Wedging Clay for Lidded Pottery Containers

"I'm going to be wedging some clay to make a lidded container and the type of lidded container that I'm going to make is going to have an edge on it. On the inside which is called the gallery, so I'm going to make a small container with this edge and I'm going to measure it, later on I'll make a lid that will fit right into that. So I just cut away some clay here and I'm going to add it to this piece wedging again, it is a very important step to pottery. You want to get the air bubbles out of the clay and you want to line up the clay particles in the clay so they go in a circular fashion. That way it is a little easier to center on the potters wheel. If I just took a chunk of clay from the bag and kind of pound it out it is a little harder to make it center quickly. I just work this until I think that the lines are like no longer that there is not all different kinds of swirly lines all over. When I think it is getting smooth enough and it is folded in on itself enough, then I just roll it back on itself and push slightly forward to make a cone shape. Roll it back and forth and that is it, just bang that down a little bit and we are all set."