Dennis Gerasimov on wed 16 sep 09
Hello fellow Clayarters,
I have a fair number of worn, chipped, broken or just plain
uninteresting molds of mine. All made of the #1 potter's plaster. Anyone
have any suggestions on how to recycle them in some way?
If I throw them into the trash, they will just become city dump filler.
But they are almost pure calcium sulphate: it took energy and other
resources to make the material.
I hope they can be recycled in some way.
Dennis
James Freeman on wed 16 sep 09
Dennis...
Leave them outside in your garden. By the end of winter they will be
completely broken down. Your plants will be happy. I toss all of my
plaster scrap onto my rough compost heap in the woods to overwinter.
Got the idea from an article a few years ago in one of the
earth-hugger magazines. A gentleman used a manure spreader to break
up and distribute drywall scraps over his fields. Looked like hell
for a while, but eventually broke down and entered the soil.
You could also heat them in your kiln to break them down, then use it
to make lutto for future plaster projects. Saves plaster, but of
course uses energy, so Al Gore will still hate you.
Take care.
...James
James Freeman
"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I
should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/clayart/
On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 2:47 PM, Dennis Gerasimov wro=
te:
> Hello fellow Clayarters,
> I have a fair number of worn, chipped, broken or just plain
> uninteresting molds of mine. All made of the #1 potter's plaster. Anyone
> have any suggestions on how to recycle them in some way?
> If I throw them into the trash, they will just become city dump filler.
> But they are almost pure calcium sulphate: it took energy and other
> resources to make the material.
> I hope they can be recycled in some way.
> Dennis
>
Des & Jan Howard on thu 17 sep 09
Dennis
Yes, the moulds are almost pure calcium sulphate.
But, they are no longer Plaster of Paris.
Crush them to a powder & use this to break up
clay or clayey soil in your garden.
Des
Dennis Gerasimov wrote:
> Anyone have any suggestions on how to recycle them in some way?
> If I throw them into the trash, they will just become city dump filler.
> But they are almost pure calcium sulphate: it took energy and other
> resources to make the material.
> I hope they can be recycled in some way.
--
Des & Jan Howard
Lue Pottery
Lue NSW
Australia
2850
02 6373 6419
www.luepottery.hwy.com.au
-32.656072 149.840624
steve graber on fri 18 sep 09
can they be put into a sagar, in the next bisque fire, and refired to recla=
=3D
im new powder plaster?=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0Asince the initial reaction was water =
into h=3D
ard plaster,=3DA0a refire should delete the chemical water and give you fre=
sh=3D
plaster?=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0Abut i hear they tend to blow up when fired but i d=
o not =3D
know how vigorous that blowing-up is...=3D0A=3DA0Steve Graber, Graber's Pot=
tery=3D
, Inc=3D0AClaremont, California USA=3D0AThe Steve Tool - for awesum texture=
on =3D
pots! =3D0Awww.graberspottery.com steve@graberspottery.com =3D0A=3D0A=3D0AO=
n Laguna=3D
Clay's website=3D0Ahttp://www.lagunaclay.com/blogs/ =3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=
=3D0A_________=3D
_______________________=3D0AFrom: Dennis Gerasimov =3D=
0ATo=3D
: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG=3D0ASent: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 11:47:51=
A=3D
M=3D0ASubject: What to do with unwanted plaster molds?=3D0A=3D0AHello fello=
w Clay=3D
arters,=3D0AI have a fair number of worn, chipped, broken or just plain=3D0=
Auni=3D
nteresting molds of mine. All made of the #1 potter's plaster. Anyone=3D0Ah=
av=3D
e any suggestions on how to recycle them in some way?=3D0AIf I throw them i=
nt=3D
o the trash, they will just become city dump filler.=3D0ABut they are almos=
t =3D
pure calcium sulphate: it took energy and other=3D0Aresources to make the m=
at=3D
erial.=3D0AI hope they can be recycled in some way.=3D0ADennis=3D0A=3D0A=3D=
0A=3D0A =3D
steve graber on fri 18 sep 09
i learned something by accident years ago when i moved =3D
nice idea!=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0Ai learned something by accident years ago when i =
moved =3D
into my current home.=3DA0 the prior owner never cleaned out the fireplace =
