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wedging table and other studio related questions!

updated thu 29 jan 04

 

Vince Pitelka on fri 16 jan 04


Pragati -
You can build an excellent wedging table with a piece of 3/4" plywood
covered with canvas. Build a sturdy framework with 2x4s and affix it to the
wall. Wrap the canvas over the edge of the plywood and staple it to the
underside. Screw the canvas covered plywood to the 2x4 frame with a few
drywall screws around the edge. Makes a great wedging surface. Plaster
wedging tables SUCK, specifically because they suck the moisture out of the
clay. That is only a good idea if the clay is way too wet, and this is
rarely the case. Where the hell did we ever come up with the notion of
plaster wedging tables? What a stupid idea.

Regarding your second question, get two trash cans, build simple wood
dollies with caster wheels. Fill one 2/3 with water. Wash your tools,
buckets, splash pans, hands in the trash can. When it gets thick, roll it
aside. Fill the second one 2/3 with water and use it to wash. By the time
it is thick, the first one will have settled. Decant off all the clear
water and dump it down the drain. Pour the slurry from the bottom into
5-gallon plastic buckets, along with your excess throwing slurry. Set aside
and allow them to stiffen up to throwing consistency. Roll the second trash
can aside, and re-fill the first one 2/3 with water. Etc. This is a very
practical system. I ran an academic ceramics studio at NDSU Fargo like
this, because we did not have any water in the studio, and we could not dump
any contaminated water down the drain in the janitor's closet down the hall.

If this system really appeals to you, and you are willing to invest the
money, go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy the heavy-duty trash cans with the
five-wheel dollies.
Good luck -
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Office - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 x111, FAX 615/597-6803
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/

Earl Krueger on fri 16 jan 04


Pragati -

For a wedging table I would suggest you consider a solid core door from
your home improvement center. They are:
> thicker so they don't have any "give",
> very flat for when you want a nice flat surface to work from,
> very heavy so with a solid base they don't move around, and
> a more convenient size (3' X 6'8") than a full or half sheet of
plywood.

I've been using a door as a table for over 3 years now and it works
just fine for me. Since I've got the space I'm thinking of building a
heavy duty cabinet, with drawers for storage and locking casters for
movability, and then top it with another solid door.

Just remember, regarding table height, for wedging lower is better than
higher. You need to be able to throw your body weight into it, not
just use your arm muscles.


Any clay slop water I just throw out in my back yard. After all, clay
is just dirt with maybe a little ground up rock in it!! The worms and
moles work it into the ground and I can't even tell where I've been
tossing it.

Waste glaze I let dry out, put in a plastic container like a margarine
tub, wrap in newspaper and put in my trash.

This is how I do it. Others may object or approve or not even care.

Earl...
Bothell, WA, USA

Pragati Sawhney on fri 16 jan 04


Hi everyone!

My pottery wheel finally arrived last night .. (it was my big christmas
surprise from my boyfriend !!) ... Anyhow i'm all excited about setting up
my workshop on the back patio .... and need some help ...

1) whats the best surface for a wedging table ??? i don't know if i want to
go through the hassle of pouring plaster etc .. whats cheap .. fast and easy
. ?? he said he'll build it for me!!

2) I live in a rather old house with really old plumbing and no sink on the
back patio - so i don't want to pour anything down any of the drains ... any
suugestions on what to do with all the water ?? which contains the all that
slip ... i plan to recycle all the little bits and pieces of clay ??

3) what about the slip ?? what do you all do with it in order to recyle it
- I do a lot of colored slip brush work .. and slip trailing too ... but
there's only so much i can use .. ;-) !

Hope to hear from you all

-- Pragati
(this rather strange sounding name .. means Progress .. in sanskrit .. :-)
!!

william schran on sat 17 jan 04


Pragati wrote:>what"s the best surface for a wedging table ?<

Try stretching a piece of heavy canvas or cotton duck over a sheet
(about 3'x3') of 3/4" plywood that you could clamp to a table, then
unclamp and store underneath when not in use.

>...old plumbing and no sink on the back patio - so i don't want to
>pour anything down any of the drains ... any suggestions on what to
>do with all the water ??<

I work in a garage - no plumbing - have to get water from kitchen
sink. I use 5 gallon buckets for slurry buckets (one stoneware/one
porcelain) and 1 gallon buckets for throwing water. I continually
recycle water back from the slurry buckets to throwing buckets -
rarely bring "new" water into the studio, except when I need some
warm water on those 45-50=B0F days inside the studio - justa throwin'
away with steam risin' off my hands :-)
Just throw the water outside if needed.
Bill

wayneinkeywest on sat 17 jan 04


Pragati:
One thing to add to Vince's post. Make sure to keep those cans covered,
or you can end up with all sorts of "surprises" in the water, like
lizards, snakes, rodents and the occasional iguana.
(fill in your choice of pests based on where you live)
They go in in search of a drink, and can't get back out.
I've learned to leave mine uncovered (for the evaporation) and leave a stick
in each one on an angle to allow the critters an exit ramp.

