How to Dig & Process Clay

[@waynoswaynos]

Wow a lot of comments, alas, no one reads them all even though there might be useful tips contained therein. So, if you are lucky enough to read this, then good. I have found that using hot water for the first wetting part of the process and an electric drill with a paint mixing impeller makes for short work. Then strain, I use a course kitchen sieve first to remove twigs pebbles and root filaments. Then I use a cheap $10 soup blender to get an ultra fine slurry; then filter again with a large paint straining bag. These are big enough to fit over a bucket (Get these from the hardware store very cheaply). They are fine nylon mesh like a silk stocking. Take note that the stuff you filter out here may be just tiny clay lumps that needed more soup blender mixing, so knead them a bit to check before discarding; now I just leave my slurry in a bucket for a few days to settle out. The clay and water stratifies and the water can be poured off. Then just leave it for a week or two and it firms up enough wedge up and use. To calculate the firing temperature, make a 'pyrometric cone' from your clay and fire it. Checking to see what temperature your cone slumps at. Be sure also measure shrinkage so you can make size calculations later. I make a 100mm disk one the pottery wheel. Measure it when dry for your dry shrinkage and again once fired to get your percentage. If it's 84mm it's 16% shrinkage (100-84=16). Good luck everyone.

[@Wonderland_Homestead]

Wow, thank you! I dug, and I found gold.

[@mindseyeproductions8798]

thanks for the added information.

[@Meowskiii]

@@Wonderland_Homestead I've been looking through all discarded debris and no luck there yet! Glad you did though! *sweet* :)

[@Meowskiii]

I needed that info. TY! 🌲

[@mamariaesparza8623]

You are awesome……. I learned a lot from video, but wow I think I may have a PHD now thank you both so much… I’m just learning .

[@kenyaklarity007]

Best tutorial I come across today on finding clay. Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to share your life experience. I am always grateful and thankful for knowledge. :-)

[@constablebentonfraser5014]

Best and most correctly explained video on the subject on youtube. I like how it has a late nineties early 2000s feel.

[@troymoore7537]

ive dug clay out of a waterfall before, filled an icing bucket i got from the bakery section at the grocery store. mixed with water, like sugested in the video, but used an old spaghetti strainer to catch the big chunks of rock and used a re-usable coffee filter to catch the smaller stuff. granted it took a lot longer, but the clay came out a lot cleaner that way. i even bought a few boxes of plaster of paris to make a drying vat.

[@bright-noise]

I appreciate your reverence to the clay👌

[@VOTE4TAJ]

Excellent. You reminded me my visit to River Ravi in Lahore. What a beautiful pinkish clay we used to work with back in late 80’s. Thank you once again for a simple process and appreciating nature.

[@IanSwart]

It is better to store the clay as a sphere because a sphere has the least amount of area per volume, thus it will be less likely to dry out.

[@CircmcisionIsChi1dAbus3]

do you think he knew that? did you see his clay sculpting? i think this was a special needs class.

[@wadepatton2433]

Spheres don't stack well. I prefer a dodecahedron (compromise I know).

[@codename9824]

Or cover them?

[@theoneandonly15]

True but it’s gonna end up flattening itself from weight

[@CircmcisionIsChi1dAbus3]

@Apillbox fuck you?

[@robertlombardo8437]

I've actually been wanting to throw clay to make into a mold that I can use to make homemade bricks. Homemade bricks means building materials. And possibilities!

[@Convolutedtubules]

My grandparents built the entire house I grew up in, using blocks they made themselves. What happened to the good days when people did things themselves rather than just working for money to later spend?

[@yadram4198]

You may give the shape of brick and fire / back in kiln and use for construction work.

[@DaSauceDatsBoss]

Have you been able to do this? I have been looking into this recently as I have a permanent campground I set up. I have found red clay so far by the creek. Haven’t gone looking much more.

[@TylerZ91]

Ding ding ding! You just gave me like 10 great ideas!!

[@camb7683]

Thanks for the info, I have been looking into some primitive survival skills and clay use was huge.

