CLN studios Posted March 30, 2014 Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 Hi! I was reclaiming about 500 lbs of clay in the past few days. While I was kneading, i noticed tiny tiny bits of plaster, wood, and other foreign contaminates . Is it possible to save this clay or would it be easier just to chunk it all out and start fresh with new? also. is it possible to clean a contaminated clear glaze? Thanks everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmism Posted March 30, 2014 Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 a similar question was just posed. Most popular answer was to wet it down enough that you could pass it through a sieve and "filter" out the stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted March 30, 2014 Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 John Britt has a good youtube on reclaiming after you get the clay sieved. You will find the clay to be plastic using this slurry process. What is in the clear glaze ? Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted March 30, 2014 Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 I'd be a bit concerned about the plaster in the reclaim; that could cause blowouts during firing. You might want to try a small quantity and do a test firing -- bisque and glaze before committing to the full 500 lbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted March 30, 2014 Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 You are all making my case for what an expensive nuisance reclaiming clay can be! Clay is the all time cheapest item in your studio ... give the used stuff back to Mother Earth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJR Posted March 30, 2014 Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 CLN ; Unfortunately, your clay is toast. With plaster in the clay you will get tiny spit-outs or pop- outs of annoying white plaster chunks months after your pieces have been fired. This is in the bisque and glaze. You can use the clay to make a model to cast in plaster, or you can mix it up with straw and cement and coat your outdoor gas kiln.Otherwise, bye-bye. I have to agree with Chris on this one, even though I am the clay recycling king.Some things you just have to say good-bye to. TJR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLN studios Posted March 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 Im thinking the clay is a goner too. Im pretty sure the glaze was contaminated when i bought it. it has tiny shredded peices of grass or something like that. Ive also noticed in some of the glaze fired peices, they almost look speckled because of the black spots of carbon in the glaze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark369 Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 Any clue how the clay got stuff in it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted March 31, 2014 Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 As everyone here has said, toast! I had some clay years ago get some plaster dust from renovations in the studio-My covered clay buckets. Seems the people plastering found the lids to be excellent places to pile up their mud and move it from place to place. Then when done, scraped out what they could and put the lids back on the buckets. I cleaned as much as I could off, and then pugged the clay. Big mistake. Student pots came out with spalls all over them. When you looked closely at the bisque, you would see a little cracked out circle with a little white speck deep in the wall of the pot. We glazed them, and were OK, but could you imagine that in your studio? After that fiasco I took great care with the use of plaster in the studio, and I even covered my clay buckets with damp towels when on long breaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dolly Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 Too much of a risk, when you put so much into your work, and I can't be sure that any of the plaster has got into it , so think I will have to say a fond farewell to it .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLN studios Posted April 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 thanks. to be honest. there is nothing better than starting fresh and renewed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alabama Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 Hi! I was reclaiming about 500 lbs of clay in the past few days. While I was kneading, i noticed tiny tiny bits of plaster, wood, and other foreign contaminates . Is it possible to save this clay or would it be easier just to chunk it all out and start fresh with new? also. is it possible to clean a contaminated clear glaze? Thanks everyone Hey, If I had 500 lbs. of contaminated clay I would probably make items which wouldn't matter. Two items come to mind would dog food or water bowls to be donated to the Humane shelters... the other item would be flower pots to be given away.... I wouldn't sell anything with that clay. Five hundred pounds of clay costs about $150.00.... only you can decide if its worth it. Good luck... Alabama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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