Center Clay: How to
1. Prepare the Clay
Wedging: Before placing the clay on the wheel, make sure it’s properly wedged.
Shape the Clay: Roll your clay into a ball or cone shape. A smooth, uniform shape helps with centering.
2. Place the Clay on the Wheel
Put the clay in the center of the wheelhead. You can gently tap it to settle it.
3. Start the Wheel
Turn on the wheel and start it spinning at a moderate speed. The speed depends on your comfort level, but typically you want the wheel to spin fast enough for you to apply pressure, but not so fast that the clay flies off. If you’re right handed the wheel should spin anti-clockwise.
4. Wet Your Hands and Clay
Make sure you have a bucket of water to keep your hands and clay wet. Use a sponge or your hands to add water to the clay. This helps reduce friction and makes it easier to shape the clay.
5. Begin the Centering Process
Press Down: Place your palms or fingertips gently on the top of the clay ball and apply even, downward pressure. You want to push the clay down into the wheelhead while maintaining consistent pressure with both hands. Push the clay using your whole body angled to the right. Keep right hand on top to flatten.
coning: Slowly lift the clay back up by gently pulling your hands upward, using your palms or fingers. As the clay rises, keep applying pressure and try to keep it symmetrical. Your goal is to form a nice, even cone shape.
6. Compress the Clay
Press Down Again: After you’ve lifted the clay into a cone, compress it by pressing down gently with both hands. This evens out the clay and helps prevent cracking when you begin shaping it.
Repeat the Process until you see the clay is centered
7. Test for Centering
Check that the clay is centered by gently tapping it with a finger or using a tool. You should feel even resistance when the clay spins, and visually, the clay should rotate symmetrically.
