Studio · Jan 31, 2026

Wedging, the boring secret

Every pot on this site started as a lump of clay that got kneaded for a couple of minutes before it went anywhere near the wheel. That step is called wedging, and it is the least photogenic part of the job.

Wedging does two things. It evens out moisture, because clay dries from the outside of the bag in and the middle can be softer than the edges. And it pushes out trapped air. A ball with soft and hard patches fights you while centering, and walls come up uneven no matter how careful your hands are.

Air pockets are the other problem. On the wheel they show up as lumps that won't center or bubbles that tear when you pull a wall thin. A pocket that survives can also hold moisture, which is one way pots crack or blow out in the kiln.

We use spiral wedging, rocking the clay forward and turning it slightly each push, about fifty pushes per ball. Reclaimed clay, the trimmings and failed pots we slake down and dry back out, gets extra time because it comes back uneven.

It is repetitive work, and it is most of the reason a run of twelve Dune mugs comes out the same height and weight. When a beginner in a workshop asks for the secret, it is usually this.