synj00 Posted November 25, 2017 Report Share Posted November 25, 2017 I’m going to teach myself spiral wedging sometime, which prompted a question about wedging in general. I throw clockwise on the wheel, I usually just do a quick rams head wedging to prep my clay. I have not really paid attention to the direction of the wedge once I work it into a ball and put it on the wheel. But is it better to wedge in the same direction as your wheel or the opposite? My gut tells me it should be in the same direction but I don’t know why. Any input? Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted November 25, 2017 Report Share Posted November 25, 2017 Hi there, and welcome to the forum. In answer to your question, I spiral wedge with cone pointed to left, so spiral goes counter clock, and my wheel goes counter clock. So for centering my left hand is pushing into the clay and the clay spiral is coming in the same direction into my hand. I have also thrown this with the point of the cone squashed down on the wheel head, so it goes the other way. Neither has made much difference as I master the clay(coning up and down several times) before and during centering. I have a tendency to be aggressive centering usually accomplished in a matter of a few minutes. Hope this answers your question from my point of view. best, Pres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Banks Posted November 25, 2017 Report Share Posted November 25, 2017 I was taught to always place the left side of the rams head on the wheel turning counter clockwise for whatever that's worth. I've also seen a fellow take what would appear to be an unwieldly, out-of-ound lump of clay and turn it into a sphere with ease so i have a suspicion it doesn't matter much. *Ingleton Pottery - "perfect clay pottery sphere" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted November 27, 2017 Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 It won't matter. Cone it 2-3 times on the wheel and everything evens out. I spiral wedge clockwise and throw counter-clockwise and it's never been an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biglou13 Posted November 27, 2017 Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 +1 what neil said ^^^ i can only spiral wedge one way but have tried both directions on wheel .... no issue. also have tested rams head wedge , from multiple directions... no issue i think the cone up and down is most important.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheryl Leigh Posted December 3, 2017 Report Share Posted December 3, 2017 Huh.... I was always told that wedging was specifically to align the clay particles so they're running approximately in the same direction (along with creating a homogenous lump). For that reason, when wedging ram's-head-style, I always place the clay left side down, to continue the same movement. Yes? No? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted December 3, 2017 Report Share Posted December 3, 2017 8 minutes ago, Sheryl Leigh said: Huh.... I was always told that wedging was specifically to align the clay particles so they're running approximately in the same direction (along with creating a homogenous lump). For that reason, when wedging ram's-head-style, I always place the clay left side down, to continue the same movement. Yes? No? There are a lot of tings in clay work that people say have to be done a certain way, but really don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheryl Leigh Posted December 3, 2017 Report Share Posted December 3, 2017 LOL, yes, I've run into that before, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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