How to Reclaim Clay // how to recycle clay without a pug mill and how to reclaim clay at home

[@deerhearted]

I do mine a little differently... Always let my throwing water settle overnight, pour off the water (use it for throwing again) and dump all the sludge into my reclaim bucket, add in dry pieces when I have them. When my reclaim bucket gets full I dump it onto my plaster bat and wedge when it's dry enough. This way I'm never managing dry bits of clay that might make a lot of dust.

[@taishanaomi]

But doesn’t the clay and water get like funky and smelly after a while? I was wondering that about her sludge buckets too like don’t they grow bacteria?

[@deerhearted]

@@taishanaomi Sure, they do after a whole but I pour or off the excess water every day or so and do a small batch of reclaim probably each week.

[@shaynaanderson3014]

I wouldn’t have known the slip works better than water but makes so much sense! How do you like to wash your clay covered cloths? I’m assuming I can’t just throw them in the wash.

[@TSIRKLAND]

I'm an effects makeup artist: I sculpt masks, prosthetics, etc. Sometimes out of water-based clay, more often out of an oil or wax-based clay, but then will use a water-based clay for the mold-making process. Point is, I use a fair amount of water-based clay, but never ever fire it. It gets molded, or used to make a mold, then is done. It dries out, and I need to buy more fresh clay for the next project. I've never just thrown out the dried-up clay, because I know that it "can" be re-used, but have not gotten around to figuring out that process. It's starting to build up. This video was very helpful, thanks! I have a whole bunch of dried-out clay- it may have some bits of plaster, or silicone, or urethane plastic in it. But for my purposes that's okay, because it doesn't really have to be all that fine, and I'll never be firing it in a kiln, so impurities are acceptable. But if I can re-claim all (or most) of that old dried clay, that saves me buying new clay for my next mold wall. I'll get to working on this soon; so glad I found your tutorial!

[@TSIRKLAND]

I'm slightly concerned about the water / slip difference. I don't have a slip container; I never use it in my work. All I have is dried-out clay, and tap water. I don't need the same amount of elasticity that a wheel-thrower does; I'm not playing with it to that degree, so I guess I'll probably be okay. Would taking some fresh clay from the bag, getting it wet to make a slip, and using that be beneficial? Or just water, and go with it?

[@AnaMT-es7or]

​​@@TSIRKLANDusing the reclaim throwing water replaces the very fine particles suspended in the water. But since you don't wash the fine particles out, you've still got them in your recycle clay and don't need to replace. However, depending on how much contaminants there are in the reclaim clay, you may want to combine some fresh clay with your reclaim when you prepare the clay for use.

[@blindpilot9403]

( 13:35 ) Wunderbar! This explains the decline of plasticity in my reclaimed clay in comparison to the SAME clay out of the box/bag stock. Thank you for this excellent vlog.

[@PotterytothePeople]

glad I could help! 😄

[@Zeldur]

4:40 For searching terms, Muslin will be the best. Muslin is unbleached, undyed 100% cotton fabric. I think it does come in different weights but the most common is about broadcloth level. I keep forgetting how much I miss ceramic building

[@dayanaclaghorn]

A plaster bat tutorial would be awesome. I used to make plaster bats long ago and I've completely forgotten how to do it.

[@PotterytothePeople]

Its coming up in the next weeks!

[@annekauffman7573]

Excellent tutorial on reclaim! Highly recommended for anyone who’s working in a home studio. I now feel confident to tackle that muddy bucket in my studio and revive the clay therein 😊

[@gunnerjenrich]

I was watching your videos earlier today and was thinking how I need to reclaim so much clay soon so this was perfect timing to refresh my mind on things. Your videos are always so helpful :)

[@PotterytothePeople]

yay! 😄

[@choochooloolootv-hindipoem2261]

Different pottery vlog

[@classicbandgeek]

Yes please to a video showing how to make the Plaster Bats / Plaster Slabs!

[@espressomakesmep00p]

Thank you very much! Have you done video about foodsafe pottery? I don't see as much videos about why firing at certain temperature is important, what is water absorption in ceramics etc.

[@jacquelynmcclure4322]

❤ thank you so very much for your informative and detailed videos. I lost much of my vision about eight years ago and started ceramic classes at the blind center here in San Jose, California. I was brand new to this art form so when I found your videos it was a game changer! I am wondering if you can do a couple or one video at least on how to make a slab bowl using a drape mold. I seem to do all right until it comes to cutting around the ball and having an even edge and sometimes putting a foot on gets a little complicated for me. This may sound like a very simple task yes it is a movement that is used very frequently no matter what is being made… A platter or bowl, etc., any help that you may offer will be greatly appreciated.

