'1 and can do it so much faster 😂
@@XcrazytomboychickX as a person fresh outta my freah outta teenage stage. I'm on the mom's side...he should try out a nice hobby like this, spend some time with his mom.
I love your sense of humor 😆👍
your videos are so helpful! thank you for being beginner friendly 😊 stay healthy & keep creating!
awesome video. im greener than green clay at working with clay and, i find spiral wedging hard on my forearm. I have defaulted to something like rams head and now know the righter way
Congrats on getting spiral wedging down! I’m still working on it.. can’t quite get the motion down yet
Thank you. You've got a great teaching technique. You've got a new subscriber!!
Glad the way you explain things. you give me lot of ideas. thanks for talking about the Broom :)
Very awesome and fun. I will definitely stay tuned. #Keepupthegreatwork
great video! question: if you are working just hand building, not the wheel, do you need to wedge the clay anyway? thanks.
nah you can kneed it however you like to for your purposes.
Have a great weekend Dante, thanks for the video.
Nice. I would love to see a finished poorly wedged ball with air pockets. Nice work.
The edits are gold 😂😂😂 even though it‘s a learning video, i laughed a lot watching it 😂
Спасибо )) похоже эти способы используют во всем мире
Just want to say thanks! This is really one of the most informative and insightful video about ram head wedging I have ever seen !
very helpful, thanks!
my ceramics teacher played this except it was through a really bad speaker so it's just this playing in horrible quality while you hear the teacher snacking the clay
I'm sorry he did you like that. In hope re-watching it alone helped
@@EarthNationCeramics oh no, the video was great! I just found the situation a little humerous
Great video.
Thank you for these videos.
This is awesome thanks for this
For me, I would love using the ram's head wedging method because that's the most easiest for me to use instead of spiral wedging because that did look a little tough for my needs.
Subscribed. Great videos mate!
wedging tutorial starts at 5:46
Spiral kneading is my best..
When we get to quantities of clay too large to wedge by hand, we do slamming. That is, we cut the clay into two pieces vertically, slam them together, then pick the entire thing up, turn it over, and hurl it down onto a concrete slab. Repeat. In my experience, this is easier than spiraling.
Hello so excited I came across your channel. I am very new to clay pottery . I've been working with air dry clay and wanted to step it up a notch. I recently bought a table top pottery wheel its so intimidating. But I subscribed to your channel and looking forward to learning from you're channel. New Subbie 🥀
Thank you 🤗
4:22 “you’re gonna have a bad time”
Me: why do i hear boss music?
lmao
lmao i was thinking he was actually going to put the music since he uses other meme sound effects
I love this video. Don’t know if I missed it, but how many minutes should be spent wedging clay?
Thanks, I just stomped around the shop vocalizing "I am not an animal! I wedge!" I thought I was alone. Some smart ass yelled back, "your underwear doesn't count!" Why me?!
If you have a large amount of clay to wedge, like 20 lbs, could you wedge smaller chunks and then wedge them together to make it easier?
Yes of course. It's often suggested 5 lb at a time
I tend to spiral wedge, because I have very weak wrists and favor one over the other, so it just kind of naturally started going in that direction anyway lol
Thank you!! Great video :)
Thaaaaanks that was very helpful
Andy Ward at Ancient Pottery says that research has shown that air pockets in the clay are not a problem. He says just knead it like bread dough.
I wish you addec scream sound effects to you cutting the clay with the wire tool, would have followed perfectly from the help me
Can I use a glass slab
I don't have plaster or a concrete suface
Grumpy Grandpa Wedging! :)
Oh my God, THANK YOU!
Thank you
Why when I wedge my low fire clay, it starts BREAKING APART INTO LITTLE PEICES i don’t understand please let me know what I’m doing wrong
Thanks for the education. Can you share details about your wheel?