Wayne Seidl

> Pragati -
> You can build an excellent wedging table with a piece of 3/4" plywood
> covered with canvas. Build a sturdy framework with 2x4s and affix it to
the
> wall. Wrap the canvas over the edge of the plywood and staple it to the
> underside. Screw the canvas covered plywood to the 2x4 frame with a few
> drywall screws around the edge. Makes a great wedging surface. Plaster
> wedging tables SUCK, specifically because they suck the moisture out of
the
> clay. That is only a good idea if the clay is way too wet, and this is
> rarely the case. Where the hell did we ever come up with the notion of
> plaster wedging tables? What a stupid idea.
>
> Regarding your second question, get two trash cans, build simple wood
> dollies with caster wheels. Fill one 2/3 with water. Wash your tools,
> buckets, splash pans, hands in the trash can. When it gets thick, roll it
> aside. Fill the second one 2/3 with water and use it to wash. By the
time
> it is thick, the first one will have settled. Decant off all the clear
> water and dump it down the drain. Pour the slurry from the bottom into
> 5-gallon plastic buckets, along with your excess throwing slurry. Set
aside
> and allow them to stiffen up to throwing consistency. Roll the second
trash
> can aside, and re-fill the first one 2/3 with water. Etc. This is a very
> practical system. I ran an academic ceramics studio at NDSU Fargo like
> this, because we did not have any water in the studio, and we could not
dump
> any contaminated water down the drain in the janitor's closet down the
hall.
>
> If this system really appeals to you, and you are willing to invest the
> money, go to Lowe's or Home Depot and buy the heavy-duty trash cans with
the
> five-wheel dollies.
> Good luck -
> - Vince
>
> Vince Pitelka
> Appalachian Center for Craft
> Tennessee Technological University
> 1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN

Snail Scott on sat 17 jan 04


At 03:50 PM 1/16/04 -0600, you wrote:
>1) whats the best surface for a wedging table ??? i don't know if i want to
>go through the hassle of pouring plaster etc .. whats cheap .. fast and
easy...


Plaster's pretty easy, and the weight of the plaster helps
keep the surface stable, but a piece of marine-grade plywood
can be covered with canvas and nailed down to a table or
other surface.


>...i don't want to pour anything down any of the drains ... any
>suugestions on what to do with all the water ?? which contains the all that
>slip ...


It's just mud; throw in in the yard. Or let it dry
out and then either reprocess it or toss it out.

-Snail

Simona Drentea on sat 17 jan 04


Look for damaged ones & ask for a discount. An instructor suggested this to
me & I called Home Depot to see if they had any damaged ones in stock, they
did, & I think I got $10 off. Depends on the damage of course, whether it's
workable, but a lot of times it's just a crack on the surface, which you can make
the bottom of your table. I also got a huge cartload of scrap drywall pieces
for $3.00, the guy at HD was just cutting them up to throw out. THey are not
allowed to give them away free, but since I don't do dumpster diving, this is
the next best thing.

Simona in CO
For a wedging table I would suggest you consider a solid core door from
your home improvement center. They are:
> thicker so they don't have any "give",
> very flat for when you want a nice flat surface to work from,
> very heavy so with a solid base they don't move around, and
> a more convenient size (3' X 6'8") than a full or half sheet of plywood.

Mildred Herot on sat 17 jan 04


Hi Pragati: Best of luck with your new wheel. I keep a plastic trash can
in which I put trimmings and pour my working water which has slip into it.
Fortunately I live next to a small creek and I just throw my cleaning up
water on the dirt near the creek. I don't know if this is heapful - it
works for me......Mildred Herot
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pragati Sawhney"
To:
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 4:50 PM
Subject: Wedging table and other studio related questions!