tr=3D
ap under the house.=3DA0 ~ in southern california it's not used so much for=
h=3D
eat as appearance.=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0Aanyway i used that ash for some ash glaze=
s, and=3D
thought i'd throw the rest into my garden.=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0Athe next summer =
i got =3D
a lot of tomatoe=3DA0blossoms like usual, but no fruit!=3DA0 i checked with=
a l=3D
ocal nursery, and the claim was i was calcium deficient.=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0Ai c=
hecked=3D
online and found that too much pot ash (ash) deletes calcium in your soil,=
=3D
so they recommend adding calcium, dolomite being mentioned specifically.=
=3D
=3DA0 (and MUCH cheaper than what that nursery wanted to sell me).=3DA0 =3D=
0A=3D0At=3D
he next year i was fine with tomatoes and generally don't put ash in my veg=
=3D
gie garden anymore.=3DA0 i also noticed a louder "SNAP" when i'd accidently=
b=3D
reak a branch.=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0Ai still really don't understand how fast a pl=
ant ga=3D
thers these nutrients.=3DA0 days?=3DA0 weeks?=3DA0 how long to get into a t=
ree fo=3D
r instance?=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0Steve Graber, Graber's Pottery, Inc=3D=
0AClaremont,=3D
California USA=3D0AThe Steve Tool - for awesum texture on pots! =3D0Awww.g=
rabe=3D
rspottery.com steve@graberspottery.com =3D0A=3D0A=3D0AOn Laguna Clay's webs=
ite=3D0A=3D
http://www.lagunaclay.com/blogs/ =3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A_________________=
__________=3D
_____=3D0AFrom: James Freeman =3D0ATo: Clayar=
t@LS=3D
V.CERAMICS.ORG=3D0ASent: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 1:59:21 PM=3D0ASubje=
ct: =3D
Re: What to do with unwanted plaster molds?=3D0A=3D0ADennis...=3D0A=3D0ALea=
ve them =3D
outside in your garden.=3DA0 By the end of winter they will be=3D0Acomplete=
ly b=3D
roken down.=3DA0 Your plants will be happy.=3DA0 I toss all of my=3D0Aplast=
er scr=3D
ap onto my rough compost heap in the woods to overwinter.=3D0AGot the idea =
fr=3D
om an article a few years ago in one of the=3D0Aearth-hugger magazines.=3DA=
0 A =3D
gentleman used a manure spreader to break=3D0Aup and distribute drywall scr=
ap=3D
s over his fields.=3DA0 Looked like hell=3D0Afor a while, but eventually br=
oke =3D
down and entered the soil.=3D0A=3D0AYou could also heat them in your kiln t=
o br=3D
eak them down, then use it=3D0Ato make lutto for future plaster projects.=
=3DA0 =3D
Saves plaster, but of=3D0Acourse uses energy, so Al Gore will still hate yo=
u.=3D
=3D0A=3D0ATake care.=3D0A=3D0A...James=3D0A=3D0AJames Freeman=3D0A=3D0A"All=
I say is by way=3D
of discourse, and nothing by way of advice.=3DA0 I=3D0Ashould not speak so=
bol=3D
dly if it were my due to be believed."=3D0A-Michel de Montaigne=3D0A=3D0Aht=
tp://w=3D
ww.jamesfreemanstudio.com=3D0Ahttp://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstud=
io=3D
/=3D0Ahttp://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/clayart/=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0AOn=
Wed, Sep 16=3D
, 2009 at 2:47 PM, Dennis Gerasimov wrote:=3D0A> Hell=
o =3D
fellow Clayarters,=3D0A> I have a fair number of worn, chipped, broken or j=
us=3D
t plain=3D0A> uninteresting molds of mine. All made of the #1 potter's plas=
te=3D
r. Anyone=3D0A> have any suggestions on how to recycle them in some way?=3D=
0A> =3D
If I throw them into the trash, they will just become city dump filler.=3D0=
A>=3D
But they are almost pure calcium sulphate: it took energy and other=3D0A> =
re=3D
sources to make the material.=3D0A> I hope they can be recycled in some way=
.=3D
=3D0A> Dennis=3D0A>=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A
Des & Jan Howard on sat 19 sep 09
Steve
The raw plaster is only heated to 150C, enough to drive
off SOME of the water of crystallisation. Biscuit
temperatures would certainly break down the plaster
compound itself.
Des
steve graber wrote:
> can they be put into a sagar, in the next bisque fire,
> and refired to reclaim new powder plaster?
> since the initial reaction was water into hard plaster,
> a refire should delete the chemical water and give you fresh plaster?
--
Des & Jan Howard
Lue Pottery
Lue NSW
Australia
2850
02 6373 6419
www.luepottery.hwy.com.au
-32.656072 149.840624
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