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the perfect wedging table

updated wed 17 jan 01

 

vince pitelka on thu 11 jan 01


> Make the table out of heavy stock and tilt it slightly toward you. Have it
> at about belt height, or whatever is most comfortable for you, personally.
> The height of the table will protect your back while wedging, so be
careful
> to get it right. Experiment.

Cindy -
You are always so generous with valuable information, so this post caught me
a bit by surprise. First, if you tilt the wedging table towards you, it is
even harder on your wrists. The idea is to reduce the wrist angle, and that
is accomplished by tilting the wedging table slightly away from you.

After studying this for a very long time, I have come to believe that if you
hang your arm at your side, with your fingers in a natural relaxed curve,
your knuckles should lightly rest on the surface of your wedging table.
That is a long way below belt height. When the wedging surface is at the
right height, you can really use your upper body weight and strength to get
the job done, and with it tilted slightly away from you your wrists will be
much happier.

> The surface may be slate, canvas, plaster, or anything else that will
> discourage the clay from sticking. If you choose canvas, it will tend to
be
> dusty, and should be removable.

Slate is a wonderful wedging surface. I don't care for plaster because it
is too absorbent and there is too much chance of plaster contamination in
the clay, especially if people are careless about scraping off the surface
with metal scrapers, as often happens in academic studios. For the last 30
years I have used canvas wedging surfaces in my own studio and have never
had a bit of problem with dust, and the covers are permanently stapled onto
a heavy plywood-covered table. I think the secret is to use dense heavy
canvas, and to attach it down very tightly. It does not have to be
removeable.

Sorry to be so contrary. Best wishes -
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/

Snail Scott on fri 12 jan 01


At 08:05 PM 1/12/01 -0600, you wrote:
>> I think you may both be somewhat right. Looking at the geometry of these
>> two options, it appears that a low table, level or slightly tipped back,
>> will give exactly the same relative wrist angle as a tall table tilted
>> forward! The taller the table (relative to the individual), the more
>> forward tilt it would require to maintain the same geometry relative to
>> the wrists, arms, and shoulders.
>
>Snail -
>Sorry to be contrary again (I guess it's in my nature) but I have to
>disagree. If the table is tilted towards you at any height it will hurt
>your wrists. And the lower table is always best for one's back. A higher
>table is hard on you in a lot of different ways. With a low table you
>simply brace your legs, one in back and one in front, so that you bend the
>knee of the front leg can lean down against the table. You don't really
>have to bend your waist at all except within the normal range of movement
>you would always expect when wedging.
>Best wishes -
>- Vince
>
>Vince Pitelka

Well, I'll still disagree, too. Leaning down toward a
rear-tilted table puts about the same angle on the wrists
as a front-tilted table that you face without bending.

Now, I would prefer to wedge low for the force advantage,
but a car accident has left me with a cranky back which
dislikes bending forward at the hip, especially with my
arms in front of me. (Yeah, it's weird. For a while I
couldn't even sit in chairs to eat dinner. Had to stand!)
Physical therapists are wonderful, though, and I'm fine
now as long as I watch my posture while working. (I've
got funky wrists, too, so I pay close attention to angles
and stresses.)

Actually, I've given up wedging entirely now, and I don't
miss it a bit. Like many Zen-like aspects of clay, it
takes time I begrudge, and my handbuilt work (with groggy
clay) doesn't need it. Having expressed my opinions on the
abstract geometry of the matter, I'll now leave discussions
of preference to those who actually do wedge!

-Snail

K Boyle on fri 12 jan 01


Very interesting. I welded a wedging table with the table sloping towards
the front.
It seemed to make more sense to me, that the force from wedging would go
directly into the clay
making more efficient use of my energy. I think I can understand how this
could also cause more stress
on wrist joints. I guess I'm going to have to unbolt my table from the
wall, turn it around and try it the other way. I''l probably end up pushing
the clay right off of the table....but it sounds worth a try.
BTW I found a big slab of slate for my table surface and, though it's not
perfectly flat/smooth, I prefer it to
all other surfaces I've tried (plaster, canvas, wood).

