Kinda off-topic, but no good clay groups to post to

It's not you, that is a poor quality clay. Obviously their quality control was out to lunch when that batch was made. If you can, return it as "defective" and try another brand.

There are plenty of brands on the market that do not have those issues. A google search will send you to various sources for it.

Hope that helps, and Happy Easter! Wayne Seidl

All I can tell you is that potters wedge their clay and this is done for a variety of reasons. If the wet clay was made adding water to the dry clay, then the clay is not going to be equally "wet". Wedging gets out air pockets, aligns the clay particles in the same direction, makes the clay body consistent throughout, etc. It certainly is not difficult to do and it would deal with the issue you are having. It is different in how you would knead bread dough in that with the first you want to take air out of the product and with the other you are trying to incorporate air. So with kneading bread you take large folds of the dough which catches pockets of air. With wedging you take very small folds that are pushed back into the body with the heal of the hand in such a way that it is layer pushed onto layer.

I know this does not really answer you question but if you can get someone to demonstrate wedging for you it will solve your problem.

DK

Actually, the actions of wedging and kneading dough are similar. It is the action of the yeast that adds the air, not the kneading. Steve in Tampa, Florida, USA

I wedge clay and I knead dough. The way I do it and the way everyone I know who does it, it is two different processes. In one you want to eliminate air and I had thought until now that in the other you want air (I did not realize it was an anaerobic reaction).... I still stick by it being done differently though (with bread you typically do quarter turns, pull the bread towards you, fold over and then push it away, turn it a quarter and repeat... with clay you take very small pulls, do NOT fold over, push away .... really hard to describe).

"In breads leavened with yeast, however, the yeast cells grow under anaerobic conditions and cannot convert glucose molecules completely to gas. Some sugar molecules get sidetracked and are converted into alcohols, acids, and esters--substances which add to bread's "

Dkat: Actually, that is not completely accurate. With "ramshorn" style wedging (which you described quite nicely) it's true that one does not rotate the clay.

However, with "spiral" style wedging (which seems easier on my wrists BTW) once the clay is pulled, it is rotated anywhere from 90 to 120 degrees (in either direction, doesn't matter) before pushing. This incorporates the clay into itself, and helps push the air out to the edge.

A small matter, really, since both accomplish the same thing...the removal of air from the clay. I did note that with spiral wedging, you end up with a "cone" shape, which then goes directly onto the wheel with no further shaping...saves time.

I tried "wedging" my bread recently, having started to knead it and lapsing into a more familiar pattern . It didn't work very well, though I noticed that for incorporation of ingredients (like cinnamon) into the dough, spiral wedging does give a nice pattern to the dough, and may actually be advised, once the dough is properly kneaded first.

The loaf came out looking like a giant cinnamon sticky bun..yum! Didn't taste at all like clay or have the weight of clay either (thank goodness!) Happy Easter! Wayne Seidl

poor-quality

Hi Phil:

is my source for plasticine clay. They have all kinds of colors andfirmnesses. Many companies resell this clay. But, if what you purchasedwasn't from this company, then you might want to give them a try. Theirmodeling clay seems to be the most consistent in quality. Call them up.They will fax or email you a price list. Their prices are half whateveryone else charges.

Diego

Interesting post. I want to stick in however that I was not trying to propose a proper way of wedging (I have done both ways that is describe and other ways as well. I have never seen two potters do things identically - which is why we produce art and not corelle ware). I was trying to help a poster who was having problems with his clay not being uniform. As I told them, I was not answering their question but I hoped that I might help with a suggestion on how to deal with the problem he was having. Someone else actually answered their question nicely.

Diego, thanks. I've bookmarked the page and will look into it later.

Earlier today I bought some Van Aken brand Claytoon Clay because I'd heard a lot of good things about it. So I get it home, tear off a piece of beige skin color clay, and what do I see? The exact same problem - red spots all throughout the clay. The white seems to be the same way, except with blue instead of red.

If I just worked the clay a bit (that wedging stuff you guys are debating) before trying to make something with it I could probably get rid of most of the spots but it is still very annoying and I'm not quite that patient, I'm afraid. I guess I'd better learn to be if I'm going to be serious about this stuff, eh?

I'm really not impressed with the Van Aken brand. It doesn't smooth out nearly as well as the Studio Basics I bought (it seems rather dry to me and water doesn't seem to help) AND it has the same color problems.

Phil

"Diego" wrote in news:jCyec.2960$ snipped-for-privacy@nwrddc02.gnilink.net:

This might help:

I recycle my clay by wetting it down into a slurry, stirring it up with a heavy duty paint mixer, and then running it off into a sort of trouser leg tied at the bottom to hang up and dry to the point where I can wedge it. My mate Paul makes his clay body up from scratch the same way (he taught me this technique). If you made up your coloured clay the same way and then ran it through a sieve and then into the bag, that would eliminate the specks. It is because the clay you buy is made up in a mixer rather than slopped and dried that you get the specks.

Steve Bath UK

In article , Phil writes

Hi Phil:

That plasticine clay would be rather difficult to wedge. I work with both the ceramic clay and the plasticine clay. You'd have to get a pretty good chunk of the plasticine and wedge it for about a half hour. That is unusual to see unmixed specks. That must be frustrating. The sculpture I do with the plasticine really doesn't matter if it has inconsistent color. A mold is made of it then cast in bronze or resin.

An acquantence of mine works for Disney and any claymation they have done they've order some from kleanklay. He says it's pretty consistent. I know they use it a lot in forensics and have many different skin tones.

Good Luck!

Diego

Oh, one more thing. That plasticine clay is usually some sort of petroleum base. So, water may not have any affect. The only think I use water for is to lubricate the surface when burnishing it. Really gives a nice, smooth surface. Without knowing the exact ingredients, you might run the risk of breaking down the clay into something unusable.

Diego

Yes I noticed that about the plasticine...it's kind of water-resistant and does smooth really nicely with water.

That's interesting about the forensics stuff..I'd wondered what they used for that actually. Once I get better at doing this I'll give kleanklay a try..for now I can deal with the stuff I have. It's all practice at this point :)

Phil

"Diego" wrote in news:qFWhc.48244$L31.18470 @nwrddc01.gnilink.net: