WEDGE Studio Members Handbook
Welcome to WEDGE we are so pleased you’ve decided to join us.
Community Studio 'Rules'
Time Limits depending membership
WEDGE studio is designed for part-time ceramicists and to ensure that we have enough space for everyone. Currently we have two levels - 30 hours or 15 hours. Sessions are 3 hours and must be booked through the website. These hours can not be carried over from month to month.
Booking Sessions
All bookings are taken through the website. This is so we can manage the space, not have too many members and everyone can use the equipment as needed. Please do not come to the site unannounced. If you need to pick up any work message the Whatsapp group and let us know you're coming. We hold classes for a number of different groups in the community and some of these groups require safeguarding. Staff may not be on site either and you may have a wasted trip.
We request that you book sessions 24 hours beforehand this is so we can manage the space and make sure we are prepared for you coming
Clay
Clay can be purchased by yourself or through us. We tend to purchase materials every two weeks or so. Each member will have their own bucket for reclaim and use of our reclaim station. You can purchase whatever you want to use but please make sure it's within our firing temperatures. If you're unsure please ask a member of the team any damage to our kilns will be charged to you and repeated damage may result in your membership being removed.
Firings
Each Member is allocated an amount of kiln space each month as part of their membership. It is down to each member to track and manage their usage each month. Each piece that is to be fired must be both weighed and the volume calculated. You can calculate the volume of a box by multiplying length x width x height and dividing by one thousand to get the litres.
Using the example of the single wall box this will be
102 x 102 x 102 / 1000 = 1,061.208 ← this is the volume in litres
Each user gets a basic 20 litres of glazed firings per month. The bisque piece must have a ticket showing the volume of the piece. The Member then keeps a track of what they've fired this month with a sticker on their shelf. You may be asked to show how much work you’ve had fired this month so please keep a track of it. The allowance resets each month and doesn’t roll over.
Please try not to fire things you are not sure about - vitrified clay can't be recycled or reclaimed - firing is an irreversible process and it's not environmentally responsible to do it unless you want what comes out at the end!
Kiln and Firing Shelves Area
The kiln area is to the rear of the building.
There are four specific shelving areas, these are for:
1. Bone-dry greenware - please do not put wet/drying bisqueware on these shelves;
2. Bisque ware;
3. Unfired glazed ware; and
4. Finished work.
Please take care to use the correct shelves to avoid kiln damage. Once your piece has fully dried please move it to the greenware firing shelves. It is your job to manage this process - if your piece explodes and causes damage to the kiln you will be charged for the damage. This also extends to the glaze firings - it is your job to glaze and manage your pieces. If a kiln shelf gets glaze on it you will be charged for the repairs to the shelf. If this happens repeatedly you may have your membership revoked.
Firing Process
We operate a two stage firing process at two different glaze firing ranges.
These are:
Bisque - 1000c
Low Glaze - 1100c
Glaze - 1230c
Both the bisque and glaze firings are included in your membership, as are the studio glazes kept in the glaze area. This means that glaze can only be applied to bisqueware at the WEDGE Studio.
Bisque Firing
All greenware ready for firing should be clearly labelled with your initials so you and the technicians can easily identify it after it has been fired - if you use a symbol rather than a signature to mark your work, please tell a technician so we can add it to our list and identify it.
Glazes and Glaze Firing
Glaze must be applied correctly (to bisqueware only) and there should be at least half a centimetre clearance around the bottom of each item to avoid molten glaze running onto the kiln shelves. If you are not sure of something, ask a technician to help you. Please be careful not to mix or contaminate the glazes and if layering glazes, please dip from light to dark glaze in order to avoid contaminating the lighter glaze.
To protect the kilns and other people's work, if you would like to buy glazes, stains etc. from another supplier it is extremely important that you check this with us first. Some substances, such as chrome and tin, can cause work to discolour. Also, every glaze bought from outside the studio must be test-fired and approved by a technician before use in a communal firing.
Kiln Shelves and Liability for Shelf Damage
Any shelf damage caused by use of the wrong clay, not drying a piece fully or incorrect application of glaze is your responsibility. Work that causes shelf damage will be kept in the office for pick up and a shelf damage fee will be added. These can range from £3 to £60 per shelf depending on the extent of the damage. This could be more if your piece has damaged the kiln wall or elements.
Please note that the damage fee is due whether you choose to keep the work or not.
Firing Timescales
We try to process work as quickly as possible. However, if you are making for a deadline or a
commission, due to the limitations imposed by the various processes involved, you should account for a making time of about six weeks.
Firing Allowance
Each member receives an allowance of either 20 or 40 litres of kiln space for glaze
firing per month. This allowance restarts at the beginning of each month and does not roll forward. You need to measure your glazeware prior to firing so we can monitor usage levels. This involves a ticketing system where you record your name and the details of your work. Please have an induction with a technician the first time you do this.
