Reclaiming Clay

Reclaiming Clay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTv_VAW5JKc - this is a good reference for the reclaim process we plan to follow at PS:1

• Make sure all clay is getting added to reclaim- slip, trimmings, etc etc. We want all particle sizes of clay. HOWEVER, if clay has made it to leatherhard, you MUST wait until any piece thicker than a shaving is bone dry (no longer leather hard) to add it to a reclaim. Be diligent about NOT mixing different clay types.
  • If you have purchased your own clay, you MUST green ticket your bucket, and reclaim your own clay. If it becomes a storage problem reclaim buckets will be the first items to get red tickets
  • If you use ps:1 clay on a regular basis, we ask that you occasionally own reclaiming out of the totes.If the tote is more than half full, it may be a good time to reclaim.
• Once a tote is 3/4 full, top up the scraps with water. You should be adding slip and washwater as you work with clay, but may need more.
  • Roughly cover the scraps of clay, and allow to sit for at least 24 hours
  • Soak up excess water with a sponge (and into a new cleaning bucket ✨)
• Spread clay in a thick layer onto a plaster bat.
• After 1-2 days, clay should be hard enough to flip. Do so. If it’s still too wet to wedge, once flipped, allow to dry for another day or two. Once that side also is dried enough to come off the plasterboard, wedge it. Aim to wedge when it is softer rather than harder.
• Cut resulting slabs into more manageable pieces. If wedging more than one slab, we highly recommend you wedge the two together (slam wedging is great for this) in order to homogenize the texture and clay body. Wedge clay. It is done when it is smooth and there are no large voids or air bubbles when you wire cut a wedge
• If not using the clay immediately, form into rough blocks, store in plastic, add to other clay.
• Clean wedging work surface thoroughly.

Notes

• If there is any doubt about the clay composition (different types may have been mixed) that clay may have unpredictable properties. It would be well suited to experimental glazing etc where the reliability and predictability of the clay is of less concern but should under no circumstances be mixed in with ‘clean’ clay.