> Hi everyone!
>
> My pottery wheel finally arrived last night .. (it was my big christmas
> surprise from my boyfriend !!) ... Anyhow i'm all excited about setting up
> my workshop on the back patio .... and need some help ...
>
> 1) whats the best surface for a wedging table ??? i don't know if i want
to
> go through the hassle of pouring plaster etc .. whats cheap .. fast and
easy
> . ?? he said he'll build it for me!!
>
> 2) I live in a rather old house with really old plumbing and no sink on
the
> back patio - so i don't want to pour anything down any of the drains ...
any
> suugestions on what to do with all the water ?? which contains the all
that
> slip ... i plan to recycle all the little bits and pieces of clay ??
>
> 3) what about the slip ?? what do you all do with it in order to recyle it
> - I do a lot of colored slip brush work .. and slip trailing too ... but
> there's only so much i can use .. ;-) !
>
> Hope to hear from you all
>
> -- Pragati
> (this rather strange sounding name .. means Progress .. in sanskrit .. :-)
> !!
>
>
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Maurice Weitman on sun 18 jan 04


At 8:43 PM -0600 on 1/16/04, Vince Pitelka wrote:
>You can build an excellent wedging table with a piece of 3/4" plywood
>covered with canvas. [...] Where the hell did we ever come up with
>the notion of plaster wedging tables? What a stupid idea. [...]

Hello, Vince, and other fans of a canvas wedging surface,

Russel and John the flower pot man (and maybe others) have expressed
my dust-related concerns about using canvas as a wedging table
surface, but I'd love to pursue this a bit.

Canvas-covered plywood would be a delightful alternative to plaster
for me, but I'm really concerned about the dust issue. In trying
canvas on plywood, I found that it was a real pain to keep clean. In
fact, I was not able to keep it dust-free without having the plywood
get so wet that it got moldy.

I've found plaster to be delightful as a wedging surface. It's more
difficult to make, and certainly much more of a permanent presence in
a small studio. Speaking of which, I poured mind in a three-inch
wooden frame, put on a 1/2" plywood bottom, and attached it to the
end of a table using Tee-hinges. When not in use, it lies flat
against the table; in use, I pull it out, prop it with a section of
broomstick, unfold the cutoff wire I made from a discarded guitar
string, and I'm good to go wedging.

I do my wedging in the middle of the slab, a portion of which I can
wet selectively if I need to wedge some clay that's already dry
enough. I use the corners of the surface for reclaiming and drying
clay that's too wet.

I also find that the plaster surface is much easier to clean remnants
of stoneware clays when I want to wedge porcelain. Of course it's
trivial to have one or many other plywood boards with canvas set up
for each clay color you've got.

So, how do you folks keep your canvas from becoming a serious source
of silica dust?

Regards,
Maurice

Susan Fox-Hirschmann on sun 18 jan 04


I find that Sleeveless fleece vests work really well to keep me warm when the
studio is colder.
Best of luck!
Susan
Annandale, VA
www.silverhawk.com/ex99/hirschmann

John K Dellow on sun 18 jan 04


Vince ,
I disagree with you on this. If the plaster is kept wet and covered
when not in use its ideal
in my opinion. No dust and does not pull up like canvas. No matter how
well the canvas is set up
,over time it will crinkle and pull up during wedging. What I really hat
is a cement one :).

John

Vince Pitelka wrote:

> Plaster
>wedging tables SUCK, specifically because they suck the moisture out of the
>clay. That is only a good idea if the clay is way too wet, and this is
>rarely the case. Where the hell did we ever come up with the notion of
>plaster wedging tables? What a stupid idea.
>
>
>

John Dellow "the flower pot man"
From the land down under
Home Page http://www.welcome.to/jkdellow
http://digitalfire.com/education/people/dellow/

Vince Pitelka on sun 18 jan 04


> Vince ,
> I disagree with you on this. If the plaster is kept wet and covered
> when not in use its ideal
> in my opinion. No dust and does not pull up like canvas. No matter how
> well the canvas is set up
> ,over time it will crinkle and pull up during wedging. What I really hat
> is a cement one :).

John -
Yes, I can see how the plaster might work better if you keep it wet and
covered, and don't mind being very careful when scraping or cleaning the
surface, and don't mind the occasional plaster shard in your clay. But
doesn't the clay stick worse when the plaster is wet? I run an academic
clay studio, so you can see why I don't like plaster, besides all the
obvious reasons.

If you use heavy, tight canvas, and if you stretch and attach it very
tightly, it will not lift or wrinkle at all. It is a wonderful wedging
surface.

