To measure temper to wet process I create a flat disc of the clay, cut out a pie wedge, make a snake out of removed bit and frame the section removed from the disc (like you're adding crust on your pie) and fill the missing space with temper. Quarter wedge removed will give you 20% mixture.
Dry is great if you live in a dry area where you can get dry clay naturally. Living in a wetter environment its easier to start the process wet. Love the comparison.
Believe it or not we have a rainy season here in Arizona and during that time it is hard to get dry clay and humidities are rather high. During this time I just leave my clay sitting out in my studio and let it air dry, it's still less work in my opinion.
Great introduction to dry processing...I've always done wet. I have a large strainer that is made to fit over a sink for washing vegetables, etc., and which has mesh about the size of window screen. I put the clay through that, washing it through as part of the wetting process, then levigate it, and like Micki (see comment below) pour off several times, though I don't use a siphon at the end. The use of the pillowcase is brilliant--I hadn't tried that. I have read that storing native clays wet actually helps to make them more plastic--the organic particles in it start to decay some, and makes it more workable. I wait until mine is a good moisture level for workability, and then make them into softball-sized balls, put them in labeled ziplocks, and store them in a sealed 5-gallon bucket. Then they're ready to pull out whenever I have a chance to work on them. Since I live in NM, a softball sized chunk is about what I can work up without it getting too dry. If I need more, I pull out another ball. Since several of them will fit in one ziplock, over time the slightly drier balls absorb moisture from the slightly wetter ones, and so I wind up with nice consistent moisture levels from one ball to another in the same bag.
I appreciate seeing both methods. I plan on doing a pottery project with my 6 year old son based off of your videos. We're going to attempt the wet processing method first for the fun of getting messy together. I'll take on the hard labor part of adding temper. I just have to remember where I put my sand or I might lose my temper ;)
Hi Andy! The answer to your question why you get a much smaller volume through the wet method may be that you have sieved the clay, whereas there was no sieving in the dry method, so you're using a purified clay with the wet method and have cast out a great deal of it. Great thanks for your videos, they are very inspiring, archaeologists included, and I am aiming to start to make the kind of Prehistoric pottery I usually find in northern Greece (which is also hand made, burnished and open fired), it's just a question of finding the time and I am preparing the kind of tools I might need according to your videos.
A wet density check can show you the difference in weights. But you also have higher compaction on wet processing due to refined particle size. So some density was lost through screening through any type of cloth. Particle size distribution also plays into the size differences. Great video.
I really like the dry processing, and went ahead and got a grinder based on your recommendation. Thanks for posting this. However, I've done wet processing, and did it just a little differently. I didn't use the pillow case, although I did run the slurry through a screen. It took a lot longer, but I didn't do as much work. I let the mixed clay settle overnight, poured off some clear water, let it settle again, then used a rubber tube to siphon off most of the rest of the water. At this point you can add the sand, and it mixes in pretty easily. Then I just let the bucket sit outside for a couple more days... or less, depending on how hot and dry it is. I live in AZ too. You DO need to check it to keep it from drying out too much, and if it's pretty wet, I give it a stir. The yield is much higher, but this won't work if you're in a hurry.
Thanks for the rundown Micki, there are a million ways to do it and no "right way". It's whatever works for you. I have another video where I go through the levigation process, that is really the long way.
And I despise the wet method. I just want clay to create already. This is not good for indigenous-inspired artists because I doubt the adobe for pueblos or Mediterranean pottery was made using buckets and sieves and pillowcases for days, nothing would get built.
My biggest hurdle with implementing the dry method is that my clay is quite contaminated with organic matter. I can't see how the fibrous roots and soil in various levels of decay can be removed before the grinder stage. Otherwise this vid has helped with me streamlining my wet process as it doesn't generate nearly as much as I would like to play with.
I'm glad it helped you. I have dealt with small amounts of organic matter, but yours sounds like its a whole different level. This method doesn't work for all clays, so maybe it just isn't the method for your clay. Good luck.
I don't think he is describing the 'refining' process of dirt to clay. I was also very confused why he wasn't using dirt, and where he got his supply of already dry and refined clay. Some users here, like myself, have come for bushcraft knowledge on how to make clay from out in the woods.
@@HaloWolf102 I feel like the simple answer to why he's using clay rather than dirt is that Andy's found a good clay source within driving distance as opposed to the bushcraft approach where much of everything is done in situ. Clay does naturally form and collect in the way Andy finds it whereas what I'm dealing with is probably a 60/40 or 80/20 split of "refined" clay and "bush" clay but beggars can't be choosers since I'm walking about 20ft to where I dig clay vs driving 20 mins
@@A.L.75 Simon seems to have a long-spanning youtube history of videos so on first inspection I can't seem to find the video you are meaning. Sifting the clay is definitely the most viable method I have explored but with fine roots and bark fragments that go down to a few millimetres I've only found wet filtration works. It actually results in pretty decent slips but I'm yet to try using them.
