There is a certain point where clay gets where it just isn't going to absorb
water easily. When it gets this dry I let it dry all the way, break it up
(put it in a heavy burlap bag and use a sledge hammer), and drop the pieces
(no bigger than a fist is the size I limit it to) int a plastic burlap or
canvas bag and put this bag into a 5 gallon bucket with hot water that has
had some vinegar added to it (.5-1 Cup?). Let this soak until all the clay
is wet through and hang the bag so it releases the excess water and dries to
the point of workability. I would be lost without a plaster board to wedge
clay into a workable consistency.

If I were to mix wet clay with drier clay (which I avoid because it is such
hard work), I would only do it in small batches and I would ram wedge, cut
and slam, wedge some more and keep on cutting and mixing until I could not
detect separate bodies. I would put this in a really wet bag and let it set
for a week.

Just my 2 cents on how I like to work.

Donna
"Kees Kroozr" wrote in message
...
Wow, this is both enlightnening and encouraging. I have some real old
clay sitting wrapped up and aging in storage and I was hesitant to even
try using it. My shop is not heated and its real brutal to try to work
clay in the cold, so I've got some 500 pounds just waiting for warmer
days. Right now Spring is breaking here in Tennessee and although I was
planning on buying fresh clay, I don't have pug mill money, I'm going
give this old stuff a try. Everytime I visit here I learn something
new, lol, about the second oldest profession.