Introduction: Build a Country Pottery Clay Wedging Table

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About: I am currently single, and have been a maker all my life. I currently work as a technician for a comercial Laundromat company. I and my friends have built a nascar simulator, and lot of other stuff, and I hav…

To begin any pottery project you have to condition your clay before taking it to the wheel.
thi is called Wedging, its a dull tedious and labour intensive undertaking.

if the clay is too wet, you have to knead the clay onto an absorbant surface to work out the excess water.  This project builds a table for this purpose.  a wood fram surrounding a 3 inch thick hard plaster top. with a convient clay storage shelf under neath.

Step 1: Building the Top Frames

Step Number one, building the top and leg frames.

you need three of these.

Step 2: Connecting the Frames to the Legs

attaching the frames to the legs.

Step 3: Setting in the Wire to Support the Plaster Top

to support the plaster top,run a number of screws into the top frames and attach steel wire back and forth to make a loose mesh of wire.

once you are ready to pour tho plaster, put a roll of clay allong the top edge of the top of the table and flip it onto a flat peice of clear plastic.

Step 4: Pouring the Top

pouring the top

Step 5: Fit and Finish

add the bottom shelf of 2x4's 


clean it up let if cure and your done..

Step 6: Materials List

this is the list of materials,

you will also need a screwgun or a screwdriver,
a saw to cut the wood, either a hand saw or a circular saw,  I use a japaneese carpentry saw to cut the 4x4's

total cost of materials was under $35

See my Kick wheel project featured on the front page:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Country-Pottery-Kickwheel/

How to make a Fish Candy Pot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftuWJnqw394
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzdOMqhOFjU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4itLjB7eATg&feature=related

Moose Makes A Pig

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djd4LQgHq7Q&feature=related




Step 7: Prototype #1

this is a photo of the early prototype, but it gives you a goo idea of what it looks like finished


the size is a bit smaller, and the legs are quick braced amd splayed out a bit to adjust for the not-level floor.  I made this two years ago and it;s still in good working order.


never scrape the top of the table to clean it, use a wet towl and wipe it off. scratches in the hardened plaster only get worse, and it the plaster starts to flake, its time to build a new table, plaster dust in clay will make the clay explode in the kiln.

a diffrent option, instead of plaster would be to use portland cement, though that will make the table weigh several hundred pounds.....