How to Spiral Wedge Clay

This weeks video is about another much requested topic, spiral wedging. Hopefully this video does the process justice, I've filmed it from various angles and go over the process numerous times as I've always found it helpful to see things repeated when I'm learning them. Let me know if you found this helpful and thanks as always for watching!
Timecodes:
0:00 - Introduction
0:30 - Raising yourself to the right height
0:42 - The basics
5:23 - Dealing with softer clay/horseshoeing
7:30 - Moving mark to demonstrate the spirals movement
12:48 - Wedging a larger lump of clay
14:06 - Wedging smaller lumps of clay
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[@victoriamiskolczy6336]

Thank you for describing in detail how to do this, I’ve been struggling with it for a while... your tutorial is both clear and respectful of the listener.

[@floriangadsby]

Thank you Victoria, it really is a tricky technique to learn, it definitely took me some time to get right but it's very worth the effort. Thanks for watching!

[@jseal21]

I must have watched this video six times over the last year and a half and could not for the life of me get a proper wedge to happen. Now after another frustration fueled viewing I finally, and quite accidentally, got it!!! It's so much better than Ram's head, I always wind up with tiny air bubbles out at the edge of spiral but this is smooth all the way through. Thank you so much! The last five times I threw the phone down cursing your name 😂, so it feels good to thank you😅

[@pauldelmont]

I got a shitty wheel from amazon, and in a day after watching all of your videos I am throwing perfect bowls, I know people out here taking classes for week that just end up giving up quick on the wheel, incredible information, extremely curated and precisely edited, I guess all I can say is thank you Florian!

[@pinkmuffin9842]

This is really reassuring because I intend to do the same. One lesson in my city costs 99€, a wheel that is shitty but works costs 123€.

[@pauldelmont]

@@pinkmuffin9842 Thank you man, get yourself that wheel and dive in! I actually recently just bought a kiln as the next step, I still run the same shitty wheel, but now I am able to fire my work here. Good luck out there brother and happy potting!

[@0kieD0kiee]

I so appreciate the detail and repetitiveness! As someone who doesn’t have anyone to teach me in person, these kinds of videos are indispensable!

[@lisataylor1305]

Thank you for such clear direction and camera angles...this and tap centering are such essential skills to have and with your help I'm slowly getting there! Looking forward to your next video.

[@freddiemoretti8456]

Florian, this by far is the best video on spiral wedging that I have seen yet. You have inspired me to put more time into practicing the spiral wedging. Thanks for sharing! Cheers...Freddie

[@dougrubenstein]

Thank you so much for taking the time to outline each of these steps! When seeing spiral wedging at speed it can appear quite confusing, but you do a very thorough and comprehensive job of explaining each component.

[@Marcdrichter]

Spiral wedging, my favorite! Love the 🌈! How right you are about having someone wedge next to you! That is how I finally learned in my late teens. All your videos have a lovely measured, calming narrative with a note for detail and yet only the relevant ones. Good teaching! Thank you!

[@sabrinaschriftman4467]

Thanks Florian! great explanation and cameras ! No excuses now, I must do it ! 😉

[@floriangadsby]

Thanks so much Sabrina. I hope this helps, good luck!

[@LouiseMannigel]

At last, an articulate and complete explanation! The first I've ever seen in over 20 years of ceramics!

[@rustyshackleford3278]

Greetings from across the pond in Vermont, I am honored to be your subscriber. We all greatly appreciate the secrets and knowledge you share.

[@floriangadsby]

Greetings Rusty, thanks for following along for the ride.

[@zoeprimrose2309]

I’ve just tripped over your wonderful videos. The wedging demonstration is superb and will be required viewing for my beginning students. Thank you for your dedication to excellent technique.

[@jesussaves6763]

Hey I literally just found this channel 5 minutes ago and it's definitely peaked my interest. I've been wanting to get into this particular hobby. Very satisfied 😊 anywho new here👋🙏🙏🙏

[@applepie9806]

I've been interested in pottery for a while, been meaning to pick it up, so I'm watching all the videos I can. This is an excellent tutorial, thank you!

[@gracelaforge9778]

Clearest explanation I’ve seen yet! Thank you!

[@maucarden]

Thank you! Great edition, greetings from Bolivia.

[@muddyotterspottery569]

This is the absolute best tutorial I have ever seen on spiral wedging. Thanks!

