Debbie Jestin on mon 7 jan 02
Hi, I've heard to get a more plastic clay in your recycled clay to add beer
to it. Is this true, how much beer would the clay like? Could a person just
use baking yeast? Plainsmen M332
Anne K. Wellings on tue 8 jan 02
Some people might not know that it is very important to put all the
slurry from your throwing water, splash pan, etc. into your recycled clay
along with trimmings, etc. This is because a lot of the small particles
of clay get swooshed away during throwing, and the small particles are
the ones that make the clay plastic (as opposed to coarser particles and
grog). Also, clean off your hands, tools, and splash pan with the
throwing water as much as possible instead of into a sink or other
clean-up container, so that as much of the original clay as possible goes
into the recycle bin.
If the clay in the throwing water has settled, I pour off any clear water
I don't need before dumping it in the recycling. If it hasn't settled, I
dump the whole thing in. I have been recycling this way for years with
good results and have not had to age the clay or do anything else special
to it.
Anne
Tim Lynch on tue 8 jan 02
This was discussed a while back and the consensus was that it did help.
Also, try adding vinegar to help with plasticity. Aging is probably the
best help. I had to give up beer as I got very, very plastic and kept
waking up in the wrong places...
Tim
--
Tim Lynch
The Clay Man
1117 Tedford St SE
East Wenatchee, WA 98802
hifired@earthlink.net
1/7/02 3:23 PM, "Debbie Jestin" wrote:
> Hi, I've heard to get a more plastic clay in your recycled clay to add beer
> to it. Is this true, how much beer would the clay like? Could a person just
> use baking yeast? Plainsmen M332
>
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Lexxy on wed 9 jan 02
Thanks so much for explaining this point....I'd been wondering why some clay
gets all crumbly after being recycled....I thought it was organic stuff that
was disolved in the water but this makes sense. I strain mine thru old
panty hose tied on the rim of a bucket but some of the particles must sift
thru. Do you suppose one of those gold coffee filters would do better?
Lexxey
East GA, Pottery & Gardening
http://www.flummoxed.org/lexxey/index.htm
This is because a lot of the small particles
of clay get swooshed away during throwing, and the small particles are
the ones that make the clay plastic (as opposed to coarser particles and
grog).
Anne
Dale Neese on wed 9 jan 02
Really, you don't have to do much other than keeping all other trashy things
out of your used clay when you reclaim it. You shouldn't have to strain it.
Although I have been surprised to find a sponge or rib when I reclaim. Small
buckets make it easier to work when the time comes. You could add beer,
vinegar if you have the nose for it. The clay gets really rank sometime.
Let all of your trimmings become completely dry before adding and they will
slake down easier. Stir every time you add some trimmings or throwing slip
to the bucket. Don't pour off the water from clay buckets, let the added dry
clay absorb the water. There is a lot of good fine particle stuff contained
therein. Usually it will become better all by itself if you let it "age"
after wedging or pugging into a too soft for throwing consistancy for a
month or two in a plastic bag before using. Best for pulling handles or
extruding.
Dale Tex
Anne Wellings on fri 11 jan 02
I find no need to strain the recycled clay or do anything fancy to it. I
recycle in 5-gallon buckets. My method was described in a post within the
last year which should be in the archives. If I had more space and fancy
equipment, I would use it, but as a small-scale method, mine works well.
Anne
Karl Platt on fri 11 jan 02
A trick question ?
Mix water into it or, well, you could pee on it, work it in a wait for it to diffuse throughout the mass. No, I'm not kidding. Actually, while you could do this, and the ancient Japanese (and probably others) did this in an organized fashion to make their clays more plastic, it would be easier to use diluted vinegar or some other mild acid. The short version of why this works is that it lends to "fatter" water films on the clay particles. If anyone is interested I'll fish up the long version of this answer -- which *may* be in the archives...if not @ ACerS perhaps on Richard's site @ SADA.
KPP-- making lotsa fire
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Kathy Maves on sun 13 jan 02
Hi,
One common method to increase plasticity in reclaim
is to add a relatively small amount of ball clay.
Start with a small dry handful/200 lbs. of clay. I
learned this from production potter, Brad Henry in New
London, MN. According to Brad, throwing may draw out
the ball clay in the body. Sometimes reclaim is
noticeably more short. It's easy, just throw some dry
into slop, or wet some and incorporate during pugging.
It's worked for me. Thanks again, Brad.
Kathy
Baronett, WI
kathymaves@yahoo.com
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Ceramic Design Group on sun 13 jan 02
on 1/13/02 8:55 AM, Kathy Maves at kathymaves@YAHOO.COM wrote:
> Hi,
> One common method to increase plasticity in reclaim
> is to add a relatively small amount of ball clay.