@@HaloWolf102 I have the same question. How did he get to the clay he is starting with at the dry process? My clay would be dug from the ground and have dirt and organic matter mixed in too.
Andy, your videos are amazing. The presentation is professional and very on the nose/to the point, and I cannot express how much I appreciate that. The best pottery professor on CZcams, everyone.
Wow! Your channel is a revelation! Thank you for your superb work and good style. Boy, I wish I'd found your videos a long time ago. The dry method makes a world of sense. I've been wet-processing wild clay--and as pleased as I've been with the prettied systems I've created, the process seems cumbersome and wasteful. (Though I have been capturing the waste water and levigating it to render a fine powder.) And all that just to turn around and dry it out entirely for storage!? I can't wait to tackle my next batch with your more elegant method. And save waterplay for pigments. Thanks again for your great videos. I'm soon on my way to watching them all. Aloha!
Exactly, SO wasteful and it's taking FOREVER and there's a mess EVERYWHERE. and it takes the fun and adventure and spirit out of art. The dry method is what I thought up in my head as a means to an end after staring at a bucket of dirty water waiting. But apparently, it makes sense to just...get soil and wet it a bit and lump it and dry it. Idk WHY people do the wet method????
Andy I use both methods depending on the clay. If it is wet and has sand and gravel in it I use the wet method. I also weigh the clay before soaking as a reference for the temper. Each method for different materials and locations / weather conditions. Sometimes a batch may take 3 weeks to dry but once you have several batches going that's not a problem. Just keep processing at regular intervals, cheers
Thanks Andy! I imagine it is less stressful in a moist climate like England. Here if I forget to check the clay every 4 hours or so I can end up with an adobe brick.
@@AncientPottery Andy, opposite here, in mid December I had a trough of wet clay freeze solid, didn't seem to harm it but slowed things down for a week or so. Cheers
I suppose it depends on where I sourced it from. Most of the clay I find does have a pretty large amount of random crap in it. Mostly organic matter, some rocks, good amount of sand.
L9ok forward to your vids every week ...best teacher ever in my opinion...other channels don't explain in depth what is required to make a pot...thank you!
I dug a wide shallow hole, added water and some clay-ish soil, and trod around in it for a few minutes. Then I let the water seep into the ground. Two hours later I ended up with a two inch layer of clay on a bed of sand. I scooped it out, but after watching this, I think next time I will let it dry out and then harvest it to process dry.
Great...(could have a wire to quarting the clay at final stage, help get mor homogenous moister in the claybody). Also I when it s a slip stage, I use to separate a part it for finer engobe, by siphon the top part of the bucket after let seetle a bit, giving really fine slip close to terra siligata...I have a large jar, very thick and porous (add vegetal carbon into the bodyclay), it s a bsorbing very well extra moisture.
I was wondering if you adjust your temper to allow for the natural impurities of dry processing verses the straining out during the wet. In your video you mentioned the same percentage in both processes. After reading the comments, I understand it's all about the clay itself, but noticed you didn't have a different percentage noted. I recently moved to the south and have discovered clay all over my property, in particular some nice veins of bluish white and tan amongst the predominantly red areas along my mineral stream beds. Just for fun I've been wet processing it in various batches and combinations for over a year now. I have a couple of hundred pounds in blocks stored. There are no classes near me that I can find, so I'm very happy I have found these videos! I haven't done a thing with the clay and haven't been able to figure out how to fire it if I did. I've read conflicting information regarding whether or not open fire temperatures get high enough for stoneware or dishware, and that different clays have an optimal firing temperature. How do you test wild clay to know it's range of what you CAN do with it?
Yes, always adjust your temper proportions based on the grit that is naturally in your clay. 20% is just a good overall starting place. Outdoor firings are fine but you cannot reach stoneware temperatures without a kiln or even get hot enough to melt glaze. All you can do in an outdoor firing is earthenware, something like a bisque firing.
Somewhere I picked up that clay contains about 30% water....so weigh ..back out 30%...weigh and add the temper...here in La. it takes a good 5 days to dry clay in a pillow case....that grinder you have is wonderful...
I always wet process my recycled clay. When I pour the water off the top, I stop when the fine sediment starts to pour out. I let the bucket rest for a couple of hours and start removing the excess water by floating a sponge on the surface, then pillow case it. It's more work, but when using the recycled clay I am mindful of my efforts and less prone to carelessly waste it a 2nd time. BTW, I prefer adding paper, or cotton instead of sand.