Should have 2 in depth videos on wheels. Look in the vlog playlist
Thanks for sharing your tips! I’ve watched your video on how much water to use and one thing I’ve been suggested by others to do when pulling out fresh bagged clay is to slice it up and let the pieces soak in water for 5 minutes before wedging, can I get your thoughts on this Dante? Thanks!
hi, thanks for your videos they are very useful. Do you mind to link the clay that you are using?
I have arthritis in my thumb joint so which wedging technique would be easier for me to wedge?
What's the method of wedging called that leaves your ball of clay in a cone shape?
How can you store clay for a long time? Have you done a video on that?
Is wedging as important for making slabs for small tiles?
I like this video
I'm gonna try spiral wedging tomorrow. I think I will much prefer it to Rams Head.
Good luck , homie
9:24 Try to make Ball.
stellar video. 12/10.
welcome to the gun show!
Would have liked to see a slowed down process for spiral wedging.
Slow the vid down
My son and I are just getting into pottery. How long does that bag of clay last in storage? If the clay dries out, is it just a matter of moisturizing it with water and kneading to get it back to a workable state?
As long as you keep the bag that it came in very closed and you make sure it's in a moist environment it can stay for years
I dug my own wild clay and it is so difficult to work with and if sometimes it doesn't crack in the process it cracks while resting (before biscuit). Wedging doesn't seem to develop more elasticity. Don't wanna waste my time if it is not going anywhere. I'm avoiding to blame the clay but is it the clay? (just doing that for fun and for the first time btw) Thank you!
Did you water process to remove excess sand?
@@amberwaters2998/videos Yes I suppose I did, followed what I learned on youtube and applied it (water, sift, settle, lay to dry etc ...) but the result is kind of earthy (not that elastic) and all the pottery I made cracked while drying (thin, thick, large and small shapes). Is it the quality of clay ? Thank you
Do you need to do this for hand building?
Technically no but I find that wedging helps the clay experience go a little smoother regardless of necessity
I want to make tiles. I have seen videos where the person just cuts directly off the bagged clay and did not wedge or knead. Is this a good idea? Or should I wedge to make sure no bubbles are in the clay?
Tiles are usually just a slab of clay that are cut out. So it would help a little but not as much as if you were throwing with said clay.
But
If you find an air bubble while making a slab, you'll know why.
Yes I can deal with your voice !!😂❤
I'm watching this because my art teacher is making us bc school is closed due to Corona 🤪
I can't thank you enough
Does it have to be a piece of clay that big to wedge it? would it be fine to wedge a small mug-sized ball?
Any size works really
I'm pretty new to pottery and have recently noticed that I am much more successful after I re-wedge and throw a failed pot. The clay is obviously much more wet and I was wondering if there is a way to incorporate more water into the clay body while wedging the first time. I have tried spraying with water but it usually turns into a slippery slimy mess and makes wedging much more challenging. any tips?
You can poke holes throughout the clay while its still in the bag and add water that way (you can use a chopstick). Then it all slowly absorbs into the large mass before you cut off bits to wedge. I've done that with older clay that's been sitting a while and it softens it up nicely.
My teacher taught us to slam wedge clay. You take clay that is two or more hydration levels, and you alternate slamming bits of them together, then you cut it in half, slam it on top, and repeat. It’s like building layers in croissant dough. After doing it a few times, you have dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands of layers. The idea is to make the lines disappear, and the clay to feel homogenous. So, you take overly wet clay (maybe soak some in a little excess water, or incorporate slip?) and you slam it together with your regular clay.
Can you/anyone recommend a cheap water based clay for sculpting thanks !!
My clay is cracking a little while I do this? Should I mist it with some water?
I dunno, but same here. I think it needs more water but I had to add a lot more than what misting would add.
How long do you wedge clay?
I know this sounds kind of like a general answer, but as long as it takes. Sooner or later I understand how my clay feels and when it's ready to be thrown but this only comes with experience. if I feel like the clay is not right I will keep going
Ok, i get it. I am egar to start my first class in a couple weeks. I am left handed and have learned to adapt. Hope it wont be a problem...