Reclaiming clay - with or without lumps?

"dkat" wrote in message
.net...
Just a note... I only dry out my clay for recycling if it has reached the
leather hard stage. Other wise I just throw it in a bucket with water in
it
for reclaiming later. When we had a large studio everyone put their clay
for recycling in a large trash can. When the clay reached to top we would
dump it out on the cement porch and do the "I Love Lucy" grape dance in
it.
That was some 25+ years ago though. I can't even imagine emptying a large
trash can of clay now. It sure was fun dancing through it though.

If you ever do a "remake" of the I Love Lucy stomping, let me know so I can
come join! Sounds like GREAT fun!!! :-D

Usually, I am reclaiming clay straight from the wheel - either just turned
or really sloppy that is gooping all over my fingers.... is it OK to just
dump that in water instead? I've read that pre-dried clay soaks up the water
better than wet clay... but you are saying that reclaiming wet/leather-hard
clay works just as well?

Marianne

Leather hard clay will not absorb the water so that I dry out completely but
my slop, wet trimming (the stuff you scrape off the wheel, cut from the
bottom outside edge, uneven trimmed lip, etc), pots that died in the
throwing (oops! that foot was a bit too thin after all) I just throw in a
bucket and let the water evaporate to a point of the clay being 'wedgeable'.
This I throw out on a plaster board if it is too wet but almost there, poke
a bunch of holes in it for faster drying and then start wedging as soon is
it is not 'muddy'. I have thrown trimmings from making the foot into it as
well. When the clay is that small it will take in water even if it is
leather hard.

"Bubbles" wrote in message
...

"dkat" wrote in message
.net...
Just a note... I only dry out my clay for recycling if it has reached
the
leather hard stage. Other wise I just throw it in a bucket with water
in
it
for reclaiming later. When we had a large studio everyone put their
clay
for recycling in a large trash can. When the clay reached to top we
would
dump it out on the cement porch and do the "I Love Lucy" grape dance in
it.
That was some 25+ years ago though. I can't even imagine emptying a
large
trash can of clay now. It sure was fun dancing through it though.

If you ever do a "remake" of the I Love Lucy stomping, let me know so I
can
come join! Sounds like GREAT fun!!! :-D

Usually, I am reclaiming clay straight from the wheel - either just turned
or really sloppy that is gooping all over my fingers.... is it OK to just
dump that in water instead? I've read that pre-dried clay soaks up the
water
better than wet clay... but you are saying that reclaiming
wet/leather-hard
clay works just as well?

Marianne