| Celina on Ceramic:"Kneading the Clay, part V" |
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Kneading the Clay, part VIII
Chrysanthemum or Spiral Kneading 08 Finish Kneading
To finish the chrysanthemum or spiral kneading (please see “Kneading the Clay Part IV”) the right hand is displaced let us say a half an inch below, toward the petals and the kneading
movement is continued but with a turn of only, let us say, 7˚. Displace the hand, knead and repeat, so the head becomes bigger and bigger while the “petals”
become closer and closer, turning should be minute and pressure should be concentrate in the left side as to flatten every petal so no
air is let in. This usually forces the position of the clay which ends up with the axis parallel to the kneader.
If the central part is concave, there is the risk of trapping air when turning the clay, so spoiling all the work.
After repeating the finishing kneading no less than 30 to 40 times you should end up with a shape like the one shown in the right photograph.
All this process of kneading should be repeated two times taking care of inverting the clay so that the second time the spiral develops in the opposite direction. Only then, your clay is ready to be formed in any way.
If on the wheel, place it standing, pressing down so no air is let in between the wheel plate and the clay. The clay is soft so, it will perfectly adhere to the plate with no need of additional wetting. This shape will make your centering the clay much more easier.
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