[@fluffyhead6377]

I live in a town called Swadlincote (UK) we have some of the best alumina clay in the world it is a beautiful deep orange/red colour unfortunately most of the clay works are now closed, pipes made in Swadlincote were exported all over the world and were known as the strongest, most of the sewage pipes in London say “made in Swadlincote” Funnily enough I saw a documentary on a sewage diver in Mexico ( very brave man ) and as he swam amongst the sewage I noticed a pipe that said “Made is Swadlincote” I would love for the industry to be revived as a specialty clay, I dug some up in my garden I didn’t have to dig far into the top soil to find the fiery coloured clay, it looks such good quality you could almost get away with using it without processing.

[@josiahtheblacksmith467]

My town here in missouri in the United States, used to make fire bricks and construction bricks with clay dug locally. The clay has a yellow to pale orange color

[@rowanstaghorn248]

Amazing video bravo 👏 I've been looking for a comprehensive straight forward video for this for ages thanks 😊

[@troymoore7537]

Several years ago I dug some clay from a waterfall. Serveral small buckets in fact. I mixed it into a thin slurry and ran it through an old spaghetti strainer. Then through one of those re useable coffee filter baskets. From there it went into plaster of paris vats. Was a long process, but it got a lot of junk you might not expect to be in your clay.

[@1UAC1]

Thanks so much for the video! I'm going to be making an earthen oven so I may need to be doing this. I thank God for you and the clay.

[@lemonade2473]

Step 1: Watch this video. Step 2: Realize you have exam/work tomorrow. Step 3: Go to sleep.

[@raylow304]

yes, we should all thank the planet earth for all the things we took and we all should jus take a moment to look and appreciate what we have took from the earth. we should practice remembrance. well done bro!!

[@lukes2219]

Lmao

[@RedsnowHD]

@Student Benjamin Hughes cant thank something that doesent exist

[@Rocksaplenty]

why thank the planet, it can't think? thank God.

[@RedsnowHD]

@@Rocksaplenty still doesent exist

[@oowhmoo8966]

Lmao the existence of GOD is not up for debate LAYMAN. Its like deny or asking if you believe or have faith that 1+1=2

[@giantkoala5488]

You all people are rough and mean. Thanks for sharing. I learned a lot of.

[@organicgrow4440]

In Sydney, Aus it should be much easier to harvest clay as the topsoil is very minimal the rest is pure orange clay, I'd like to try this with our clay here sometime.

[@dolphinrider5905]

My family just bought a property in the mountains. We started pushing down trees and digging on the property with an excavator and found huuuuge greyish colored clay spots. I dug them out and have been having fun with it

[@TheBicyclingman]

Finally someone showing how its done.

[@Punxatowny]

Interesting. I'm a grave digger. The hole I dug today had tons of clay in it. I took a bunch of it and put it in a bucket so I could look up how to process it. Just for a bit of fun lol.

[@carloneill8798]

Ummm... i wouldnt reccomend clay from funerals...

[@Амин-т4х]

​@@carloneill8798Yes but the souls of the dead give it a nice texture

[@arielmeade656]

This was very informative, and I’m so glad you mentioned thanking the earth that was lovely.

[@nathanknight2825]

Thanks for posting! It's incredibly helpful . However, how does one determine the maturation temperature of the clay? Also, how does one adjust the clay body to mature at the desired firing temperature?

[@bcrouch2626]

Look through comments someone talks about that and how to figure it out

[@ramonworden4844]

I live by old brickworks plenty of clay and fire brick making a saw dust kiln. Good info Thanks.

[@acamassia8077]

Thank you so much for taking the time to make a video to share your knowledge. Would this clay be suitable for air dry or is a pit/kiln required?

[@Meowskiii]

My understanding of this is that it needs to be baked or fired.

[@siriahmanju6342]

Hello Nicolas, thanks for sharing the info. I want to know, can we also make the clay out of our normal garden soil..? And if yes, what's the process..pls tell.

[@southernmommy5233]

Thank you so much for the info! I love sculpting, but my pocket book doesn’t. Lol I know numerous places to get my own clay, but I wasn’t sure about cleaning it.