[@muddyotterspottery569]

Just a follow up. I put your instructions into practice and I mastered it in about 8 minutes! I ended up wedging all of my reclaim last night and it went so much easier and quicker than Ram’s Head wedging! Thanks!

[@ataaataa5889]

Thank you for your great interest in transferring your experience and valuable knowledge. Thanks a lot for your time though 🙏🏻

[@artifx]

Thank you!! I have been waiting for this one since you mentioned doing one in another video. I very much appreciate your wonderful tips! They have helped me grow as a potter

[@floriangadsby]

So glad you found it useful - best of luck potting and thanks so much for taking the time to watch.

[@heyashakaye]

Now only for the studio to reopen.... Another great video Florian, very grateful for all the help.

[@cbubbb]

Great idea with the metal stick! Really helps to the movement of the spirals :)

[@kevinmacnamara7000]

Thanks so much, you've made it so easy to understand. And it's incredibly good of you to go to all the trouble of making these videos.

[@mllebricabrac]

Your videos are absolutely great and so helpful. Thank you for making them and explaining the step by step so detailed and so well!

[@angeladias1654]

Thank you thank you thank you! I have been trying to get this spiral right for a long time, but I believe your explanation and direction will finally get me to master it 😃

[@samuelharley_]

Fantastic! Thanks Florian!

[@zachhawkins2698]

Great to know! I can’t wait to practice this more!

[@marymurphy1238]

Wow, who knew there was so much to say about one style of wedging. Great video.

[@rosellecampbell9686]

Thank you Florian , this video are so informative. I love it watching it all.

[@adityaagr8702]

Such a relaxing video Floridian.

[@NimbusPottery]

Thank you for making a video about this style of wedging. I was taught the rams head style wedging and I saw you do the spiral wedge in a different video and I was curious. I think that i am going to have to try to do this when I go to the studio tomorrow. I can definitely see the advantages of wedging like this and I am excited to try!

[@hazanmalikhazanmalik7506]

Online class

[@Ian_grancorbitz69]

You are extremely good at explaining what to do and it is very easy to understand

[@doctorortner2531]

Unbealivable and refined artist and hard worker!!!!!!!

[@iffetorbay6356]

Excellent demonstration! So complete, too, you leave no questions without answers Florian! I was wondering, for example, whether the spiraling direction has to be the same as the wheel turning direction, as somebody had suggested... you clarified that question as well. Thank you so much for all the details explained !!! 😊🙏

[@meretekotyk636]

Thank you for teaching me this! I feel this was a missing piece for me.

[@panchikasrigate273]

thank you so much! I'm appreciate your work and the way you teach others. 💕

[@p43210]

You teach us so much! Thanks!!

[@floriangadsby]

So glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching!

[@joanpcloutier5897]

This is a great video - I will be trying this later today - let the practice begin!

[@Aaron.101]

Appreciate it how you break things down. Thanks

[@panibear]

This video was very informative and detailed. Thank you!

[@alantai234]

❤ I am able to finally wedge with this video. Still a work-in-progress but at least I am able to understand the principals behind the method. Great video content!

[@ladydraque7286]

so grateful for this video! and for you as a potter! please make more videos! i suppose one inparticular; a video of any tips and tricks you have for throwing in general, conserving the reclaimed clay in the water, and how to Trim thrown coffee mugs without the handles, the tops of a caserole dish, & maybe how to be neat & clean in my working area just as you are.

[@meretekotyk636]

Do you know you're making a fractal with the clay as you wedge? Same as a seashell. The Fibonacci sequence? Maybe everything in the world is more harmonic that way. You are the best teacher about how to move. Very technical in your description.

[@deemdoubleu]

This is a very good video and a great help.

[@LambentLark]

I've found a lot of things come down to committing to a pattern, and trusting the process. Sometimes things look like a hot mess when I start or even well into it but towards the end, magically, it comes together.

[@floriangadsby]

That's definitely how it is at the start. I remember it sometimes working and other times being a mess beneath my hands. Part of it is teaching yourself to repeat the exact same movements over and over again, which is easier said than done.

[@LambentLark]

@@floriangadsby I'm a multi medium artist (my brother calls it art schizophrenia. But what does he know, he can'teven draw a stick figure.) I figured out the pattern surrender theory (cuz I don't know what else to call it) learning celtic and geometric designs. If there was something I didn't like about the pattern it was always better to note the change for the next project but, keep the one I was working, with the part I didn't love. That way the design is consistent and I was the only one to know it should have been different. Then I started noticing the same technic was improving my art in other mediums too. Working with clay is a little different though. I like it's ability to be changed. Add, subtract, whatever, until you bake it there is no harm no foul. Consistency is key to so much.