[@fmsnzil]

Love this. And your plaster bats are really nice! I learnt that if you prop up your plaster bat (some people use short kiln stilts), it allows air to circulate under the bat, so it becomes less waterlogged.

[@adikspray]

Thank You!!!! Pls do the How To for the plaster mold :)

[@Handmadebygas]

Yes do the video tutorial please

[@PotterytothePeople]

ok will do 😄

[@adikspray]

@@PotterytothePeople Nice!!! :)

[@carlottasolari5174]

This was very useful, thank you! (Especially seeing your technique of reclaiming clay without having a plaster bat)

[@5tarwhirl]

Thank you for sharing! I never thought of the fabric and plastic bin. 💡! I want to do a plaster system eventually but I'm tight on space.

[@bensalzbergguitar]

Thanks! I just finished my first bag of clay and want to reclaim the slip and scraps, I made a plaster bat so I will be using that method. Love your channel!

[@maddoochamow]

Super cool, thank you! it was veru usefull to see a method without plaster! :)

[@jessicareed8140]

What do you do with the cloth and towel. Do you throw them into a washing machine as is or clean them another way. I'm setting up a home studio and find your videos very very helpful. Especially the water filtering system. Thank you!!!

[@sandrahoward5047]

I was wondering the exact same thing. I’m trying to be more cognizant of dust and properly disposing of clay water. I certainly wouldn’t put them in the washing machine. In the past, in warmer weather, I have a rock garden and lay my clay ridden items over the rocks. I rinse them with the garden hose and flip over. But during the winter, that’s difficult to do, at least where I live.

[@hm862]

Thanks so much for this video! Very useful, as I am just setting up my own "recycling line" for my white clay at the studio I go to. I have made a plaster-bat, but the plaster powder was a mix of plaster AND gypsum.... And the bat is still moist. Can I even use that mix or should I stay away from gypsum?

[@genakey5044]

thank you, helpful video! Please share how you make your plaster bats.

[@melissachavez1837]

This was so helpful, thank you! ❤

[@aubreytauer7308]

Do you have a video on your shelves??? I’m really interested in building something similar and it looks like you can somehow adjust the shelves height, but I’m not sure how you are connecting the horizontal wood to the vertical…also looks like you don’t maybe actually have shelves per se, but you put your ware boards on the braces…would love to know more!

[@ixchelssong]

In the studio where I worked we had 3 different types of shelving . 1) shelves built into walls held glazes and lots of miscellaneous storage. 2) old bookshelves held some drying items, but also most of our supplies and tools. 3) We had some old bakery tray holders. (Maybe you can find on ebay or something similar.) We would put most of our drying pieces on boards in those. You can place the boards with as much space between them as makes sense. We had another room with kilns and more shelves for drying, finished pieces, and other miscellaneous stuff.

[@tuchiramirez5038]

Awesome explanation, thank you!

[@heatherbaldwin2099]

Thanks for demystifying this process!

[@huthomas9662]

What do you think about mixing the clay up bevore drying it out?

[@aleksandrafigat4137]

Ah this is SO helpful! Thank you so much!! x

[@maurad5378]

New subscriber! Love your channel! So many good tips! Thank you!

[@Soulerrun]

Can you use plaster bats? I would love to see a plaster form video for large bowls! Thanks

[@chengchingzoe8664]

Your videos are very helpful, thank you . Would be great if you can make a video of making plaster bat

[@abittwisted]

Yes a plaster batt how to would be good.

[@leighperry2404]

Yeah I would really like seeing a tut on the plaster, please.

[@TenaciousWorkshop]

Great explanations - especially why you should use the slip liquid instead of just water whenever possible! Thank you! Also, I would love to watch a video about your plaster batts. I understand the concept, but you have a lovely way of teaching and I’m sure I would learn more from you about it! For example, I did not know you could use a plaster batt to throw on and I’m incredibly curious about this! Especially how you may need different techniques when removing your piece so you don’t gouge the plaster by accident? So, yes please! A video about plaster! 😊

[@PotterytothePeople]

will do! 😄

[@alans1816]

Thanks for all your tutorials! I’m wondering about clay transformed by firing: it can’t be reused as clay, but can’t it be used as grog? Is there a good way to powder it for that?