There is a mispell in your last line, and I cannot tell what you mean. If
you are saying that you really hate a cement wedging surface, I find that
completely baffling. Concrete is the very best surface for wedging tables,
because it is indestructible, heavy, and far less absorbent than plaster,
and yet the clay will not stick to it. If the concrete is properly poured
and finished, it is a very smooth, grit-free surface. I addressed concrete
work surfaces in one of my Claytimes columns.
Best wishes -
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Office - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 x111, FAX 615/597-6803
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/

Catherine Yassin on sun 18 jan 04


In a message dated 1/17/2004 11:49:32 PM Central Standard Time,
wschran@EROLS.COM writes:

> I work in a garage - no plumbing - have to get water from kitchen
> sink.

I had this setup for my garage studio until I got a shop sink from Home Depot
and with the help from my dad got water plumbed from the washer hose to the
sink. For those of you who have garage studios and your washer and dryer in
there too this is not a difficult thing to do if you have the space for a stand
alone sink near the washer. I hated messing up my kitchen sink with clay gunk.
Of course the sink needs to drain somewhere. I was fortunate enough to be able
to cut a hole small enough for an inch pvc pipe to fit through outside wall.
I also use the dryer to help heat things up. I just wash a load of clothes and
put them in the dryer on the cold days when it takes more than a space heater
to make conditions workable.

-Cat Yassin
San Antonio

claybair on sun 18 jan 04


Six years ago I made a wedging table out of
an old printer stand, a drawing board and a piece
of canvas clamped to the table. I am still using it!
It is small and short and does the job.
Hey Bill, your studio sounds remarkably like mine
though I do have heat in my garage.
Important tip.... if you are working in a cold studio
always use warm water. I wrecked my hands 2 years in
a row until I figured out that one!

Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com

-----Original Message-----
From: william schran


Pragati wrote:>what"s the best surface for a wedging table ?<

Try stretching a piece of heavy canvas or cotton duck over a sheet
(about 3'x3') of 3/4" plywood that you could clamp to a table, then
unclamp and store underneath when not in use.

>...old plumbing and no sink on the back patio - so i don't want to
>pour anything down any of the drains ... any suggestions on what to
>do with all the water ??<

I work in a garage - no plumbing - have to get water from kitchen
sink. I use 5 gallon buckets for slurry buckets (one stoneware/one
porcelain) and 1 gallon buckets for throwing water. I continually
recycle water back from the slurry buckets to throwing buckets -
rarely bring "new" water into the studio, except when I need some
warm water on those 45-50°F days inside the studio - justa throwin'
away with steam risin' off my hands :-)
Just throw the water outside if needed.
Bill

Russel Fouts on sun 18 jan 04


>> You can build an excellent wedging table with a piece of 3/4" plywood covered with canvas. Build a sturdy framework with 2x4s and affix it to the wall. Wrap the canvas over the edge of the plywood and staple it to the underside. Screw the canvas covered plywood to the 2x4 frame with a few drywall screws around the edge. Makes a great wedging surface. Plaster wedging tables SUCK, specifically because they suck the moisture out of the clay. That is only a good idea if the clay is way too wet, and this is rarely the case. Where the hell did we ever come up with the notion of plaster wedging tables? What a stupid idea. <<

Not really, if you have a plaster (or I agree better, concrete) wedging
table, you can both dewater and wedge the clay. When you want to wedge,
just throw some water on the plaster (concrete), let the plaster suck
that up and it won't suck water from the clay (well, not so much as
you'd notice).

In reality in my studio (when I do wedge, which I don't often), I just
use the unvarnished, particle board surface of my work bench. Easy clean
and no nasty canvas to trap clay dust. I banished canvas ages ago and
use newspaper or everything one would normally use canvas for. We get
LOTS of it at my house, 7 or eight daily papers in at least 4 different
languages. ;-)

>> Regarding your second question, get two trash cans, build simple wood dollies with caster wheels. Fill one 2/3 with water. Wash your tools, buckets, splash pans, hands in the trash can. When it gets thick, roll it aside. Fill the second one 2/3 with water and use it to wash. By the time it is thick, the first one will have settled. Decant off all the clear water and dump it down the drain. Pour the slurry from the bottom into 5-gallon plastic buckets, along with your excess throwing slurry. Set aside and allow them to stiffen up to throwing consistency. Roll the second trash can aside, and re-fill the first one 2/3 with water. Etc. This is a very practical system. <<

Indeed it is. I've been using a very similar two barrel system in my
waterless studio since the beginning. Works great! I wash first in one
(dirty) to get the bulk of the stuff off, then rinse in the other
(clean) The other difference is that I don't save the sludge for
recycling because it has everything in it. Since I handbuild, I don't
have a lot of clay to wash off. I save the sludge in buckets, let it
settle, drain off any water that's left, let it dry out and dispose of
it.