[@addymalak2621]

You just gained a subscriber! I am a college student and have done pottery all throughout high school, and I just started an at home studio. I just came from your handmade teapot video and really admire your work! My question for you is where do you purchase the plastic that you cover clay with from, and what type of bats do you use? Have a nice day and keep up the good work!

[@bethbishop5408]

Excellent video!

[@None.of.ya.business666]

I feel a bit weird, but those little clay balls at the end look... appetizing. Like toffee or gianduja or some milk chocolatey goodness. Almost sad they're inedible. (On the other hand - just thinking it was toffee makes me gain 5 kilograms... :D)

[@leemaclennan2640]

Yes, much thanks!!!

[@phillipmitchell2254]

You seem like a pretty chill person but with varied and intense interests.

[@fritopie233]

Thank you, great content

[@floriangadsby]

Cheers Mike!

[@teresa-mariasura6646]

Thank you so much! So great how you explain it, so helpful… ❤

[@SweetTea-Stephens]

Thanks. I’ll practice this in school tomorrow and then here In my studio at home. I hate wedging so maybe this will be easier on my hands.

[@floriangadsby]

Good luck!

[@nafisehmirzaei7877]

Hello Mr.Florian I have seen some of your video clips on Wedgin the clay and they were really usefull for me. I appriciate your great help in advance. I have some problem in throwing the clay.May I ask you to explain more on this topic? I’m looking forward to see more videos of your works. Thanks alot

[@ianoliver3879]

A thousand thanks.

[@carolynanderson7139]

Thank you for this awesome tutorial! Question: Is your wedging surface (plywood I believe) sealed? If so, can you share what you used as a sealant?

[@floriangadsby]

It isn't sealed, the ply is left raw so it's absorbent, which makes wedging a bit easier. I give it a good clean most days and once a year I've been giving the top a sand as it is cracking a little bit in places and the ply raises, but it's fine for now! When it really does degrade I'll just flip the table top upside-down and in the longterm future I can just replace it.

[@wasafatamina8053]

Hello so nice work :)

[@MoeinPotter]

Perfect keep it up 😍🏺

[@sherigormley3323]

Thank you for including the recipe for the plaster bats. How much water is needed? I'm not sure what the ratio should be, with the two types of powdered material being used. Thanks!

[@TheUltimateAcres]

#Newsubhere and new Potter. I will stay tuned. I thoroughly enjoyed watching. #Keepupthegreatwork

[@ArtistTillDeath]

Every time I wedge I think I mix MORE air into the clay lol

[@floriangadsby]

That can happen! Maybe try cut wedging if you’re having trouble with spiral wedging, sometimes called cut and slam/stack and slam. It’s arguably an easier to learn method of wedging and there’s less of a chance you’ll trap air.

[@joewilliams6352]

Really enjoy the videos, thank you. Just wondered what materiel is best to make a table out of to be used for wedging?

[@moonlitmalas4055]

Thanks for the very clear explanation in your videos. Question...I've been taught how to wedge using the Ram's head method, would you mind telling me if there is a benefit to the spiral wedge over the ram's head?

[@correctrper2941]

one you figure it out, it’s a little faster (especially for larger amounts of clay), but they both do pretty much the same thing. I prefer rams head for very small amounts of clay and spiral wedging for anything above 1.5 lbs of clay.

[@richardruckert7954]

Pugmill...wouldn't that be nice. Too bad discount stores can't turn them over enough to offer. I tend to cut wedge for neutralizing the clay' differences in moisture content, then spiral wedge for removing air. On average, how many motions forward do you perform?

[@GaryandErica]

I'm about to take my first pottery class since my first experiences with clay a million years ago. Question - once you have the main mass of clay wedged, it looks like you roll it together on itself (there appear to be at least the remnants of that shell shape (like say around 13:50 of the video). How do you avoid air pockets from those 'shapes' left in the wedged clay ending up in your final mass of clay?

[@SilverGrey-xk1br]

When should Spiral, Ram's Head, Cut & Slam respectively be used in wedging? I was told that Spiral is more suited when wedging a large lump of clay whereas Ram's Head is easier for a smaller lump of clay? I am not quite sure if this is right. What about Cut & Slam?