Kevin Boyle
Elkins, WV usa
sore as hell from cross country skiing all day!
Joyce is a big tease talking about "gentle rain in the desert"
and everyone has the right to be contrary on occasion!
----------
> From: vince pitelka
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: Re: The perfect wedging table
> Date: Thursday, January 11, 2001 6:45 PM
>
> > Make the table out of heavy stock and tilt it slightly toward you. Have
it
> > at about belt height, or whatever is most comfortable for you,
personally.
> > The height of the table will protect your back while wedging, so be
> careful
> > to get it right. Experiment.
>
> Cindy -
> You are always so generous with valuable information, so this post caught
me
> a bit by surprise. First, if you tilt the wedging table towards you, it
is
> even harder on your wrists. The idea is to reduce the wrist angle, and
that
> is accomplished by tilting the wedging table slightly away from you.
>
> After studying this for a very long time, I have come to believe that if
you
> hang your arm at your side, with your fingers in a natural relaxed curve,
> your knuckles should lightly rest on the surface of your wedging table.
> That is a long way below belt height. When the wedging surface is at the
> right height, you can really use your upper body weight and strength to
get
> the job done, and with it tilted slightly away from you your wrists will
be
> much happier.
>
> > The surface may be slate, canvas, plaster, or anything else that will
> > discourage the clay from sticking. If you choose canvas, it will tend
to
> be
> > dusty, and should be removable.
>
> Slate is a wonderful wedging surface. I don't care for plaster because
it
> is too absorbent and there is too much chance of plaster contamination in
> the clay, especially if people are careless about scraping off the
surface
> with metal scrapers, as often happens in academic studios. For the last
30
> years I have used canvas wedging surfaces in my own studio and have never
> had a bit of problem with dust, and the covers are permanently stapled
onto
> a heavy plywood-covered table. I think the secret is to use dense heavy
> canvas, and to attach it down very tightly. It does not have to be
> removeable.
>
> Sorry to be so contrary. Best wishes -
> - Vince
>
> Vince Pitelka
> Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
> 615/597-5376
> Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
> 615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
> Appalachian Center for Crafts
> Tennessee Technological University
> 1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
> http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
>
>
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Snail Scott on fri 12 jan 01


At 08:45 PM 1/11/01 -0600, you wrote:
>> Make the table out of heavy stock and tilt it slightly toward you. Have it
>> at about belt height, or whatever is most comfortable for you, personally.
>> The height of the table will protect your back while wedging,
>
>Cindy -
First, if you tilt the wedging table towards you, it is
>even harder on your wrists. The idea is to reduce the wrist angle, and that
>is accomplished by tilting the wedging table slightly away from you.
>
if you
>hang your arm at your side, with your fingers in a natural relaxed curve,
>your knuckles should lightly rest on the surface of your wedging table.
>That is a long way below belt height. When the wedging surface is at the
>right height, you can really use your upper body weight and strength to get
>the job done, and with it tilted slightly away from you your wrists will be
>much happier.

>Vince Pitelka

I think you may both be somewhat right. Looking at the geometry of these
two options, it appears that a low table, level or slightly tipped back,
will give exactly the same relative wrist angle as a tall table tilted
forward! The taller the table (relative to the individual), the more
forward tilt it would require to maintain the same geometry relative to
the wrists, arms, and shoulders.

True, a low table allows more of the body's mass to be applied to the
clay, but not all backs are created equal, so there are those who require
a more upright posture. So, it seems to me... pick your height; the best
angle then derives from that choice.
-Snail

Cindy Strnad on fri 12 jan 01


Hi, Vince.

Don't worry about being contrary. If you disagree with me, you're not going
to hurt my feelings. Even if it turns out I'm wrong. Which I have
been--on at least one or two occasions. Good to have folks like you around
to save innocent people when I inadvertently give bad advice.

Actually, I was taught the table should be tilted toward me (I won't say by
whom), and I haven't tried it the other way. It sounds like it would be hard
on your back, and hard to keep the clay where you want it, but you're
obviously doing it that way, and it's working for you. I have a straight
table now, and seldom wedge, so I'll take your word for it.

I've used plaster, and liked it, but didn't use it long term, as the plaster
tables were in art center and workshop studios. So, maybe if you were
working with it for years instead of weeks and months, it would make a
difference. Presently, I use canvas, too. I have it stapled to a board which
I can take out and hose off. Mine does get pretty dusty. Maybe I need to
find some of that thicker stuff you're using.

