Here's how I cut and slam the clay before I wedge it. My good friend Martina Thies first showed me this technique where she learned it in Germany during her apprenticeship. I later saw Vernon Owens mix his clay this way. Up until about 5 years ago, I never used a wire to wedge, but now I can't live without it! It's very helpful to mix a harder or softer clay together quickly and evenly. This way you can get just the right consistency you need. I had set the clay out to dry a little because it was too soft for throwing bigger pots. The clay dries in humps on my table. But the problem is that the clay dries on the outer surface and the inside of each hump is soft, still. Also where the clay youches the table it is drier. The cut and slam technique quickly blends the soft and the hard!
