How to reclaim a solid brick of clay...

[DMCosta]

Hi Everyone, so I returned back to work today for staff development (I'm a HS ceramics teacher) and I have all these untouched boxes of low fire Amaco clay in which the clay has gotten unusably dry. There are two 25LB bags of clay in each box and I was wondering how I can reclaim them back to life? I saw something years ago on how to do it but I cannot find that content now. I ordered new clay to use with the students but it'll literally take months to see that order. Was hoping someone had a solution to revive these bags of clay. 

Thank you,

~Dianna 

[Dick White]

1. Get a 5 gallon bucket for each bag you want to reclaim (or just a few buckets and work through the clay a few at a time).

2. Open a bag and pour one or two cups of water into the bag around the dry block of clay.

3. Put the bag in the bucket. I like to leave the top open for now.

4. Start filling the bucket with water. As the water rises in the bucket, it will expel the air from the bag.

5. When the water in the bucket reaches just above the level of the top of the block of clay, seal the bag with a twisty wire or rubber band. There will be only a little bit of air left in the bag.

6. Add some more water in the bucket to cover the bag of clay.

7. Wait a few days. The pressure of the water in the bucket pressing on the side of the bag which is pressing on the  water that was poured into the bag will force that water back into the block of clay.

[Sorcery]

I'd take out some Covid aggresion pulverizing it and dry it out. Bone dry.

25 lbs is manageable In a 5 gallon bucket but half would be easier.

I'm filling the bucket full with water to let the pressure aid and letting it sit one day, syphon excess water to mix the next day. Add water and sit again. Then the next day syphon excess water mix and pour in a jean leg.

Hanging it in this weather and it's wedgeable in about 4-5 days. 

Week total.

Sorce

[Callie Beller Diesel]

If you use the bucket method, check your clay after a few hours. Some clays will absorb water quite rapidly, and if you leave it overnight you might wind up with clay that’s entirely too wet to use. 

[Mark C.]

My method works for  porcealin (stone ware wets easier than porcelain) is to open the bag and sqeeze  two  sponges of water into the bag .I use 3 inch small throwing sponges to wet firm porcelain -you will need more for clay that is to hard to wire cut. That is a scale I use for firmness.Retie the bag tight and lay it down

Mark one side of bag and lay it down lenghwise. I roll it onto a side each day and in just a few days it good as new. If its stone ware it will go faster

I have softened over a ton this way. If you have a lot  of clay rebox it and flip every day for 4 days.

I do not like super soft and then hard spots  in a pug so time is your friend here.

[DMCosta]

On 8/31/2020 at 3:22 PM, Dick White said:

1. Get a 5 gallon bucket for each bag you want to reclaim (or just a few buckets and work through the clay a few at a time).

2. Open a bag and pour one or two cups of water into the bag around the dry block of clay.

3. Put the bag in the bucket. I like to leave the top open for now.

4. Start filling the bucket with water. As the water rises in the bucket, it will expel the air from the bag.

5. When the water in the bucket reaches just above the level of the top of the block of clay, seal the bag with a twisty wire or rubber band. There will be only a little bit of air left in the bag.

6. Add some more water in the bucket to cover the bag of clay.

7. Wait a few days. The pressure of the water in the bucket pressing on the side of the bag which is pressing on the  water that was poured into the bag will force that water back into the block of clay.

Ow wow that's so amazing, thank you for the detailed response! I plan to do that. 

[LeeU]

I do it that way (Dick White's post) , having learned about that method here in the Forum, and it is amazing how well and quick it works!