6. How to work through the wobble

Once you start working with clay, you will find that sometimes the pottery will just wobble and come out awkward. This can be a challenging situation for a beginner who needs all the help they can get to stay focused and interested. If you find yourself with a wobbly product, there a couple of things that may be causing it. The clay may not be centered. The potter may not be compressing the clay evenly or the clay that was used was too thin.

The first thing to do when you notice the clay work is wobbly is to try and center it. The first step to making sure that the clay to properly center your body over the wheel and stay firmly grounded. When it comes to ensuring that the clay is not wobbly, the hands are the best tools. Wet hands and place them on both side of the clay, gently but firmly pull and push your palms across the clay making sure it is evenly compressed from both sides. Alternatively, you can place one hand on the side of the clay and the other at the top.

While working the clay, make sure to use only the palms. Ideally, it is better to throw sitting if you want to avoid wobbly results. A good way to avoid centering problems that may result in the clay becoming wobbly is to carefully bit the clay to a uniform sixe before placing it on the wheel.