WEDGING
Wedging is the process of mixing the clay by hand by rotating and pressing a clay ball on a table. The purpose is to thoroughly homogenize the clay and to remove all air bubbles. This is particularly important, as the presence of air bubbles in the clay will result in explosions in the kiln as the air pockets expand and burst. Your work is ruined, as is any piece near yours in the kiln. You will know if there is air in your clay if you see holes, like in Swiss cheese, when you slice through the clay with a wire.