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Mixing Local Clay Questions About The Process.


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Yesterday was my first chance at using a locally dug clay and run through the process of making my own clay.  A friend who does excavation asked me one day if I would ever want some local clay as they run across it often.  I said yes and he calle dme about a week later asking how much I wanted, and a few days later he dropped off about a holf a pickup load.  I am not going to do this for my retail production work, but thought it might be fun making a few things for one offs.  After mixing and sieving then hanging in cloth for a couple of days I took the clay and worked it on the wedging table.  I added some fire clay as well as some 35mesh grog, as well as some prepared clay because it tended to crack easily when wedging.  The clay is dark, but after sitting a day in a bag I was able to throw a couple of bowls.  Just wanted to know if this approach worked for the mixture, or is it cheating that I used some prepared clay.

6lbs of the dug clay, seived and mixed
2lbs of Laguna Rods Bod
½ cup Lincoln Fire Clay Dry
¼ cup 35 mesh grog
I kneaded and wedged it up nicely, let it sit for a day.  Is this the way most people prepare hand dug local clay?
I will put a picture of the bowls after I trim them today.

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I would say there is no such thing as cheating. You are just augmenting.

 

If you really want to learn about the clay in its natural state, you need to do some test firings at various temperature before you augment it.

 

Also, does it throw at all after the initial processing?

 

How hot can you fire it? A lot of local clay tends to be earthenware type in our area.

 

Also measure shrinkage when firing to various temps.

 

Next would be finding a glaze that fits.

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