[@scproleplay-prometheusinc.7551]

If if you do that why is it sometimes whenever I get like bowls from Costco there’s always like a bunch of holes in it part when you break it

[@jutroia3349]

❤❤

[@whitebranch]

I find the plastic I wrap things in gets very dusty, and ultimately the dust gets airbourne. Do you reuse the bags your clay comes in, or do use clean plastic sheets?

[@gembolding]

Hy Florian, quick question: Do you sand down the multiplex wood that I see you work on before wedging clay on it for the first time? Maybe I am overthinking it but Im a little worried about woodsplinters getting into the clay which I imagine can't be very good in any part of the process of making pots.

[@gembolding]

I had a long version of this question which I later realised is only time consuming for you. Do if you do have time for this.... I love your work! I am in awe! It fits so well in my own aesthetics. Your videos teach me soo much and they were the push I needed to get my ass to a pottery class and start turning clay. As you well know throwing(Im dutch so I dont know if this term encompasses the whole process or just the buildup of the pot on the wheel🙈but for now Ill stick to this use of the term) it has therapeutic properties and it is pure magic for my usually overstimulated ADHD brain. I was diagnosed 2 years ago at 43yo so you cannot imagine what a relief it is to finally find something that can focus my brain completely and bring me into the present instead of thinking about 20 things at the same time. It's funny how 80% of the times when things fail during throwing it is because I was not present in the moment and with the clay that's gliding through my hands. Throwing clay is also helping me work through decades of built up insecurities as it forces me to deal with failures in a more healthy way and not take it so personal. So thank you soooo so much. Your work is affecting people in more ways then you know.

[@royreed3257]

Thank you for this video. What was the other type of wedging you mentioned besides spiral and ram's head?

[@floriangadsby]

Cut wedging, I think? I’m glad you found the video useful!

[@gbennett58]

You said at the end of the wedging you press down more with your right hand. Do you press down more with the left hand in the beginning, or equally?

[@brettbeatnick]

Simon Leach would be proud.

[@IsinMoon]

I tried this and failed miserably lol. It is deceptively difficult. Gonna keep trying though!

[@kalynnhandy7047]

Hi! Where is a good place to get clay? Shopping to FL

[@gunjanchouksey3519]

Hi, what kind of table you are wedging on?

[@siriussc1903]

What clay do you use? And where do you get it?

[@CocoNut-jp3um]

I don't know how everyone is saying this is making it easy to understand. I tried this for a good twenty minutes and it just caused me clay to break and there were no spirals. I don't know if I was doing something wrong or if my clay is too hard but I can't do it.

[@Psychnii]

Add water :)

[@peachjackson3856]

Is this way more effective then rams head?

[@Rome-H]

Where do I start if I want to start pottery?

[@grackla1384]

Why isn't the clay fully mixed when you buy it? It seems that even when you cut the clay in half before you have wedged it, it seems completely smooth.

[@floriangadsby]

Let’s are! The problem is you don’t know how long the clay has been sitting in those bags, and sometimes the clay on the outside of the lump is firmer than the stuff on the inside, so it needs to be mixed so the texture is consistent.

[@grackla1384]

@@floriangadsby Makes sense. Thank you for replying! Love your channel!

[@kailynjoviak5985]

How does the clay not get too dry while you're wedging?

[@loveandlight4875]

Florian do you still teach?

[@wendymurray2244]

Hi what is your recipe for porcelein clay please x

[@floriangadsby]

I purchase it straight, I don’t make it myself. It’s called Audrey Blackman.

[@wafaabdelaziz1753]

What clay do u use

[@thordefrance9430]

Are you lefy handed?

[@floriangadsby]

Right-handed!

[@Dr.Qaisrani]

Whats that clay called?

[@ayse7009]

Keske Türkçe alt yazı olsa

[@nurdan17]

For the life of me I cannot do this 😭

[@floriangadsby]

You'll get it eventually, it really took me months to get a shape that only somewhat resembled the shell spiral. But seriously, if you can, find somebody in real life who can do it and have then spiral wedge next to you, (this is a lot to ask I know, especially in COVID times), there's nothing quite as good as real tuition for a process that is hands on.

[@ArtiTutejaHypnotist]

I like to watch and learn from such videos, but I realize that Americans tends to talk a lot in a video which is quite annoying.

[@borntobebroken]

ur voice lol