> Start with a small dry handful/200 lbs. of clay. I
> learned this from production potter, Brad Henry in New
> London, MN. According to Brad, throwing may draw out
> the ball clay in the body. Sometimes reclaim is
> noticeably more short. It's easy, just throw some dry
> into slop, or wet some and incorporate during pugging.
> It's worked for me. Thanks again, Brad.
In theory this is a solution that can work. While I don't think a hand full
of ball clay per 200# of reclaim will have a negative effect, note that most
ball clays are highly silicious, eg high in silica and could influence the
expansion of the body vis a vsi glaze fit if used in excess.
Also, adding dry clay to a wet mix may produce a moisture differential in
the mixed body. Another way to reclaim successfully is to add vinegar to the
reclaim. You could also mix that small amount of ball clay into a loose
slurry and blunge/mix and let sit for a while, decant the water off the top.
The resulting wetted ball clay can then be added to the reclaim and if you
have room, use plaster bats, hanging pillow cases, etc etc to dry out the
mix.
Another way that we have used successfully in our Soldner mixer is to add
the water first, then add your dry mix and mix a bit on the stiff side, then
add your reclaim. This eliminates the moisture differential which is crutal
in wetting each and every clay particle, particularly for use in hydraulic
pressing.
Another way to dry out reclaim is to build a large plaster "tub" and cast
into it a heat tape. Fill the tub with slop, plug in the heat tape, and the
reclaim will be ready overnite. We used quite a large tub for sometime and
because of its weight, put it on wheels. Fit comfortably under the table and
out of the way.
There are certainly many methods to process reclaim. I would not add dry mix
to the pug mill.
Best
Jonathan
Jonathan Kaplan, president
Ceramic Design Group
PO Box 775112
Steamboat Springs CO 80477
voice and fax 970 879-9139
info@ceramicdesigngroup.net
Plant Location:
1280 13th Street Unit 13
Steamboat Springs CO 80487
(please use this address for all deliveries via UPS, comman carrier, Fed Ex,
etc.)
"Custom design and manufacturing for the ceramic arts, giftware and pottery
industries. Molds, models, and tooling for slip casting, jiggering and
hydraulic pressing. Consultation on clay and glaze formulation, production
systems,firing, and kilns.
Paul Taylor on mon 14 jan 02
Dear kathy
In your informative reply you said " note that most
ball clays are highly siliceous" This must apply to America because here NW
Europe our ball clays go from 42 to 71% silica and the alumnus ones are the
predominent. This is why I always recommended controlling explanation by
mixing and matching ball clays . I did not realize this may not be as easily
done in other countries.
Here most cheap stonewares are made with fire clays that fire to 1260 c
plus with out much alteration. These clays are easy to reclaim as long as
you do not let them go completely dry. you just wet the turnings down and
pug them and the clay processed in this way is never short. The irony is
that the fire clay bodies are not so plastic but because the reclaim is so
easy there is no need to destroy the plasticity. Please note that these
clays come ready for working in a 12.5 kilo bags. -and like life the clay
arrives too wet in winter and too dry in summer - Murphy is on the staff in
all clayworks :).
I think ball clay bodies will also reclaim this way but I expect they do
not break down so easily so it would be a toss up between drying it all out
and wetting the stuff down again or just adding a little water and putting
up with the occasional lump from the pug mill. I think the decision will
rest on the particle structure of the clay. If your clay is very plastic you
will have trouble reclaiming it even to the point where you destroy that
plasticity. In the long term adding fine grog or less plastic clays may make
a better more plastic ball clay body because it allows water to pass through
to the finer particles easier so in the end you get more plasticity from the
finer particles you have because they are all better 'wetted'. Of course if
you are preparing your body as a slip you will get even more plasticity so
again you do not need as many fine particles.
Experiment is again the answer . I knew a potter who dried all his
reclaimed clay crushed it then slaked it down and then dried again , because
some one told him that was the way to do it. He almost cried when he saw my
system (he was using one of the fireclay bodies as well). I also reclaim my
porcelain this way but it is only 5% bentonite that separates these
porcelains from tooth paste yet they throw Ok . I think too much is made of
plasticity at the expense of work ability. Workability goes on to make
turning, handling and reclaiming easier. where as plasticity although
forgiving of inexperience makes the clay tight to turn and easily distorts.
It shrinks so much that handles and lugs need scoring with all sorts of
juju juice in the slip to prevent them cracking away - and the clay is
difficult to reclaim .
Regards from Paul Taylor
http://www.anu.ie/westportpottery
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