[@hunterlavigne8242]

thanks man I just finish refineing some clay

[@luigimini2124]

Thank you so much for sharing the knowledge!I was finnaly able to make some clay :)

[@Tcole-vk3ty]

Me and a couple of my cousins had an idea to dig, process, and then sell clay. Most, if not all, clay around where we live is earthenware clay, we have plenty of clay sources around our house, is doing this a good/realistic idea? And if so how much should we sell it? Thanks in advance!!

[@SaItyStudios]

I have a natural spring in my backyard behind trees and a spring creek has formed over the centuries and everywhere in a 50 ft vicinity there is all clay about 4 ft down

[@anneowen9288]

I really liked this video and I'm trying it for myself

[@mindseyeproductions8798]

Thanks Nick!

[@KennebecRedneck]

I'm just downriver in Augusta doing the same thing!

[@relentlessmadman]

I always wear boots when I am shoveling so i don't have to count my toes when I get home!

[@lolathebunny6735]

😂

[@jennifersanders9216]

This might sound like a silly question to send the view but to me it's not. Is there a difference between salt and freshwater clay? And if so do I use the same video or do I look for a different one?

[@Convolutedtubules]

I'm certain that saltwater clay behaves almost identically to most other clays. Hope it helps.

[@martadragan5961]

Yes, there is a difference. Sea clay often has more grease, like fat, and shrinks waaay more than sweet water clay. That's personal experience. I dug clay out of a few lakes, gardens, rivers and seas. Sea had gray, slimy, fat and very plastic clay, smooth and easy to manipulate. When it was drying it shrunk more and faster than orange brick like clay from lakes or woods.

[@jacquelinenicole6013]

You did great, well done.

[@denaoberski]

Thank you for the video. I hope you pay no attention to the immature comments by the trolls

[@chaitu70]

Dena Oberski yes he will!FEAR ME. 🤓

[@ScruffMcDuff45]

hey there great video! sooo i was wondering... how does the cleanness of the clay effect the heat resistance of the finished product, lets sayy if i wanna make a furnace? i see people use clay directly from the dig up and it often seems to crack after applying the heat.

[@carlfoster5942]

It must be dry, without air pockets, and should be heated slow. Some fire easy, and some need temper added. Expect much breakage until you have an idea of your material.

[@kidthebilly7766]

ok so there's a stream near my house that is about 7 feet in diameter and reaches 2 1/2 feet at most there are large pockets of clay under water and I can see them clearly I spent about an hour with my fingers digging at these pockets an got a ball of clay about 3 inches in diameter (a lot more than you would think) I put it next to an embankment that i made out of rocks and it is sitting in shallow water (no edges exposed) and I covered it with a big tree leaf to ensure that it wouldn't dry out, Is this a good way to store it temporarily (4 days-ish)

[@theoneandonly15]

It can be reused when wet but I guess as long as you have enough trapped moisture in it

[@boundforwonderland]

Thank you. This was very informative.

[@Faisal-ds1kb]

There is no single river in my country. Do you think I can find clay to work with next to a valley ??

[@adoido6654]

can we also use it for bricks making

[@TBrownRecords]

Cool video

[@authorcourtneywashburn]

rather than firing in a kiln can you bake this clay in the oven or it that not recommended?

[@ieatpaperclipsforbreakfast]

This kind of clay has to be fired at a temperature most kitchen ovens cannot reach, so it is not recommended and could potentially be dangerous if attempted.

[@anneowen9288]

I have a couple of questions for you, could you make more videos for this subject? Also, I live in apartment complex and am low on funds, frankly, I don't have a kiln and cannot make a fire pit, do you have any suggestions? I love how you said to thank the earth for the clay. That is always a good practice no matter what you take. :)

[@alfredosalinas1300]

Anne Owenput the clay outside exposed to the sun to make it dry

[@Meowskiii]

I used my kitchen oven! Works just fine! I had very poor quality clay due to me not properly getting the jist of things, so I added newspaper pulp (with a table spoon of glue and flour and salt) Bake small items at 200 for 4 hours. Or larger items at 225 for longer. Turning items over on a cookie sheet, covered with flour. Also, you can use an outdoor gas grill, depending on what winter means in your area for outdoors stuff.

