Prepare wild clay?

[caveman]

To start I am writing this because I need some help this is not a diy. 

I am in Zanesville Ohio now I normally live in Florida the ground there is mostly sand mixed with sand. In Zanesville there is a lot of clay I was digging and hit big ball of it being different then what I was used to was playing with it and the artist in me is already sculptured a 5m turtle in my head got me thinking and I know Zanesville is known and has been for long time for pottery I assume that there's a reason why (I thought it probably was something about the clay) I put it in a bucket do research on my phone and this is what I did (at first I thought how hard could this be but when I jumped in found out water was over my head)

I started digging it out and tried to get as little dirt and debris as possible I was finding white,grey, orange and red clay I didn't separate it after bucket was about 2 thirds full I added water gave it a little mix then dumped out the water and large part of dirt or at least that was the conclusion I got. Then I put new water in filling it then mixed it then let it sit for couple hours and mix then let it settle for about 12 hours and then I poured the top of it off getting the water and about inch off the top. I would put it through a screen, had to add water after filter I would let it settle then decanter the water off the top then put it in plastic tub and put a fan going across it till it dried out enough to do something with it

I got a darkish red clay I made few discs to experiment with I let it dry out for a couple days in that time I dug out a pit kiln and lined it with rock and old chimney bricks I put in a pipe ran into the center of the pit and the other I put a shop vac set for blow on it. I wrapped some of it in newspaper and put it in and built a fire and would let it burn out after about 2 hours I got some cool looking stuff I also had a lot of broken stuff but was expecting it. Also it had a lot of mica in it not sure if that is good or not I have pictures of it also I went and signed up for pottery classes here locally and while they gave me a tour they had a clay that looks really close to what I got.

I know it's a big post I am not sure what information is important. I would like to know what is right and what is not and in the end I would like to be able to make things like ancestors did 

Thanks for help 

Caveman 

[Min]

Testing and working with wild or found clay has come up a few times recently. I started a separate thread hoping to discuss this here. I started with 3 good links on how to process and test wild clay, might be somewhere to start. Regarding your specific clay this thread will hopefully get you some pointers too. Mica in lowfire clay adds a nice sparkle and acts like grog, helpful to prevent cracking.

I'm reading your post as having three main questions, first how to process the wild clay, secondly how to test it and thirdly how to fire it in your fire pit. Fire pit question could be an entire different thread if necessary, need to fire for longer than 2 hours. What happens when you put a piece of your fired clay into water?

[glazenerd]

Caveman:

Lets start with pictures of your unprocessed clay. I am somewhat familiar with the local clay in Ohio: iron disulfide (pyrite) is the common iron bearing clay. Having a mix of color in a single clay vein is not that uncommon. The red/orange is obviously iron bearing clay: the white color is most likely ball clay: there are no kaolin deposits in Ohio that I am aware of. Grey color in an indication of sulfides, given your location. Much of clay in Ohio has some levels of sulfides because of their proximity to coal seams. Grey can also be an indication of organics: was this clay sourced in areas of heavy vegetation? Post some pics, and that will give me some general sense of what you found.

Tom

[Rae Reich]

I’ve only reconstituted commercial clay, but wonder if all the decanting of excess water isn’t also losing some fine particulates that would help plasticity?

[caveman]

Thanks for the response ok first when I pulled the fired pieces out I wipe off the ash with a damp rag the first time I knew I was not close because they were still clay they started to go soft and would have dissolved I think but I will put some in and let you know.

I will get some pictures for you if it helps I am in Zanesville pretty close to the licking river about the middle of an old bluff I think . a chunk of it came out from under the house I had to replace a couple of the original block that was used for door between the basement and coal room I figured that spot probably had not been disturbed since the house was built over a 100 years ago I wondered if and how it would have been effected that close to the coal room the floor in basement is concrete and the coal room looks like red brick. I think that is the spot where I seen the white mostly unfortunately I don't have pictures of the stuff I got there and there is a very heavy house on it.  At one time there was a draining issues and water did come in basement for how long don't know but at least a season probably a lot longer. I will work on those pictures for you. I hope these details are of help.

I was wondering the same thing.... Wait let me rephrase that I was wondering if I was washing away the stuff that I should have been keeping.  My thinking was maybe clay brick had like certain size particles and white porcelain was like really fine particles 

Thanks

Caveman 

 

[glazenerd]

When you wet process wild clay: 1. Put your clay in a bucket large enough to cover it completely with water. Agitate it, then let it sit for 1-4 hours; until you see a clear water film on top. Pour off the excess water, then slowly pour into another bucket until you reach the layer that has debris. Throw the debris out. Then pour your clay through a pillowcase, and hang it up somewhere until the excess water drips out. Allow it to dry down to a workable clay consistency.

Tom

[caveman]

Ok reprocessing some now working on some pictures as well 

[Kelly in AK]

Too cool. Zanesville, you’re in the heart of clay country for sure. I’ve got some fireclay from around there, it’s refractory (higher firing) and smells of sulfur when it’s wet. Unfortunately I haven’t messed with it enough to say anything more. 

If your clay is refractory, and I’m taking a guess that it could be, it’ll take a lot of heat to develop any strength. You’re gonna want to make the hottest fire you ever made, and keep it going a while. The forced air ought to help.