Clay is precious and when you process it yourself you are definitely more mindful of waste. Cotton or paper will make for a porous clay, why would that be desirable?
@@AncientPottery DISCLAIMER: Adding paper to clay wasn't my invention. Many years ago Clay Times magazine did an article on the benefits of "paper clay". At the time I was having a problem with cracks developing in my large slab-formed pieces. I decided to swap the sand for paper and it solved the cracking problem. Later on, I experimented with cotton and it worked as well. The small pieces of cotton or cellulose fibers add strength to the unfired piece as well as evening out the moisture content between 2 pieces of clay at a joint. This is especially helpful when joining large pieces of clay near the point of leather hardness. It's even possible to successfully join 2 pieces of clay with dIfferent moisture levels (within reason). It also decreases the chances of cracks from thermal shock in a pit/raku firing because the ends of the crack will stop when they hit a void left by the paper fiber. Porosity isn't really an issue because it doesn't take much, I only use 4-5 squares of toilet paper, or 2 cotton balls (pureed in a blender). I've never liked sand in a clay body, so the paper trick was a definite win-win for me.
Me to so bitty I am trying so hard to change the texture to its, right form! Not to wet or dry! OMG! it's hard BUT I am learning 1st TIME I will be patient learn and I won't give up either! 😂 I am buying my 1st pottery machine today but by hand too. 🤣I think I have come to the right place though he is a very good teacher for us all! 😌
I know you commented this a year ago, but technically the wet process is better for plasticity, and in my mind requires less physical labor especially if you scale up to 100+ lbs, the disadvantages are just the extra time and space required for drying
Your dry process idea was brilliant! I was looking to make dirt birdhouses and this is the cheapest method Btw, I had tried with a seed press and didn't work, because the tip gets jammed very easily, It's much quicker if you get the corn mill. I got mine for $30 in Mexico
What about major impurities, like organics, grass, and sand? The wet process removes most of these (organics float, sand falls to the bottom), but grinding the clay would mix some of this into the final clay. In any case, your channel is awesome. Really appreciate all of the effort you put into your videos. Note: I read more comments after posting this, so I get the jist of it. The dry process really only works well if your clay isn't too contaminated. But if it has more than 30-40% sand/dirt/debris, you would probably need to screen it with a finer screen, or use the wet process.
Yes, that is right. But the other point I want to make is that if your clay has like 30% junk then maybe you should find a better clay to start with. My point is that digging and processing clay is a time consuming process and in my opinion, not the fun part. So make it as easy and low input as possible so you can get to the fun part of making pottery sooner.
Today I'm rewatching your videos while I process some Santa Cruz River clay from Tucson. I'm using your suggested method to sieve out coarse material, the Home Depot paint strainer and then levigation to remove the suspended clay. I use this local clay in my Cone 10 ash glazes. Thank you so much Andy for the great advice and instruction!
Nice to learn about the two methods of processing clay. My take away from this is it personal preference and experience. You make an important point that is useful for storing the clay. Perhaps less space is needed for dry storage. Is there any concerns with mold when storing wet clay? Thanks for sharing.
Can't be sure what my favourite part of this caper is... Is it the clay rustling? Is it the processing? Or is it the sculpting... Can't decide. It's all good 😀👍
When adding 20% temper to your clay , has anyone ever considered adding even amounts of black iron sand w/regular sand - - or even adding finely ground black sand in red clay slip to enhance the red color in an oxidizing fire ?! I love your channel & i’m interested in your reply ! Thx Andy
How about a combination of the two methods: Dry grind and sift the clay, add water and mix well, screen out gravel and dirt, let settle, pour off excess water, add the temper, mix well, then bag and dry?
Give it a try. It still sounds like more labor than just dry, but it might work for someone or some specific clay. There are not right or wrong answers, just what works for you and your clay.
@@AncientPottery Hi Andy!! Thank you so much for replying! My idea really is, do the wet process first to remove impurities such as rocks, organic stuff, etc.. and what remains is pure clay. Then mold it thinly and let it dry completely in the sun. When it’s stone hard, i’ll just break it and finally grind it so I can store it dry. In that way, I’m storing dried powdered pure clay. I would love to hear your thoughts on this
Hi Andy, I love you channel and your content. I moved to Taos NM three years ago and have gotten really into pottery and my new passion is everything you do in your videos. I have a question about after you have made your clay how do you know at what temp. to fire it at? If you do have a video I have not found it to tell me how to figure it how to find the right temp. If you don't have a video could you please do one on the process of how to determine the correct temp to fire your homemade clay. Thank you for all your wonderful work! David Blackwell
So with an outdoor firing you don’t have to worry because you can’t get it hit enough to melt the clay or at least you would have to work at it real hard. But if you mean what temp to fire in an electric kiln. That video is currently in the planning stage and should be out around November.
