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How Best To Dry Reclaimed Dried Clay After It Has Been Processed Into Wet Clay


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Thanks Biglou,

That clay that dried too much, do you let it dry and start over or add water to get it back to the right consistency?

First time I screwed up my clay, they blocks were soaked in water inside pillow cases, then moved to buckets, some water poured on top then placed in 5 gal buckets with good seals...

 

I may try and drill some holes and add water tommorow.....

 

I'm going to try and nurse these chunks slowly back to wedgeable,clay. As in all things pottery I'm in no hurry.

 

Worst case scenario they go In the recovery sludge, for next mystery body.....

 

It's to bad it's one of my favorite clays.....

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Here in the Pacific NW, there  are lots of times it is so cool and damp that things will never dry. I built a cabinet around a set of wire shelves, and place a dehumidifier and a circulating fan in it along with my clay items. Works very well but has to have a small heater as well if it gets below about 65 degrees in the cabinet for the dehumidifier to work, it works so well I have to keep a close eye on it so it does not over dry things. I also use it for drying fruit and vegtables etc.

THAT is a brilliant solution!  

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I use those canvas bags that they give for freebies at so many functions.  They come in all sizes and have handles.  Hang outside and in a few days the clay just peels off the canvas.  I let it dry enough then  wedge and wedge and wedge...you know the drill.

I really like that idea...even if I did just donate a lot of my more interesting canvas bags to Goodwill, darn it!

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I am very inexperienced and have recently moved to a hot, humid city. I'm not familiar with the process of adding paper pulp to clay, so I'm not sure if my suggestion below would work. I imagine it would really depend on your "material-flow" (the rate at which you use these materials), available space, humidity, air flow, and how soon mould and algae form:

 

1. Absorb extra water from the clay using dry paper material. mash it to reach the consistency you need Let it dry/stay wet, depending on the humidity/your requirements.

 

2. When you next need to recliam dry clay, add the moist paper pulp to the dry clay.

 

 

 

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I am very inexperienced and have recently moved to a hot, humid city. I'm not familiar with the process of adding paper pulp to clay, so I'm not sure if my suggestion below would work. I imagine it would really depend on your "material-flow" (the rate at which you use these materials), available space, humidity, air flow, and how soon mould and algae form:

 

1. Absorb extra water from the clay using dry paper material. mash it to reach the consistency you need Let it dry/stay wet, depending on the humidity/your requirements.

 

2. When you next need to recliam dry clay, add the moist paper pulp to the dry clay.

Gitanjali, thanks for the suggestion.  In my case, I don't use enough clay for your efficient idea to work for me, although it might for someone else. 

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I'm in Coastal North Carolina, same deal with the humidity. If I have clay that I need to dry to be slaked, I first use the slab roller to roll it into very thin slabs, 1/8" setting on the roller, then sit these on ware boards and leave them. It may take a week but it always dries enough to be slaked. Then into a 5 gallon bucket with water, I pour this onto a piece of canvas that I leave sitting on concrete. I step on it and moosh it around daily until it is a usable consistency. However, since the wonderful owner of my studio space got a Pugger... I use that instead and find it all much more convenient.

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Thanks Biglou, it seems that the process is time consuming no matter what... :(

 

I sometimes roll coils about 1" thick and place them in water for a few minutes. Usually if the clay is plastic I can wedge it soon after that, but I only work with less than 20# at a time.

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