Russel
--
Russel Fouts
Mes Potes & Mes Pots
Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 223 02 75
Mobile: +32 476 55 38 75

Http://www.mypots.com
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John Jensen on sun 18 jan 04


Why is it either/or? A person can have a wooden or canvas table with
any number of plaster slabs on it. Wedge where you feel best for the
particular piece of clay. I never have tried cement slabs. What's
wrong with them?

John Jensen, Mudbug Pottery
mudbug@toadhouse.com , http://www.toadhouse.com

william schran on sun 18 jan 04


Gayle wrote:> Hey Bill, your studio sounds remarkably like mine
though I do have heat in my garage.
Important tip.... if you are working in a cold studio
always use warm water.<

I usually put lotion on my hands before I start working with
clay/water - if I can remember.
Best time to work for me is first thing in the morning - well, very
first is get the coffee started.

I have a quartz heater suspended from the ceiling (designed for this)
right over the wheel and a portable electric space heater that I move
around the studio. Got some fleece pullovers that I cut the arms off
at the elbow.
I did crawl under the house and connect up a duct from the main line
out to the garage - keeps liquids from freezing. When I can get the
funds together the next thing is replacing the wood garage door
(single pane glass and leaks like a sieve all around the edges) with
a new insulated one.
So yeah, it's cool in the studio first thing, but once I get going I
don't even know it's too cold to be working.
Bill

Vince Pitelka on mon 19 jan 04


> Vince - Do you remember which ClayTimes issue? I'll search when I get
> to school, but if you would narrow it down, I'd appreciate it.
> Do you also cover this in your book? I got a copy for our school
> library and I'll look there also.

Bill -
Unfortunately that is not covered in my book. It is in my May/June 2002
Claytimes column, titled "Working Surfaces." It deals with all kinds of
working surfaces, so it doesn't get into much detail on concrete surfaces.

If you want good information on casting concrete work surfaces, search the
construction trades and publications like Fine Woodworking and Architectural
Digest.
Best wishes -
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Office - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 x111, FAX 615/597-6803
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/

Vince Pitelka on mon 19 jan 04


> Canvas-covered plywood would be a delightful alternative to plaster
> for me, but I'm really concerned about the dust issue. In trying
> canvas on plywood, I found that it was a real pain to keep clean. In
> fact, I was not able to keep it dust-free without having the plywood
> get so wet that it got moldy.

Maurice -
This has come up before on Clayart. I do not understand the problem. I
have used canvas-covered wedging surfaces for 30 years, and I have never
encountered a dust problem. I use very heavy, tightly-woven canvas, and I
stretch it very tight over the plywood. I soak it down and sponge it off
periodically to keep it clean, and every time I wedge I spray it down
lightly first, because I do not want the dry canvas to draw moisture from
the clay. I do not get any dust at all.

Plaster is a perfectly fine wedging surface as long as one is able to
satisfactorily control the moisture content in the clay. I see no reason
why I should have to worry about that, and I want to avoid the possibility
of plaster contamination in the clay, so I don't use plaster. It is
problematic in institutional settings, but for the individual potter, it is
one of a number of appropriate choices. Personally I prefer canvas first,
concrete second.
Best wishes -
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Office - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 x111, FAX 615/597-6803
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/

william schran on mon 19 jan 04


Maurice wrote:>So, how do you folks keep your canvas from becoming a
serious source
of silica dust?<

I was one of the folk that suggested canvas stretched over plywood as
an alternative to plaster.

We have a plaster wedging board, with cutting wire, at school and I
have one at home.The one at school is used all the time and has
developed quite a depression in the middle. I may decide to replace
it with cement when the time comes. Some students just wedge on the
canvas covered tables. There is a rule in the class studio - do
nothing that would create clay dust in the air. So this means no cut
& slam wedging of clay on the canvas surface. The students are not
allowed to"throw out" a slab - rolling pin or slab roller only.
The canvas covered tables are a sealed Formica underneath, and all
students must clean the area of work with sponge and water. Stressing
wet clean-ups and doing nothing to create dust will never eliminate
all clay dust, but it does cut it dramatically. Oh yeah - the night
cleaning crew wet mops every night!

