What To Do With Old, Dry, Moldy Clay?

[ChenowethArts]

I am not at all certain what happens to clay that has aged, but I do believe there is a difference...'could just be a homogeneity thing. My personal preference when re-hydrating or  re-cycling clay slop is to blunge it first, run it through the clay mixer with dry materials, remove it in 10lb clumps, then wedge it and bag it.  After a month (or so), I am ready to begin throwing...and will re-wedge it before hitting the wheel.

By the by, I am an advocate for those with experience and expertise to learn how to edit material on Wikipedia...and become authors.  It isn't that difficult.

 

Paul

[Babs]

The Chinese hoping to hide their secret of porcelain, which was Kaolin mined from the mountains,  told European merchants many fanciful stories that their porcelain clays were mixed with eggshells and other materials organic material and buried for decades. Grown children would supposedly dig up the porcelain clay their parents had buried in their youth leaving it to mature into porcelain clay they used to create porcelain ware.  Of course this story was complete nonsense, as Europeans later discovered when they began mining their own local kaolins.  But this misdirection maintained the Chinese monopoly on porcelain for quite some time.  And a surprising number of potters still believe these stories today.

 

Norm,

There are two takes on this myth. One is that the name "porcelain" came for por cien anos "for 100 years"

the other is that the name came from the Portuguese word for a certain shell fish resembling porcelain products.

 

Marcia

Another beautifully uplifting myth slashed by the "ruthless blade of science".!

Nice thought, that myth,, when does the thought become the action?

[Guest JBaymore]

Get this book:   The Arcanum: The Extraordinary True Story  - Janet Gleeson

 

Grand Central Publishing (January 15, 2000)

 

ISBN 978-0446674843

 

Steven Branfman's Potters Shop bookstore usually has it.

 

 

Intersting, written in "historical fiction" style.

 

best,

 

................john

[MichaelP]

 two bags of prehistoric clay... They were over in the corner, right under Jimmy Hoffa. ..The clay body is called "Spotted Owl"...

 

 

There is an old mafia tradition to bury its victims with "two bags of clay" shown on the picture below. Is that how your "clay" looked?

[JoC]

I see the last  post is some years ago but the topic is still relevant so I am hoping the post is still being read by some clay artists.

I use porcelain casting slip and have been   frustrated by the mold growth for some years and have tried various containers, vinegar etc. but have

seen no difference to the growth.  The only way I keep mold to a minimum in my fluid clay is by having it all in opaque containers where no light is getting

in at all.  I have had clay in buckets like this for 5-6 years and can open the bucket and there will be no visible mold.  

I am interested to read that the mold actually helps the clay performance, I am hoping that is relevant to slip casting as well.  I have not seen any firing 

problems from mold being in the mix but still prefer it not to be there for my work.  Maybe that's unfounded.  

I use Australian Cool Ice and Southern Ice Clay and make my own casting slip.

[liambesaw]

The idea is that it helps with plasticity, so if that is something you desire in a cast, good.  Even in your buckets with no light there is likely mold, it just isn't sporulating (turning black or green).  I don't slipcast but when I see mold in my reclaim I just blunge it in with the rest.