Wedge Ceramics Definition

A small cone shaped piece of clay used inside the kiln to automatically shut the kiln off at the correct temperature.

Wedge ceramics definition. If not done thoroughly air bubbles will cause the clay piece to burst in the kiln damaging the kiln and other pieces of work. Without being wedged clay will have an uneven texture which makes it hard to work with and it could potentially develop problems as it is worked and fired. You can feel the difference in your clay when it s nicely wedged. We are now open with new guidelines.

In ceramics there are many things that you have to practice over and over before things click. Wedging may very well be one of the least liked but the most important parts of the pottery making process. It s smoother and much easier to mold which of course we all want when we re making pottery. Wedging is a process which is used to prepare clay for working.

Whether by hand or machine it has to be done. To wedge means to cut clay into manageable pieces and push and press on clay to expel all air bubbles trapped in the clay. The general idea includes throwing down the clay and rolling it into a tight spiral with a sort of kneading method. At first everybody wedges more air into the clay than they take out and it just takes time and experience to learn how to wrangle the clay into a nice homogeneous mass.

The wedge ceramics studio the wedge ceramics studio provides a place where clay creativity community meet. A fun exercise to see how long it takes to crate a truly homogenous mass of clay is to wedge together two chunks of different colored clays. If not done thoroughly any remaining air bubbles with cause a ceramic piece to explode in the kiln damaging the piece and the kiln. To wedge clay means to cut it into workable pieces and then manipulate it to expel any air bubbles trapped in the clay.

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.