The one in my studio serves 2 roles - one as wedging board where I
use the cut & slam method to homogenize reclaimed clay. The other
role - to dry out slurry for reclaiming.
After pouring the plaster into a frame of 2x4"s ( about 3' square)
with a plywood bottom, I allowed the plaster to harden, flipped the
whole thing over, removed the plywood and attached 1x2's to allow for
air circulation under the plaster for quicker drying. If the plaster
is being used for reclaiming clay, I wedge (not cut & slam) on my
canvas covered table

william schran on mon 19 jan 04


Vince wrote:>If the concrete is properly poured
and finished, it is a very smooth, grit-free surface. I addressed concrete
work surfaces in one of my Claytimes columns.<

Vince - Do you remember which ClayTimes issue? I'll search when I get
to school, but if you would narrow it down, I'd appreciate it.
Do you also cover this in your book? I got a copy for our school
library and I'll look there also.
Thanks, Bill

william schran on mon 19 jan 04


Cat wrote:>I had this setup for my garage studio until I got a shop
sink from Home Depot
and with the help from my dad got water plumbed from the washer hose to the
sink.<

Previous home, a townhouse, had the washer/dryer in basement,
installed "laundry tub" first thing when we moved in.
Current home, one level (love this as I get older), washer/dryer in
kitchen (another great idea), no plumbing lines in garage. Thinking
about running water & drain to studio (garage), not a top priority at
this point, will continue to recycle water for the time being.
Bill

John Jensen on mon 19 jan 04


I've gone all kinds of ways for a working surface, and I like them all.
For a canvas surface, I've found that a good drenching with clean water
followed by a sponge up will get all the surface clay off, leaving just
the impregnated clay. The impregnated clay doesn't seem to put up an
alarming amount of dust. It takes some time for the surface to dry out,
so generally this is done at the end of a work session. I've never had a
problem with canvas getting moldy; but if you do, I think touch of
Clorox or other such product every so often would kill the spores. In
cases where I have a canvas board sitting on top of a table, one danger
is the clay which accumulates under the board: This clay will puff out
the sides when you work aggressively on the surface, so it is worth
while to make sure that the space under the board is clean. Lately, I
think...bare wood is my favorite surface to work on.

John Jensen, Mudbug Pottery
mudbug@toadhouse.com , http://www.toadhouse.com

John Hesselberth on mon 19 jan 04


On Monday, January 19, 2004, at 01:09 AM, Vince Pitelka wrote:

> This has come up before on Clayart. I do not understand the problem.
> I
> have used canvas-covered wedging surfaces for 30 years, and I have
> never
> encountered a dust problem. I use very heavy, tightly-woven canvas,
> and I
> stretch it very tight over the plywood. I soak it down and sponge it
> off
> periodically to keep it clean, and every time I wedge I spray it down
> lightly first, because I do not want the dry canvas to draw moisture
> from
> the clay. I do not get any dust at all.

Hi Vince,

I'm sure this would work to prevent visible dust, but it is the
particles so small you cannot see them that are most dangerous for
silicosis. Just wondering if you ever had the air sampled and analyzed
near your canvas boards by sampling equipment built for that purpose to
prove your point. Maybe your wetting down the boards is enough, but I
would almost bet there is invisible dust coming off them if they are
used dry.

Regards,

John
http://www.frogpondpottery.com
http://www.masteringglazes.com

Susan Giddings on mon 19 jan 04


Bill,


Having taken a few of Vince's workshops and accepting that everything he says is "BIBLE TRUTH", (I am a real fan of his. Vince - sorry for embarrassing you like this!) I have used concrete for wedging. It works great. As good or better even than he indicates.


One of the smoothest surfaces I imagine you can get is from a plant that makes sewer and septic tanks. I know, I know, I can hear the beano jokes coming, but I am serious! First of all these plants have culls - tops that have cracked or even have chunks taken out of them (Corners are notorious for chipping off). But the slickest smoothest concrete surface you could imagine is on the under side of a septic tank lid. And if they've been damaged - unbelievably cheap, even free is not uncommon.  They are incredibly heavy so moving these around can be problematic. Pick up and trailer was necessary for a pretty small one.


Look around a construction site for a commercial building - dozens of handy things or examples that you wouldn't think of until you see them. Commercial is quite different than residential homes. And the work crews are very tolerant of "starving artists" and will just give you a bunch of things if you ask nicely. Go on a weekend when no one's around, check it out and then go back when a crew is on site. I've followed visits with a huge box of joe from a donut shop, or even home made cookies and brownies. I've even made paper cup holders for the consoles of their pick ups. They get such a kick out of it. If they know you'll be back, and what you're looking for, they will save stuff for you and always, one or two can be counted on to help carry and load your car (or pick up). It's really a lot of fun. 


Dumpster diving taken to a different level....


