ChenowethArts Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Reusing clay for me has become a matter of convenience. It is more convenient for me to recycle my clay rather than try to find a place to dump it. I live on a city lot that has very little spare ground and that is covered by concrete drive, or a deck. I bag scrap, dump in throwing slop, twist the bag and turn it upside down for a few weeks, pull it out rewedge it, put it back in the bag and let it set for a few more weeks. Then I rewedge before throwing. It is usually great clay to work with. One of the reasons I am reluctant to go to porcelain. Pres, I am an urban dweller as well and try to dump as little as possible...the clay trap beneath the sink being a notable exception (that nasty stuff goes away about 3-4 times a year...but I still put it in the hazardous material barrel). I think I attribute the reclaim/re-cycle habit to times in college when I had little money and had to pay by-the-pound for any clay supplies needed for class (I also hear the echos of depression era parents/grandparents speaking). Since then, the habit just seems a natural part of the whole process. Again, I am more than willing to cut some slack to full-time-production people, I do get the economy of time/efficiency involved at that level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biglou13 Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Pres why can't you reclaim porcelain? I reclaim re-cycle, make clay because it puts me in touch with clay, and process. People are more interested when they hear I make my own clay. I'm more interested because I make my own clay. I'm starting to understand the relationship of the ingredients. I don't own a pug mill, so it's physical (which I like). It's economical (ish) I suppose if I were a production potter I'd think otherwise. At this point I'm an advanced hobbyist/avocation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Lately I've taken my scraps/reclaim to another potter who has access to a pug; he either keeps for himself or adds the clay to the reclaim from the studio that they pug and resell to students. Most of my scraps are from hand-building, so the fine clay particles are still intact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted February 21, 2014 Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Pres why can't you reclaim porcelain? I should have been more clear here. I don't relish going to porcelain as I would have a major clean job to do, as I have lots of stoneware yet to use, as I would be looking at a whole new set of glaze tests, and as I have always believed that porcelain would need longer aging time than my stoneware to get back to throw-ability. Some of these perceptions are probably off, and I have made inroads into whiter clay bodies over the years, bouncing back and forth looking for what I really want. I guess in the long run it will mean getting some sample clays from SC and playing with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted June 10, 2014 Report Share Posted June 10, 2014 To reinforce that reclaiming clay is good practice, at least in a classroom setting, I spent a couple hours yesterday and today doing just that. I took a fully loaded Rubbermaid "Brute" container and worked it all by hand. Before throwing it back in, I weighed it out. Turns out, it was about 500lbs! With the current price, from my supplier, that is a little over $300 worth of clay. I can use that savings, to buy a dozen bottles of glaze, film, more clay, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted June 10, 2014 Report Share Posted June 10, 2014 To reinforce that reclaiming clay is good practice, at least in a classroom setting, I spent a couple hours yesterday and today doing just that. I took a fully loaded Rubbermaid "Brute" container and worked it all by hand. Before throwing it back in, I weighed it out. Turns out, it was about 500lbs! With the current price, from my supplier, that is a little over $300 worth of clay. I can use that savings, to buy a dozen bottles of glaze, film, more clay, etc. And it saves on gym fees!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted June 10, 2014 Report Share Posted June 10, 2014 No doubt there Babs, who needs Crossfit, when you work with clay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJR Posted June 10, 2014 Report Share Posted June 10, 2014 I've been thinking about this for a long time - a good many people mention throwing their scrap in the back yard. Please be aware that runoff from clay, when it enters any waterway or storm drain, would be a pollutant. Not because of toxic materials, but because of the turbidity it causes. So, if your yard drains to any waterway without treatment (like a stormwater pond), please don't. At certain times of the year, the turbidity impedes the development of some of the critters that keep our streams healthy. Likewise, if it ends up in a bay, it's a bad thing. Alice Thank-you for stating this. You throw clay in your back yard, nothing will grow there for years. I don't know why anyone would throw perfectly good clay scraps into their yard to look at for years and years. I grow tomatoes in my yard, TJR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlCravens Posted June 10, 2014 Report Share Posted June 10, 2014 Gosh, Benzine... you make me feel crappy for complaining about wedging half a 5-gallon bucket's worth. (I have another 5 gallons to go do.) But you're right... wedging that much clay is a good workout, and it's therapeutic to boot. Maybe you're better at it than I am... could you come do this 5 gallons so I can see how to do it right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted June 10, 2014 Report Share Posted June 10, 2014 Gosh, Benzine... you make me feel crappy for complaining about wedging half a 5-gallon bucket's worth. (I have another 5 gallons to go do.) But you're right... wedging that much clay is a good workout, and it's therapeutic to boot. Maybe you're better at it than I am... could you come do this 5 gallons so I can see how to do it right? I'll be right there.... I know Pres has stated that he reclaims and wedges his clay, as part of his health regimen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted June 11, 2014 Report Share Posted June 11, 2014 Maybe we potters could start as personal trainers! Actually get paid to allow some one to wedge our scraps, could be extreme work out stuff, in touch with the earth etc.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlCravens Posted June 11, 2014 Report Share Posted June 11, 2014 "Yeah, baby. That spiral wedging is for wussies. Today, we're going to SLAM WEDGE 500 pounds! Feel the burn, baby, feel the burn... that's you becoming one with the Earth." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted June 11, 2014 Report Share Posted June 11, 2014 I did a three part routine. Started with some slam wedging on the floor. Then went to Ram's Head and finished with Spiral. I think you may be onto something Babs. Look at the modern training regimens; it involves flipping tractor tires, wood chopping, flailing large ropes, etc. So working clay, seems like a perfect fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted June 12, 2014 Report Share Posted June 12, 2014 Yes!! incorporate a mud crawl before the the other stuff, may be a way to get the dried bits fully broken down before the slam wedging, think we better put a copyright on this idea before it gets snatched. Will think of the name for this bizzo whilst wedging today! Could be a global movement! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted June 12, 2014 Report Share Posted June 12, 2014 Yes!! incorporate a mud crawl before the the other stuff, may be a way to get the dried bits fully broken down before the slam wedging, think we better put a copyright on this idea before it gets snatched. Will think of the name for this bizzo whilst wedging today! Could be a global movement! mud crawl you ask? do they have the Tough Mudder in Oz? https://toughmudder.com/events/2014-whistler-canada someone is one step ahead of you but if you are up for a challange.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted June 12, 2014 Report Share Posted June 12, 2014 I've done a Warrior Dash Min, which also involves crawling through mud. The Toughmudder involves that and as a bonus, you get to go through electrocuted obstacles as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted June 12, 2014 Report Share Posted June 12, 2014 Makes wedging seem a breeze! Personally, life seems enough without the above activities! Those guys can't be doing a solid days work..in my day....before breakfast! getting over electrified fences was a daily event, makes one aware of body in space for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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