[@elizabethhouse3495]

Could you fire this in a regular oven? If so, for how long and at what temperature?

[@ryangriepsma4018]

Elizabeth House no no, doesnt get hot enough. Building a fire will give better results

[@Sethxz]

Ryan Griepsma Yes building a fire is better. However, fire presents the challenge of cooling the clay slowly enough that it doesn't fracture.

[@theoneandonly15]

Nope not hot enough you can use a fire pit or furnace but companies use kilns which is an oven on steroids

[@anneowen9288]

A few more questions: can you make masks and abstract art from this clay, and how do you add color?

[@FremontLeland]

Paint

[@christilee1180]

Thank you. You did great!

[@parepidemosproductions4741]

"Earthenwares" 👌🏾 time to make a teapot!

[@martadragan5961]

How do you protect or treat clay for mould?

[@diegoj4382]

Please extend a bit your tutorial. The burning step is missing. The Clay that I found has the same color as your. But, when burning it in the kitchen oven, pieces explodes !! Other zones have red ground and clay. Can you explain the difference?

[@carlfoster5942]

My friend, you either had air pockets, or too much moisture. The video explains how to dig and process, not dry and fire.

[@Sethxz]

Kitchen oven doesn't get hot enough for one. Second, you had clay that wasn't fully dried and/or bubbles.

[@theoneandonly15]

Like they both said try and squeeze them air pockets outs that’s a reason the explode and make sure it’s bone dry also kitchen ovens aren’t hot enough you need a kiln or you can use a fire pit or furnace

[@theoneandonly15]

Also depends what type of rock it’s coming from you might have white clay if your area has lots of limestone

[@asefb9864]

Nice 👍 im gonna try this soon

[@WS-gw5ms]

I grew up next to a river. I noticed often the ground on the edges of the river smells terribly of rotting whatever. Is this where you dig for clay, or beneath it, in the river more?

[@lukes2219]

Wilson Solt lmao dig about three inches down about a half foot from the water then refine it with the bucket thing and shirt

[@theoneandonly15]

Probably because of decaying organisms like plants fungi bacteria all that

[@sebastiancardenasholik]

Love the vid man. Dont realy care if you read as long as what you say is valuable content. cheers!

[@scottandersen420]

Great job, I will go to a stream by our house and hopefully find clay. Thanks

[@St0N3RZoMBiE]

I started to find clay everywhere here at the beach I don't know why but I guess the once Sandy Beach is now just a clay beach there is weird rock formations like big rocks and pebbles but it's just clay not even a rock or pebble it's so strange all the shells clumped up and make a weird rock clay thing

[@aniketmahalankar495]

Can i make clay from black cotton soil?

[@auntyp2980]

Can this type of clay be used in a face mask?

[@Rosa-qg6es]

What heat does found clay do best at in the kiln?

[@MistressOP]

like pots for potted plants?

[@OffGridInvestor]

Take as much as you want.... you know my dads got a huge loader don't you??? Fortunately I believe I have both white/grey clay and black clay (lots of that) on my own property. Having said that the white/grey clay is so dense that wheat won't grow there. Only some thin grass.

[@krishnarajak621]

Can we make ganesha also or not

[@aeonyoda]

Thanks for the explanation :)

[@cummisk1]

Ned Schneebly

[@koraelzyt4547]

I'm subscribed nice man

[@diannewilson4049]

i found lovely clay after a nieghbor drilled a well beautiful clay ..has a little sand in some but some is very fine silt...its grey

[@KyleRevives]

I’m really interested in extracting fulvic acid from clay, anyone with advice I really appreciate it

[@bitcoin1385]

HI, can i just find and use the caly from my back garden?

[@theoneandonly15]

Clay is clay so yes is yes

[@amarachi4350]

Is the clay edible?

[@morganmaehooveay1736]

Now I really want to go to a river and get free clay and use it!

[@diannewilson4049]

amen for thanks a clean practices i live that

[@jazzgirlsreborns6330]

the earth cant to it it self. i cant do it my self. we all in this together

[@sunildhanessar1894]

thanks u are the best your cool

[@dabonthehaters925]

*you're

[@arslankhan9552]

can we used this clay in professional sculpture

[@luigimini2124]

Yes

[@ryanduvall4027]

nice lookin clay

[@parepidemosproductions4741]

I love clay

[@noiamhippyman]

Please make it more obvious that you're reading a script.... ;) Thanks for the info.