S
------------------
Susan Giddings
Daytime phone: 860-687-4550
Cell phone: 860-930-8813


"There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, thanks to their art and intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun." — Pablo Picasso

 


Scope out the new MSN Plus Internet Software — optimizes dial-up to the max!

William Sheppard on mon 19 jan 04


We must be setting a record for the LONGEST posting responce list.

For wedging and general rolling of clay I use a 1" thick marble slab
that is 4'wide by 6' long. I use newsprint between the clay and the
marble, changing it when it gets wet from the clay.

My grandmother got the marble slab in the early 1950's and we have
been using it ever since. It sits on top of an old farm house kitchen
table my uncle grew up with as a kid. He is now 79 year old.

These are just some of the old things in my studio.

As far as heating, Florida does not require any, Cooling in August
would be nice though.

William A. Sheppard V.
Pat Young Ceramic Arts
Celebrating 50 years in 2004

Mary White on mon 19 jan 04


Congratulations Pragati, you're so lucky to have a brand new wheel.

I can suggest a couple of things:

Wedging table, the cheapest--Garage sale kitchen table, piece of
canvas big enough to go around underneath on all sides, turn table
over and staple the canvas on real tight underneath. This is a
2-person job so your boyfriend can help. Mine is a really cheesy
aluminum/formica table, a heavier wooden one would be better.

Water--Garden hose outside and lots of recycling. I don't even toss
my throwing water anymore unless it's had at least a day to settle
out and then I keep the gunk on the bottom. But it depends where you
live, if your hose is going to spend several months a year frozen
solid then it's not so practical. Here in the Pacific Northwest we've
only been frozen a few days this year.

Mary White
Madeira Park, British Columbia



>Hi everyone!
>
>My pottery wheel finally arrived last night .. (it was my big christmas
>surprise from my boyfriend !!) ... Anyhow i'm all excited about setting up
>my workshop on the back patio .... and need some help ...
>
>1) whats the best surface for a wedging table ??? i don't know if i want to
>go through the hassle of pouring plaster etc .. whats cheap .. fast and easy
>. ?? he said he'll build it for me!!
>
>2) I live in a rather old house with really old plumbing and no sink on the
>back patio - so i don't want to pour anything down any of the drains ... any
>suugestions on what to do with all the water ?? which contains the all that
>slip ... i plan to recycle all the little bits and pieces of clay ??
>
>3) what about the slip ?? what do you all do with it in order to recyle it
>- I do a lot of colored slip brush work .. and slip trailing too ... but
>there's only so much i can use .. ;-) !
>
>Hope to hear from you all
>
>-- Pragati
>(this rather strange sounding name .. means Progress .. in sanskrit .. :-)
>!!
>

Marcia Selsor on tue 20 jan 04


Dear Vince and John,
I have used canvas covered boards but for my private studio I prefer
plaster. I sponge it down before using. But I can quiclky recycle wet
slip by spredding it over the plaster. I also use plaster slabs for
making my paper clay.
To each their own!
As always, in clay,
Marcia Selsor

>

Bill Karaffa on tue 20 jan 04


My personal favorite wedging surface is a Hardy Board or Wonder Board,
available from Home Depot. Cheap, durable, absorbent, nice size(4'x4'), and
lightweight. Get the one with the smoothest surface and when attaching it to
your wedging table, counter sink the screw heads carefully so your scraper
doesn't catch on them. I like plastic scrapers the best, a carry over from
the days spent using the original version of these types of products the
cement asbestos board.( No, do not use asbestos board, even if you can find
it.)

Bill Karaffa
Firemouth Pottery and Gallery
http://fp1.centurytel.net/karaffa

Lou Roess on tue 20 jan 04


on 1/20/04 6:49 AM, Bill Karaffa at bkaraffa@CENTURYTEL.NET wrote:

> I like plastic scrapers the best, a carry over from
> the days spent using the original version of these types of products the
> cement asbestos board.

Here's another use for the ubiquitous expired credit card. It does a better
job of scraping wedging tables than a hard plastic scraper, maybe because
it's a little flexible.
Lou in Colorado

Cavalier Lisle Art & Design on tue 20 jan 04


The Massachusetts College of Art (where I have been taking ceramic
courses the past two years) has numerous 4' x 8' work tables which
have work surfaces (I am almost positive) that are made of 3/4"
Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF).

This material absorbs some water while you work on it, but it does
not adhere to wedged clay too much, so most students use these tables
for wedging as well as hand building work. It is also a very smooth
surface, so it does not imprint a texture on your clay, or trap dust
like canvas can do, and it is easy to sponge clean.

