How to Pick Wedging Clay in Pottery

Picking wedging clay is the important first step in any pottery project. The quality of the wedging clay determines how it will hold up on the potter's wheel, how easy or hard it is to work with and if the project is successful or not. There are 3 main things to look for when picking a wedging clay: strength, water absorption and aging qualities.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Various types of wedging clay

Testing Clay to See if its Good for Wedging

1. Pinch a portion of the clay and roll it into a ball in the palm of your hand. Check the clay’s plasticity by poking the ball and seeing how much resistance there is against your finger. Good wedging clay should have high plasticity and provide firm resistance against pressure.

2. Read the package that the clay comes in. Wedging clay that will hold up on the potter’s wheel needs to be strong; it should only contain around 8 – 10 percent coarse particles.

3. Work with a small sample of the clay to check its water absorption level. Good wedging clay should absorb enough water to remain flexible but not absorb too much water which will cause it to lose strength and collapse.

4. Roll the clay into a small ball in the palm of your hand. Flatten the ball between your hands. If the clay sticks to the palm of you hand it may be retaining too much water, if it crumbles it may not be retaining enough water.

5. Leave a chunk of the clay out for a few days to determine how well it ages. Poor clay will warp and crack as it dries. Good wedging clay will dry evenly and retain its original shape.