[Glen Peters]

I am having trouble wedging my clay (due to Carpel-tunnel and arthritis) does anyone have a solution to this task? A pug-mill is too expensive!

[Marcia Selsor]

The best thing I can advise other than a de-airing pug mill is: use soft clay.
I had surgery for carpal tunnel on both hands 31 years ago. I am still working in clay. I got a floor demo de-airing pug mill at NCECA
about 10 years ago. I use it to keep the clay soft once it starts getting hard because I buy in quantity.

Good luck.

Marcia

[neilestrick]

Check Craigslist for a used pugger. Unfortunately, it's really the only thing that can do the job.

[Pres]

Glen Peters, on 13 February 2013 - 11:02 AM, said:

I am having trouble wedging my clay (due to Carpel-tunnel and arthritis) does anyone have a solution to this task? A pug-mill is too expensive!

Only other cheap alternative I can think of here if foot wedging. I have seen videos, but these are usually with large pieces of clay. De airing pug is expensive, but would really take the labor issue out. If you are thinking of several years of potting, maybe it is worth the initial expense.

[Denice]

I also have carpal tunnel and have never had it fixed, I use soft clay and only buy 500 lbs at a time. One thing I started doing was slam wedging I know there are some videos on YouTube that demonstrate the technique. I still get a bubble now and then, I can usually handle it and if I can,t I just start over, it's better than wedging.

[OffCenter]

I've always liked using the cut-and-slap method and spiral shell method together and when I'm using clay that's too hard to spiral shell wedge I just use cut-and-slap (as Denice suggested). I just googled it and the one demo I looked at was really stupid in that it shows someone using a cut-off wire to cut the clay. If you have a wire on your wedging board you can cut and slap as fast as spiral wedging and it is just as good for getting the air out and mixing the clay (if not better).

Jim

[mss]

Denice, on 13 February 2013 - 12:06 PM, said:

I also have carpal tunnel and have never had it fixed, I use soft clay and only buy 500 lbs at a time. One thing I started doing was slam wedging I know there are some videos on YouTube that demonstrate the technique. I still get a bubble now and then, I can usually handle it and if I can,t I just start over, it's better than wedging.

Here it is: http://www.youtube.c...h?v=HApNjUnI9U4
Stack and Slam Wire Wedging by Michael Wendt

[Glen Peters]

Thanks you all for your advice!

the Stack and Slam Wire Wedging by Michael Wendt looks like the way to go... at least to start. I will keep an eye out on Craigs List but who knows I may not need it? Unfortunately I'll have to wait untill the wrist heals (They say 6 weeks for total recovery)

Thanks again

Glen

[Marcia Selsor]

Glen Peters, on 16 February 2013 - 08:09 AM, said:

Thanks you all for your advice!

the Stack and Slam Wire Wedging by Michael Wendt looks like the way to go... at least to start. I will keep an eye out on Craigs List but who knows I may not need it? Unfortunately I'll have to wait untill the wrist heals (They say 6 weeks for total recovery)

Thanks again

Glen

Did you have the surgery? It is a very painful recovery in my opinion...but better than the continued pain.

Marcia

[Karen B]

In addition to these helpful comments there may be times when you want to do a little wedging.
What I did after healing from carpal tunnel was readjust my hand position so I do not bend my wrists.
Most of the pressure goes to the inside of my thumb pad. Good luck with healing.

[docweathers]

About a year ago, I got a old but good condition Bluebird pugmill off of craigslist for 100 bucks. it's not de-airing but upgrading it may be one of my next projects. They do show up from time to time. The only downside I found to using this small pug mill is it you've got to be ready to throw 100 pounds or more clay it to make it worth fiddling with.

Larry

[Claypple]

This "Stack and Slam" wedging looks like a great technique.
Maybe too late for the people who already developed the carpal tunnel and osteoarthritis (as it still requires some wrist and hand motion),
but it is great for the prevention of both.

[Idaho Potter]

Sometimes it's best to bite the bullet and buy the de-airing pugmill. I went back to work (bookkeeping) for a little over a year--after retirement--and saved all that I could of the wages. It was worth a year of almost no pottery business because at first I was saving up for surgery. My wrists and back recovered, and I now own a Peter Pugger that I will use for the rest of my life. It gives me 35-50 pounds of workable clay that I can pug out 3 to 6 pounds at a time or do the whole batch at once. Either way, it's all good!

Shirley