Anyway, don't be sorry. I'll bow to your unquestionably superior experience
and thank you for straightening things out.

Cindy Strnad
Earthen Vessels Pottery
RR 1, Box 51
Custer, SD 57730
USA
earthenv@gwtc.net
http://www.earthenvesselssd.com

vince pitelka on fri 12 jan 01


> Anyway, don't be sorry. I'll bow to your unquestionably superior
experience
> and thank you for straightening things out.

Cindy -
I do have a lot of experience, and I do tend to formulate strong opinions on
many things, but when it comes down to it the information I have is no more
valid or superior than yours or anyone else's. I am a teacher by
profession, and I rarely hesitate to express my opinions, but I have learned
a lot from you and from so many other Clayart members, and that is a great
gift for which I am extremely grateful. A lot of my strong opinions come
directly from listening carefully to Clayart for the last six years.
Best wishes -
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/

vince pitelka on fri 12 jan 01


> I think you may both be somewhat right. Looking at the geometry of these
> two options, it appears that a low table, level or slightly tipped back,
> will give exactly the same relative wrist angle as a tall table tilted
> forward! The taller the table (relative to the individual), the more
> forward tilt it would require to maintain the same geometry relative to
> the wrists, arms, and shoulders.

Snail -
Sorry to be contrary again (I guess it's in my nature) but I have to
disagree. If the table is tilted towards you at any height it will hurt
your wrists. And the lower table is always best for one's back. A higher
table is hard on you in a lot of different ways. With a low table you
simply brace your legs, one in back and one in front, so that you bend the
knee of the front leg can lean down against the table. You don't really
have to bend your waist at all except within the normal range of movement
you would always expect when wedging.
Best wishes -
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/

Ron Roy on sun 14 jan 01


I think it's better to not use canvas - I use plywood - that way when I cut
and slam to mix different clays I don't have any dust to deal with.

RR

>Presently, I use canvas, too. I have it stapled to a board which
>I can take out and hose off. Mine does get pretty dusty. Maybe I need to
>find some of that thicker stuff you're using.

Ron Roy
93 Pegasus Trail
Scarborough
Ontario, Canada
M1G 3N8
Evenings 416-439-2621
Fax 416-438-7849

clennell on mon 15 jan 01


When I was at Georgian college we had Micheal Cardew come to do a workshop.
He found the wedging table to short because he was quite tall, so he stood
on a wooden box. On the next Monday every student in the ceramics studio
was wedging while standing on a box. Our instructor Roger Kerslake entered
the room and said "What the hell is everyone doing???" Hey, if Micheal can
do it, so can we- duh!
Your body will tell you what is a comfortable height for wedging. a
wedging table for a 5' 7 " mean machine like me is get down on your knees
for Vince P.
Cheers,
Tony

sour cherry pottery
tony and sheila clennell
4545 king street
beamsville, on.L0R 1B1
http://www.sourcherrypottery.com
clennell@vaxxine.com

vince pitelka on mon 15 jan 01


> When I was at Georgian college we had Micheal Cardew come to do a
workshop.
> He found the wedging table to short because he was quite tall, so he stood
> on a wooden box.

Tony -
I'm having trouble with this. He was too tall for the wedging table, so he
stood on a box? Sounds like something I would do, and probably screw up my
back in the process.
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/

Randall Moody on tue 16 jan 01


In my BFA program I usually sat on the wedging table beside my clay to
wedge. I am 6'4" with more leg than body and all of the tables were too low
although they were the standard height for everyone else. The same is true
with most kitchen counter tops. I can't wait for my wife to finish Grad
school in Architecture so that our house can be designed for me in mind!

> When I was at Georgian college we had Micheal Cardew come to do a
workshop.
> He found the wedging table to short because he was quite tall, so he stood
> on a wooden box. On the next Monday every student in the ceramics studio
> was wedging while standing on a box. Our instructor Roger Kerslake entered
> the room and said "What the hell is everyone doing???" Hey, if Micheal
can
> do it, so can we- duh!
> Your body will tell you what is a comfortable height for wedging. a
> wedging table for a 5' 7 " mean machine like me is get down on your knees
> for Vince P.