Flatware is limited - Anything wider than 10 cm in diameter and below 3 cm in height must be counted as double volume.
You are not allowed to bring work in to be fired that has been made elsewhere. We only fire ware that has been made in the studio.
Other People's Work
There are lots of advantages to working in a community studio, in terms of sharing ideas. Please keep to the following 'rules' to make sure that it all runs smoothly:
Please don't handle other people's work without asking.
If you accidentally break someone else's work, please inform a staff member, and leave the studio member a note to explain what happened.
If you want to copy someone's work - it's only natural to be inspired in a shared environment - please check with the other artist first, especially if they are selling commercially. In some situations copying and selling a design might be a legal violation, so it's important to make sure you have permission.
Bringing People to your Session
Please notify us if you’re wanting to bring people to the site. We must manage the people within the space due to safeguarding issues.
Policy on Children in the Studio for Memberships
We request that you not bring children (under 16-year old) to the studio during an open session.
Pets
You are allowed to bring your pet at your own risk and liability. The only thing we ask is that you let us know before bringing an animal to the studio so we can manage the space accordingly.
Collecting Work
Please do not turn up to the studio unannounced. Message the Whatsapp group to make sure that someone will be here. We also hold classes during the day times and evenings. These may have people with different safeguarding needs.
Members' Shelving and Locker Area
Each Member is provided with their own drying area which measures w45cm x d45cm x h45cm. They are also provided with a small locker to have basic tools and glazes. We would recommend you do not leave any valuables or items of personal significance unattended on your shelf or in your locker. WEDGE Studio cannot be responsible for your personal items.
Equipment Inductions
The following require an induction from a technician before you can use them:
Clay extruder
Spray booth
Slab roller
Wheels
Clay Extruder
The handle for the extruder is on sign out. Please use soft clay so that you do not force the handle - it bends and breaks easily. It is important that the extruder is cleaned thoroughly after use to avoid damage as dry clay stuck inside it can again break the handle.
Spray Booth
No member will be allowed to use this equipment without a respirator. You must provide your own respirator as we cannot provide shared ones for the sake of hygiene.
Slab Roller
Please be aware when using the slab roller that you don't get your fingers caught in it.
Wheels
Please be aware that pottery wheels have very powerful motors that can centre 50kg of clay, and in the event that your hair got caught in the wheel head, you could have a serious accident.
***Please tie long hair back when using the wheel, make sure your apron straps are tied back
and you are not wearing any long, loose clothing such as a scarf.
It is important that, as the wheels can generate a lot of splashed clay, all throwing areas and tools are thoroughly cleaned after use, including the sides of the wheels, the stools, the work shelves, and the floor all around the wheel. This is to prevent clay splashes from drying and causing dust. Please turn the wheels off after use.
Please note, the pedal wires on the blue wheels are vulnerable. Please be careful when moving the wheels that you don't catch and pull them. If this does happen, please tell us rather than leaving them. It is far easier for us to fix them than to replace the costly motherboard.
During busy periods we would ask that you are sensitive to other users and limit your wheel use to two hours.
After use please follow the studio wheel protocol and clean down the wheels and throwing area fully.
Terminating or Suspending your Contract with the Studio
When you wish to leave the studio or suspend your contract, you need to do the following:
Give one month's written notice (via email)
Remove all your belongings, including clay, fired and unfired work from your shelf.
Clean your shelf so it is not dusty and is ready for the next person to work with.
Health and Safety
Studio Cleanliness and Silicosis
By far the biggest health and safety risk to potters comes from breathing clay dust, which arises as soon as clay dries out. Long term exposure to low amounts of clay dust causes a horrible condition called silicosis, which includes lung damage, coughing, fatigue and chronic pain.
For this reason, it is vital that everyone in the studio ALWAYS follows the cleaning instructions below:
Keep your shelf clean. Dust quickly builds up on the shelves and you are responsible for keeping your shelf clean. Please make sure to clean your shelf at least once a month.
Leave it cleaner than you found it. You MUST clean up for at least 15 minutes every time you use the studio. If you finish cleaning your own work area in this time, then please ask where else needs cleaning - often the areas around the sinks, the storage shelves, the glazing areas or the reclaim could do with a wipe down. The WEDGE Studio team are not cleaners, this is your studio too - WEDGE Studio works on the principle of a community space where every member contributes to its care. Please note, at the end of the day we ask you to start cleaning up 20 minutes before closing time.
Wet wash all areas using the mops and sponges provided. Never brush or scrape clay dust in the studio.
Dry sanding is not allowed anywhere, including the yard. All sanding needs to be done
with wet material. If you finish your pieces properly at the wet and leather hard stages there should be no reason to sand your pieces.