[@Britney24able]

Lol!!

[@roninnib6635]

Are you being sarcastic

[@bojackson3073]

What if my clay has half dirt half clay? is there a way to filter out the dirt?

[@carlfoster5942]

Mix a slurry and strain it. Let it sit and skim the top every 8 hours for one day. Scoop out the water. Plunge a tennis ball contain or some other clear tube longitudinally into the mixture to get a stratified example of what you must clean from the top. What is settle at the bottom will be much better quality.

[@carlfoster5942]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6Pcon1rfpiZaLM

[@theoneandonly15]

Dirt is much harder to break down so your best hope is not scrubbing too hard or cleaning as you will break up the dirt

[@bitcoin1385]

And can i use it for casting items?

[@carlfoster5942]

use "green sand"

[@theoneandonly15]

U can

[@abdulkarimhalai6708]

Wow!

[@KyleRevives]

1:52 thank your local habitat with nutrients! Compost your foodscraps and give them back 🙂

[@Sm0ke505]

Thx

[@khalilmunir3071]

Can I use red clay to make a crucible or bricks??

[@Chloe-hj8sg]

Probably, not sure

[@khalilmunir3071]

The Prophecies ok

[@theoneandonly15]

All clay is the same color means nothing tbh but sometimes clay can have different texture like it can be sandy or really soft

[@MrToxicB1izzard]

Putting all the hippy bullshit aside, this was a decent tutorial.

[@immortalsmaster1062]

is this air dry clay

[@Chloe-hj8sg]

Yes

[@AvidSurvivalist]

My clay is like cornstarch and water?

[@nexiamonae5654]

Thank you :)

[@desertblbuesman]

Thanks

[@justandroid1209]

It's like watching someone read a school project

[@chrismennega3042]

i think it was

[@TheLastZ0mbie]

"You will not be able to pernitrate it with your finger" 😮

[@indianacreekwalker4474]

is this a class project? if u have been doing this for awhile, no reason why this isn't all in that mother earth brain lol. nice video , maybe you are just a bit nervous

[@jycca]

I found clay when I dug in the sand at the creek behind my house I found a big piece

[@Octopussycats]

you really need to work on your flow when you read. I focused on that more than anything. it was so distracting

[@caseykreie1839]

or just don't read

[@raylow304]

coz you are not listening on the content. There are always people who got deluded on what they see then actually what they want to know about.

[@CircmcisionIsChi1dAbus3]

totally agree, there was no point in recording you reading poorly, you could have simply did a voice over to your extraction process and actually fucking DO what you were saying you were doing. Even thanking the clay and remembering...whatever it is you were remembering.

[@sethmanson]

Good lord yes

[@nataliegist2014]

Some people have disorders that don't allow them to be as perfect as you all seem to be. A lot of people have fears of speaking in public. And alot have learning disabilities.

[@karattkensair9891]

I'd like to see some of your art

[@lakramramdial834]

can u make it in guyana

[@wterryfox5314]

thankyou.x

[@insertname9581]

why was my first thought: *it looks like you're going to bury a dead body*

[@cassandrasol7471]

*Thank GOD for the land that you just took the clay from.

[@shitmonk7498]

Fuck yeah! Thank you man you a real nigga

[@mossfrog1433]

Poob Ah Was it necessary to curse?

[@levianderson1434]

Galaxy Wolf Shut up its his comment five year old

[@mossfrog1433]

Levi Anderson ??? I'm sorry Did you call me a five year old? Because I'm 11 years old

[@minecraftvideossteamgames1949]

Galaxy Wolf your still too young to be on youtube without a parent or guardian constant supervision besides, who cares if he cursed, ever hear of free speech.

[@professorpannell4824]

I have a gigantic 6 foot tall pile of clay I’m fry yard from digging a koi pond

[@goopy2585]

The clay I got is already so wet I think I can just let it sit to dry out a little... It's really wet, lol.