QotW: Where and how do you store your clay?

[Pres]

Hi folks, we have asked this question before, but it has been a while.  Some of you may remember that I store my clay outside under my kayaks under a tarp. I have a platform that sits 4" off the ground and is 14'X2'. This allows me to stack a double row of 50# clay boxes 3 rows high that will hold almost 2000#. Obviously though, with PA weather often getting into the single digits this means the clay will freeze in the Winter to thaw in the Spring. I have tendency of wedging everything, and use the recycle clay in with the fresh clay.

QotW: Where and how do you store your clay?

best,

Pres

[Hulk]

New clay in their bags, in their boxes, wrapped in moving film*

stacked on cardboard, under a heavy tarp, in the Studio.

Changes in temperature seems to accelerate the drying out process.

To be reclaimed clay, in bins or buckets. I'm setting the clay portion out in the sun to thoroughly dry afore starting the reclaim process. The slop portion, if it's dried to a disc it gets set out as well, else just slop it in there at the re-wetting stage.

Reclaimed clay, in clay bags (washed, dried, checked for holes); wrapped in the same moving film, if the clay is being stored for "a while" - where a while is a few months in the damp/cool part of the year, a few weeks otherwise.
 

*Some vendors' clay bags seem to breathe more water than others.
Wrapping the box with moving film equalizes that, in my experience.
We have two partial rolls of the moving film left over from last year's moving, enough to last several years...

[Russ]

I use rubbermaid trash cans. I first pug my clay and then put a layer of clay then plastic then another layer of clay so forth and so on. Then several layers of plastic film on the top and then the lid. Occasionally I will pour a cup or two of water inside to prevent too rapid of evaporation as we have quite a dry environment here. The trash cans are put on mover dollies for ease of storage.

[LeeU]

My clay is indoors. It's a low production home hobby studio (I'm no longer doing retail in stores). It's tight at first, but I can fit two 25 lb sleeves in a 5 gal. painters bucket. Those sit on plant dollies. Works great! 

[Denice]

Like Lee my clay is indoors,  the recycled clay is in 5 gallon buckets on dollies  and the fresh clay is stacked in their boxes.  I put my fresh bags of clay in a 5 gal bucket of water before I use it.   I  do that with clay that is on the dry side.   I have found that by treating fresh clay the same way I don't need to slam it around to soften it that Cone 5/6 clay  usually needs.  Denice

[Min]

I prefer throwing soft clay and more often than not my clay is too firm so my go to storage is to first  pile boxes of clay in the corner of a hallway. I open the bags up and add a bit of water, do them back up and let them sit in a large rubbermaid bin filled with water for at least a few days,  I add more of bags of clay into the water filled bin as I use them up.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

 I get mine about 10 boxes at a time and stack it outside the studio door. I go through it at a rate that it doesn't have time to dry out. But I also have the luxury of living in the same town where I buy my clay.

 

[Denice]

I have the same luxury so I don't buy very many at a time.    Besides I like going to the ceramic  supply store,  look at the new tools and visit with other potters.   I have been shopping there since 1968,  I was one of there first customers.    Denice

[Mark C.]

I buy my clay in about 3 -6 ton lots minimum and order it made extra soft for bad wrists. I have a shed near the road witha canvas front facing north in the shade of my potshop. That shed stays cool year round. I then bring into shop about 750#s at a time and store under wedging tables on redwood floor boards.(2x12s are my floor in old shop-new addition is painted plywood floors ) Clay warms slightly in shop in winter with heat -summer heat is off and its cooler in shop

I order from Laguna clay and have it trucked the 13 hours north and supply a few other potters as well that Have been with me for many decades on clay buys-although many are now gone.I have been with Laguna since they bought out westwood clay in the med  80s before I was with westwood in the 70s also used to used  Robert Brent Clays  when they where in Healsburg and Quyle clay from the Sierra. They now are out of the clay business. Also usewd some Emory clays from Sacramento area -all those where stonewares-switched in mid 80s to all porcealin .From Laguna  just before they bought up Westwood.I drove down to LA in 185 to meet the Laguna owner and try there porcelains .He sold Laguna about 5 years ago to the new owner.

I also store some clay just outside shop door for slab roller use-I moved my two peter puggers last summer onto new kiln cement slab and have yet to. decide about where slab clay will live-it never ends.

Ok off to see the eclipse via some airplanes

Edited April 6 by Mark C.