[@PotterytothePeople]

So much to say! I'm going to make a whole video on that soon :)

[@knightclan4]

I am about to make some drying bats and recycle 3 buckets I think I will run my clay through a sieve before drying. I had little chunks that didn't slake out last time.

[@fatmaalrayes8275]

Is it a must to cover the clay after putting in the plaster?

[@mctennis3579]

This video was awesome. Thank you

[@micheledickey4066]

Your system is soo impressive! I’ve seen so many people mix their reclaim! I can’t even imagine doing that! Lol.

[@PotterytothePeople]

I used to mix my reclaim too and honestly this way is so much easier 😅

[@apcoronado]

Does keeping reclaim in buckets get moldy at all? I saw a sink clay trap bucket with green growth and wondered how to prevent that.

[@JazzyFizzleDrummers]

I dont know much, but I know some people throw with moldy clay for the different set of properties

[@joycechan1573]

What respiratory mask and filter would you recommend?

[@missyrnmissyrn7479]

Yes. I would love for you to show how to make plaster bats

[@KtSteg03]

I made your plaster bat recipe with pottery plaster no 1 using the bottom of laundry basket as a mold. I let it dry for two weeks and wiped the dust off. When I reclaimed clay after 24 hours I went to flip. The plaster peeled off on the clay in spots. Any tips? 😊

[@freedomstaying-free8162]

What are those adorable little, smiley globes that you're placing in your kiln at the start of this video? Do you have a video demi on those 🤞

[@melissarosespencer]

What do you do with the water you took off the top please? Also how do you store your wedged clay?

[@BenLe42]

That was fascinating, thanks!

[@banthony-h6599]

😊 thanks

[@canadastravelnewstravel5493]

Another great video. Thanks

[@____Ann____]

13:14 great that you mention this! A lot of videos don't and then people throw away their slip and their reclaim becomes 'short' (not plastic).

[@gwenblake3875]

Thank you! He do you decide which method of reclaim to use? The towel or the plaster bats?

[@PotterytothePeople]

I use plaster bats! Less cleanup and works best in a busy studio. Towel method is best for folks making only a small amount of work at home and dont want to make/store plaster bats, I think :)

[@barbarab285]

I’ve use the plaster method to reclaim. Recently I’ve noticed the corners of the plaster have started to decompose & flake. Any ideas what might be causing that? Im very careful not to let the clay touch the edges of the plaster but should I be worried about tiny plaster flakes getting into the clay?

[@dgf2627]

Can anything be added to the sludge water, to keep it fresh/not smelly?

[@ourmcvideos]

To our class water that we use to clean our tools, we add a small amount of bleach. I believe they eventually reclaim the clay from the bottom of this huge trash can.

[@pollysmith5014]

Really helpful, thank you!

[@CookbooksonRepeat]

Another great video!! Do you not mix the reclaim after it’s been hydrated? I’ve seen other videos where people either mix by hand or use a drill with a paint mixing bit to thoroughly mix the clay up.

[@PotterytothePeople]

i do not! thats the benefit to letting it dry before rehydrating😄

[@kathymikulin9006]

I have a question? why is my bucket that I use to put my scrap waste water and Clay from throwing a on the wheel smell I keep a lid on it in between thrown before I recycling it. Tks

[@gabrielepichler]

what do you do if you have mold on your dried clay pieces?

[@lindypeters3465]

Thank you hugely❤

[@alusru8508]

Can I put moist clay scraps into the oven to let them dry faster? (like at about 150 degrees Celsius) Or does it already change the clay too much? Im living in an apartment so it would be nice to dry them in the oven faster until I have enough dry clay to reclaim :)

[@PotterytothePeople]

I dont see any reason why not :)

[@alusru8508]

@@PotterytothePeople cool thanks for the quick reply!! 🤗

[@JenTargaryen]

Thank you so much!

[@t-jsstuff1744]

What do you with all the clay at the bottom of your slip bucket

[@KendraWilson]

Could not have been better timing as my reclaim bucket rapidly reaches its capacity!

[@PotterytothePeople]

hehe i know the feeling!

[@corikublank]

Is there a specific reason you pour the extra liquid after soaking into the waste bucket and not the slip bucket? I can understand if you used water, but if you soaked the clay in slip, couldn't you just pour it back where you took it from?

