Turn this, into this, to create this. In this video I'm going to show you an
easier less messy way to recycle your bone-dry clay.
Hi, Marie here from Pottery Crafters where I show you fun pottery making
videos with tips tools and techniques for the beginner Potter's. Many Potter's
from experienced to beginners don't want to or even don't know how to recycle
clay and I was no different. At first recycling looked pretty messy and hard
to do. As I watched them slop and slush the clay on the plaster mold I thought I
don't want to do this. But I also didn't want to waste my clay, so I tried it and
I didn't like it. There had to be an easier way for me not to waste my clay.
After trying different ways, I discovered an easier more manageable less messy way
to recycle my clay. Let's get recycling.
This is all you'll need to recycle your clay. Pillowcases or a pouch, you may have
seen these. Sheets come in these. This is very convenient. I love using
these pouches. Ties, a hook, and a place to hook your clay. Be creative, a tree, two
chairs and a pipe, your closet. Think of somewhere you could hang your clay.
Buckets. You need at least two buckets. Plastic bags, make sure you have some
with no holes in them. A wear board. Now, mine is 12 by 16. I really like this size.
it's very convenient for me, but you can have one larger or smaller, it doesn't
matter. Whatever is more convenient for you. A drop cloth or you can use like
real tight fabric so the cloth doesn't get into your clay at all and the
particles from the cloth. So the drop cloth works really good for me and it
doesn't have to be that big either.
A hammer of course. With the hammer you're gonna want safety glasses. I've
had clay fly up in my face already and if you're indoors you will want to use
one of these dust masks. I love this one, it's so comfortable and lightweight. It's
great for glazing and working with dry clay. First thing you want to do is dry
out any wet clay you have. I like to use a plastic on my wear board that's so the
wear board does not wear out as fast and it's very convenient. I found
doing it this way works best for me.
Take your wet clay and place it on your plastic, then you want to press it down
as flat as you can.
Whoopsy! Make sure it doesn't slide off your wear bored, like that. Wash your
hands.
Now take a pillowcase and take your hole wear board and place the clay right
inside the pillowcase. I like to do this actually for two reasons. One, air gets in
and your clay will dry out, and two no debris or bugs are going to get on to
your clay while it's drying. Tie it up and wait. Now depending on the climate
you live in it could take a couple of weeks or a week. For me about four or five days.
Because I live in the desert I have an advantage. Now through the miracle of
video the clay is dry.
What you have to do is untie it. Now you'll want to check it from time to
time but to make sure that it's dry but she's dry.
Snoopy! Oh my goodness you hate to have to break it up.
Take your drop cloth place Snoopy on the drop cloth.
You can put it back on the wear bored if you like. Take your safety glasses and as
I said earlier if you're indoors make sure you have your dust mask, use your
dust mask. Here's the fun part, start breaking up the clay. Buy Snoopy. All done.
Take your clay put it in the bucket.
Now you fill your pillowcase or pouch whichever is fine. I like to do the pouch.
Just put the pillowcase or pouch around your bucket pour some dry clay. Now I
like to pour in about 2 to 4 pounds of wedgable clay because it's more
manageable for me. You can put in more if you like or less whatever is manageable
and wedgable for you. After I place the dry clay I just wrapped the pillowcase
or the pouch around the dry clay. This helps it dry out more evenly. Then I take
another pouch or pillowcase and I place the clay inside again to dry out more
evenly. When I just used one it actually dried out a little too much on the top
because the air got at it. So having 2 works great for me.
Now we tie up the pillowcase and place it in a bucket of water and let it soak.
Now I placed my pillowcase into the water and I would leave it here for at
least a day. Make sure there's enough water in your bucket and I like to cover
my bucket especially being outside because I really don't want debris
insects or animals to get into the water. After a day I check my clay and I'll
feel it and it feels nice and smooth no lumps in it then I know it's time to
hook it onto my branch. Take my pillowcase cover the bucket. Water goes
right through the pillowcase and I wait. I will let it sit out for a couple of
days. Then
through the magic of video, it's a couple of days and I checked my clay. It's
still a bit mushy, I have to wait another day. After another day. Hummingbird
After another day, come out
check my clay. Feels wedgable to me. Take it down and wedge it out. Like I had
said earlier depending on the climate you live in really dictates how long
it's going to take for your clay to dry. Now I can feel that this is wedgable.
Also when you unwrap it from your cloth
it will peel right off and you can feel it.
It just feels really nice so you know it's ready to wedge. Give it a
little slam. That wedges nicely. Nice and malleable. Workable. Oh yeah
that's nice.
There you go, nice wedgable sized recycled clay. Just take a bag with no
holes in it tie it up. I don't like to use these twist ties because I found
that they can poke into the plastic. I've had a few of them do that. I like to use
the rubber band twist it up.
Now take your marker
and put the type of clay that it is. Especially if you have different kinds
of clays. Amoco 46 and you can put the date also. I like to use the older clay
first. This is cone 10 and this is cone 5
In this video, I showed you an easier way to recycle your clay. I like doing it
this way because it's not as messy and smaller amounts are much easier to
handle. If you have any recommendations or other tips or small items to make
definitely post those in the comment section below. Some of the best feedback
and tips come from you. Thanks for checking out this video subscribe if you
haven't already and hit the notification bell for other videos from Pottery
Crafters in the future for more helpful pottery making tips and tools. Keep
making that beautiful pottery. Remember our goal is progress over perfection.
See you next time.