Wedging
Wedging is the process of making clay into a homogenous consistency through kneading, cutting, and slamming the clay down. It aligns the clay particles, evens out lumps and moisture levels, and removes air pockets.
The process of wedging is used to prepare clay before use. It’s a good idea to wedge the clay even if it’s straight out of a fresh clay bag from your supplier.
Wedging vs Kneading clay
Traditionally, wedging, referred to a process separate from kneading, with kneading being a process of folding a mass that can be done with clay and other mediums such as bread dough. Wedging is cutting a piece of clay in half (a wedge), picking the half up and slamming it back down on the other half. This process is unique to clay, necessitating it’s own word, and by itself it can homogenise the clay and remove air pockets. To process clay, wedging is combined with kneading, both of which homogenise and removes air pockets.
With the spread of social media, and the dilution of formal education in ceramics, the meaning of the word wedging has changed over time. It’s meaning more commonly encapsulates both kneading clay as well as the process that is more traditionally known as wedging. Wedging is now often used to refer to kneading alone as well. If you have any references for the origin of word wedging we’d love to hear from you.
There are 3 Types of Wedging
Spiral Wedging
Spiral wedging is a technique to knead clay. It folds layers into the clay by rocking it forwards and backwards and rotating it in a spiral motion, at the same time. It’s the more advanced form of wedging and can take a little while to learn to proficiency. The clay ends up looking a little like a snail shell
Rams Head Wedging
Rams Head wedging is easier to learn the spiral kneading. In Rams head wedging the clay is kneaded by rocking it back and forth each time folding the clay back into itself by pressing with each hand on the left and right hand side of a log or roll of clay.
Cut Wedging
Cut wedging is where the clay is cut horizontally with a wire, the top wedge of clay is picked up, and then it’s slammed down on top of the other piece of clay. The wedge is usually turned before being slammed down, and once stacked the clay block is also usually picked up and turned, so that the wire then cuts through a different part of the clay. Different potters may use differing methods of cut wedging, for example the clay can be cut at an angle or it can be cut straight.