I have used MDF to build shelving and a Frank Giorgini tile press too!

Marc Lisle

Laurie Kneppel on tue 20 jan 04


I first read about using HardiBacker board here on this list so I went
over to Home Depot (it's the closest one of those stores to my house)
and bought a sheet. I got the thinner one because it was easier to
carry for me. Cut it with a knife and snapped it to size for my work
table, C-clamped it down and it is great! I was going to make that
table into a plaster topped wedging table, but once I wedged some red
clay on it I was glad i didn't. It cleaned up easily, but I wouldn't
use it for porcelain after that! I have a clean piece of the board I
saved for porcelain, so i just clamp it down over the other one and
presto! clean wedging surface! It's way more absorbent than I ever
thought such a thin sheet would be. The end scraps I have on one of my
drying racks as absorbent shelving. All around great stuff.

Laurie
Sacramento, CA
where it's been so foggy my newly thrown bowls actually seem to be
getting wetter as they sit on the shelves "drying"

On Jan 20, 2004, at 5:49 AM, Bill Karaffa wrote:

> My personal favorite wedging surface is a Hardy Board or Wonder Board,
> available from Home Depot. Cheap, durable, absorbent, nice
> size(4'x4'), and
> lightweight. Get the one with the smoothest surface and when attaching
> it to
> your wedging table, counter sink the screw heads carefully so your
> scraper
> doesn't catch on them.

John K Dellow on thu 22 jan 04


Vince
if the plaster is poured correctly , like the concrete you mentioned
, then plaster
contamination is very rear . I don't have the plaster saturated with
water and the clay
does not stick unless very soft .

john

John Dellow "the flower pot man"
From the land down under
Home Page http://www.welcome.to/jkdellow
http://digitalfire.com/education/people/dellow/

Kathy McDonald on sun 25 jan 04


I totally agree on the concrete...I made a wedging table yrs
ago out of something called readycrete..(not even sure if its still
available)
and covered it with canvas. Have tried the plaster and suffered the *lime*
pops
in pots and would not recommend it if you are a semi slob like me.
I need to replace the canvas after 10 years but the wedging surface it still
intact and immovable.
Kathy


-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On Behalf Of Vince
Pitelka
Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2004 6:36 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: Wedging table and other studio related questions!


> Vince ,
> I disagree with you on this. If the plaster is kept wet and covered
> when not in use its ideal
> in my opinion. No dust and does not pull up like canvas. No matter how
> well the canvas is set up
> ,over time it will crinkle and pull up during wedging. What I really hat
> is a cement one :).

John -
Yes, I can see how the plaster might work better if you keep it wet and
covered, and don't mind being very careful when scraping or cleaning the
surface, and don't mind the occasional plaster shard in your clay. But
doesn't the clay stick worse when the plaster is wet? I run an academic
clay studio, so you can see why I don't like plaster, besides all the
obvious reasons.

If you use heavy, tight canvas, and if you stretch and attach it very
tightly, it will not lift or wrinkle at all. It is a wonderful wedging
surface.

There is a mispell in your last line, and I cannot tell what you mean. If
you are saying that you really hate a cement wedging surface, I find that
completely baffling. Concrete is the very best surface for wedging tables,
because it is indestructible, heavy, and far less absorbent than plaster,
and yet the clay will not stick to it. If the concrete is properly poured
and finished, it is a very smooth, grit-free surface. I addressed concrete
work surfaces in one of my Claytimes columns.
Best wishes -
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Office - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 x111, FAX 615/597-6803
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/

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Undetermined origin c/o LISTSERV administrator on wed 28 jan 04


Dear Friends,

Although I have taken little interest in this topic one note did engage =
my attention and that was a statement about keeping a plaster clay =
preparation table surface wet.

I accept Vince's admonition about stray fragments of plaster causing =
trouble when they gets into clay and agree that such surfaces cause =
untold problems in a teaching situation, especially with younger =
students.

Has anyone realised that Plaster, even re-hydrated plaster may cause =
other problems. These are related to the solubility in water of Calcium =
Sulphate. Hydrated Calcium Sulphate as a small but not insignificant =
solubility in cold water, about one fifth of one percent. If a clay =
being prepared on a damp plaster slab has the minimum water needed to =
achieve plasticity then it seems to me that some of the water from the =
slab might be adsorbed into the clay. Calcium ions in solution can =
influence clay properties if they exchange with Sodium ions which are =
often present. the net effect might be to stiffen the clay as it is =
continuously rolled over the damp surface.

Mind you, I might be totally wrong about this.

Best Regards,

Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia