Modeling clay in my clay recycling

[Emily E]

Hi Helpful Ceramicists!

When I went to wedge my recycled clay I found streaks of modeling clay in it. Can it be used and fired? Or does it all need to be thrown out? I am afraid to use it in case it ruins my students work. 

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Emily E

Art teacher

[Callie Beller Diesel]

It depends on what the modelling clay is made from. There can be some clay in plasticine, but there’s also a bunch of oils and other stuff  that will burn off in the kiln. Proper kiln ventilation will be important if you do try to attempt. It’ll be stinky.

You can test fire a small sample of the contaminated stuff in a bowl made from uncontaminated clay to see what it does. It might work, it might not. You might want to set the contaminated stuff aside until you know for sure what it’ll do.

[oldlady]

emily, you have a perfect teaching moment in that situation.   that is, clay is clay and it will become useless as clay if someone puts modeling clay into it.   that should be such a useful learning moment for your students that throwing out the contaminated clay will be in their memories forever.  

that might avoid the future questions of "i wonder what will happen if i put xxx into my clay?".    teach them early.