[@PotterytothePeople]

I could have poured it into the slip bucket! I was just lazy haha

[@krissader4855]

Thanks

[@lindypeters3465]

Would like to see a plaster batt made

[@evasivamente]

Hello Mia, thank you for the excellent video! I was just wondering how do you wash your cloths... Where I work they throw them away, but in my new studio I would obviously love to reuse them!!! Love! Eva

[@PotterytothePeople]

woah that's wasteful! I just wash them in my normal washing machine! Haven't had any problems yet. I do the max number of rinse cycles though, and if the towel is really muddy, I will put it outside to be washed by the rain before washing in the machine. I've been doing this for 5 years without a problem.

[@creativehands4361]

What form did you use to make your plaster bats?

[@carolhayward2414]

How do I make the plaster forms❤

[@cindyrodger4867]

😊 genius

[@lamardon9723]

I know that plaster is more hygroscopic (absorbent) than concrete but concrete doesn't deteriorate or flake off particles. It's a tradeoff.

[@UsDiYoNa]

0:55 ypu actually can, it just has to be made into sherds or powdered into temper

[@kappagrapes]

Is there a reason that you pour off the water from the top of your reclaim into your waste bucket and not back into the reclaim system? Is there not enough clay in that water to be worth reclaiming? Also, the poking the holes into the drying clay reminds me of making focaccia, it's the same motion of poking a big soft rectangle with your fingers... I bet the clay is not nearly as tasty.

[@BenLe42]

I would love to see a plaster batt video

[@johnkellett3631]

How to make tea pots.

[@bogusF]

As a fine arts teacher, the sad reality is that reclaiming clay the traditional way is too expensive. I can't afford that kind of time and space loss, when the alternative is to just buy another cheap batch of fresh clay. I still recycle used bits when I'm not super stressed, but instead of letting it dry and then creating a slip, I barely over moisturize large batches in a stable plastic bag and give it lots of time. After a month or two, the result needs a slap and is usually ready to go. If it's too moist, I can give it a day or to of fresh air. Of course, this method doesn't yield as consistent results, but it uses way less of my time which is the important part.

[@sidequest8476]

ReCLAYm methods

[@aubreytauer7308]

So you don’t mix up your reclaim with a paint/drywall mixer? That is a really important step to completely homogenize it, get rid of any lumps, and make sure the water coats all the clay particles. For a smaller amount like in your jar you can use an immersion blender. Many people even put their reclaim through a sieve, while I don’t do that, as someone who makes almost all her own clays, using a power mixer is really important, and I don’t mean using a Soldner mixer, that is not using the slip mixing method of mixing clay. Also its a really good idea when drying out the clay instead of using cones to make them into little upside down Us so both sides are touching the plaster bats and that way it dries way faster and way way more evenly.

[@PotterytothePeople]

You don't need to mix if you let your clay dry out! That's why I do it this way :) So much easier. I only heard of people using a sieve for something like slip-trailing. Otherwise it would take the grog out?

[@aubreytauer7308]

@@PotterytothePeople I do let my clay dry out, but in order for the water to thoroughly coat each particle of clay it needs to be slurry mixed with a fairly high speed mixer. That is how clay is made every where by professional clay suppliers (except for the US, which is too lazy except for STARWorks in North Carolina and dry mixes clay) by high speed slurry mixing and filter pressing, which dewatering through sheets/pillowcases/canvas/on plaster is the home way to approximate filter pressing. Your clay really will not be as plastic and as workable if it is not thoroughly mixed. Whether you use a sieve or not depends on the clay and the individual, many if not most clays don’t have grog or sand and sieving with a 60 mesh won’t remove those unless you have really huge grog/sand size. But sieving makes sure that there are absolutely not lumps and also helps reduce air entrapment and filters out a ton of gunk that reclaim tends to pick up like pet or human hair, sponges, ribs, chamois, all sorts of stuff that end up in reclaim. It is pretty much the standard to at least mix it extremely well with some kind of high powered mixer, even if you dry it out- trust me I make all my clay into paperclay, just dissolving it in water does not mix it up well, I have to thoroughly mix the completely dried out clay that has soaked in water at least overnight before I can mix in the cellulose, and I also make most of my own clays from scratch now so I do this A LOT. The clay is very uneven and in the case of grog or sand it will usually settle to the bottom if left in water and needs to be well mixed back into the rest of the clay. Sieving is more to make sure all the icky or sharp stuff that can get in clay is removed, and is more personal preference.

[@blessedwearee]

oh noooo i was hoping to see the final color. But thanks anyway!

[@KathyWood-wd5ny]

Why are you making it more complicated than it needs to be? why use a jar when it can only hold such a little bit?

[@jungtothehuimang]

She was just doing a small amount to show how it is done, she didn't need a bigger jar for the amount of clay she had.