Wear clean aprons, preferably made of synthetic materials. Please bring your own apron and make sure to wash it regularly, so that you aren't breathing in the micro-particles of silica dust that will be shaken up constantly from a dry, clay-encrusted cotton apron.
Please do not leave items in the studio overnight, except on your shelf. We cannot keep areas clean if items are left around the studio, particularly clothes, shoes and bags. Items left overnight will be moved to lost property and disposed of after one month if not reclaimed.
Please DO NOT pour any cloudy or clay filled water down the outside drains - they do not have clay traps and will block up.
Tools
Some basic handbuilding and throwing tools are available to use in the studio. We encourage you to buy your own tools. Any of the tools you use please clean, dry them and place them back on the correct area on the tools table.
Fire Safety
If the fire alarm sounds you should leave the building immediately by the front doors and assemble outside Be your Sass at the front of the building - this is our evacuation point (if you go out of the gates and turn left this is the shop on the corner of the alley). You must always leave the premises immediately in the event of a fire, as the fire duty officer on our team is not able to leave and lock up until the building is clear.
If you discover a fire, please raise the alarm vocally by shouting 'fire' and leave the building. Do not attempt to put out the fire.
We do not take a register of people at the meeting point, and you are free to leave if you wish. We simply ask that you please tell someone that you have gone, or our fire duty officer/the fire brigade may unnecessarily return to a burning studio to look for you. We will give you notice that a fire evacuation drill is happening beforehand.
Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers are located by each exit. Members should not touch these - unless in the unlikely instance you are trapped in a burning building and need to make a route to the door. Unless your life is at risk, they should only be operated by a nominated WEDGE Studio fire duty officer.
First-Aid Kits
We have a first aid kit for standard injuries located in the large grey COSHH cupboard. If you do hurt yourself please speak to the member of staff ASAP.
Electrical Items
We have all our electrical appliances tested on a yearly basis. Please do not bring in any appliances from outside as we will not be able to guarantee that it is safe. Instead, ask us to provide the equipment and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Sharp Things, Hot Things and Trip Hazards
Please respect the fact that there is a lot of hazardous equipment in the studio. Tools such as knives and heat guns should be handled with great care - don't leave hot tools where they can be picked up unwittingly by someone else. Similarly, if using a tool which requires an electric wire, be mindful that you don't create a trip hazard and that you keep it well away from water. You should leave your coat and bag in the designated areas and be careful not to run in the studio. When the floor is wet, please take extra care and when using a mop please put out one of the yellow signs to indicate that the floor may be slippery.
Food and Drink in the Studio
Please do not eat or drink in the studio work areas - please use the mezzanine area.
Drink and Drugs Policy
Please don't come into the studio when you have been drinking or taking other intoxicating substances. You could harm yourself, another person or someone's work. Smoking is forbidden in the Studio.
Hazardous Substances
Please be aware that some glaze ingredients are toxic. These become stable after firing but, just like clay dust, it's really important that you don't inhale or ingest glaze dust, and that you clean all tools and wash down work areas, including the floor, with plenty of water.
Any glazes that are not food safe after firing are clearly labelled on the glaze bucket, so please
check. If you use a glaze that is not guaranteed food safe you must not use this for functional
ware that can be used for food, and you MUST include a warning to the user if you sell or give
it away. Please note that you are liable for the health impact of anything you make at WEDGE Studio, and that you are responsible for the glazes you use.
Clay Trap
We have one sink with a clay trap, the large belfast sink in the main work area.
Please clean all tools and rinse your hands in this sink.
Heaters
We have radiant electric heaters in the studio. Please make yourself aware of their location and be careful not to touch them. Please ask a staff member to turn these on and off.
Toilets
There is one toilet, located at the back of the building. Please don’t flush anything other than toilet paper. Tell us if you drop something down it.
Coat and Bag Area
There is an area with coat hooks to leave your coat and bag. Whilst we hope that it will never be an issue, WEDGE Studio cannot be responsible for any personal items left unattended in this area, or anywhere else in the studio. We recommend that you do not keep anything valuable unattended. We also ask that you do not leave anything in this area overnight, otherwise it becomes full of lost property and impossible to keep clean. We will remove anything left overnight in this area and keep it in lost property - this is kept for one month and then disposed of if not reclaimed.
General Rubbish
Rubbish bins are for non-recyclable waste only. We have recycling bins for paper and cardboard. Please use them except for any work you do not want - we ask that you dispose of this at home as it can generate a lot of very heavy rubbish.
Feedback
We would like to hear your feedback on the studio. We have a specific form for your comments,
opinions and feedback: https://forms.gle/f8hZdCxLLuWcTM8q6. This is totally anonymous and we will take all feedback seriously. The more you tell us about your experience the more we can do to improve things around the studio!