PERFECT TIMING!!! I did JUST get my red clay; Four, 5-gal buckets, and was wondering how to process it. What I have, is sticky-damp. I was looking for sand, and am wondering if regular ol riverbank sand will work, or do I need to find washed sand?
Hello Andy! Thank you for your great videos.I already learned a lot from them. I have a question that I can‘t find an answer to: What exatly is „Temper“? Translators don‘t help. I think it is a function the sand has and maybe other materials could have as well, but I‘m not sure. Could you explain it to me please? Thank you and greetings from Germany 🙂
Li Ma thanks for the encouragement. Temper is non-plastic material that is added to clay to open it up allowing it to dry more efficiently, it protects pottery from cracking in the drying and firing process. All clay has some temper added, commercial clay uses grog which is just finely ground fired clay. I use sand because that is what the prehistoric potters in my area used, other materials like grog are superior. Thanks for the reminder to explain terms like temper better, maybe I will make a video explaining what temper is and why it is important.
@@gabrielasantos8289 if not mistaken he before mixed 8 or 9 clay to 2 temper. He talk about it in his other video. Here: czcams.com/video/UzkZ1EpLXxs/video.html
based on the information on internet, usually ~30% (+-5%) of the clay mix is water, so when adding temper maybe we could extract that weight from the total to calculate it? Example: 1000g of wet clay should be ~300g water and 700g "dry" clay, therefore 25% of 700g equals 175g of temper? (or 163g - 188g range with the +-5% water difference) - as was said, it's not rocket science but it could be better than eyeballing it, right? Maybe next time you are mixing dry clay you could measure weight before and after to check the water percentage...
You could always just weigh it for the temper process. Digital scales are inexpensive and just get the weight of the clay and divide by 4. Weigh your temper and ba-da-bing there ya go! 😃
You are so funny! 🤣 "highlight" the clay on your face😂👌 I think the most messiest clay creatures are the most talented! I love your videos I am looking forward to learning from you as it is my 1st time! I am ordering a pottery machine and Manuel wish me luck! 🍀Ps I ordered a 12.5kg of wet clay how can I use it to form it at my best! It slips far to much round my fingers! 😬🤣
Hi Hayley. I add sand to store bought clay myself, I think it improves the texture and it helps it survive my outdoor firings. My video next week will be all about using commercial clay to make primitive pottery.
Thank you. This is great! Do you think a coffee grinder would work as well for the dry process? And in that dry process, I take it you’re all also grinding stones and whatever else is in there?
Yes, my corn grinder eats through small rocks just fine as long as they are not too hard. These just become temper in the clay body. I kind of wonder if a coffee grinder could work at the same volume as a grain mill, maybe though.
I'm not sure that a drill will have the required torque to turn this. I have a friend who has rigged his up to an electric motor using a belt and that seems to work like a charm.
I have enjoyed watching your videos. Around my area, is alot of red clay just under the surface of top soil. I thought I might just scoop me up a couple 5 gallon buckets of the stuff using the wet method, and get a 5 gallon bucket of sand off the dirt road and process it similarly and mix it all together in a big pillow case and let it dry a few days and be able to make some pottery. Will that work? Watching this video, using the "dry" method, and just running it all through a grinder would save loads of time and increase any yield plus make it easier to store for longer, not having to worry about it drying out? So now I am confused. Using the dry method, how do you know what the sand to clay mixture is that is already in the clay you dig up if you are grinding it all up together? I thought the wet method was necessary in order to separate the sand and other impurities out of the clay?
Yes that could work John. The thing is that each clay comes with its own grit or different amounts so you need to kind of feel it and try different things to know what it needs. This video might help you czcams.com/video/l4QjKYP3fGk/video.html
I've got lots of time and my clay (at the foot of a mountain) has a lot of impurities. I tried grinding and screening but to no usable result. I'm going to start a wet process batch tomorrow weather permitting. I know I got good clay, I just have to float it off of all the rocks.
Thanks for making the vid. When you are doing the wet process, have you considered adding the temper to the filtered clay suspension in the bucket... and then drying it along with the clay? then you don't gotta wedge it in :) Also wondering if you have tried drying the clay sludge on a plaster bat or plaster 'bowl'? the pillowslip looks messy.
Yes, I have considered that. My concern is that the temper will settle to the bottom so I will have to knead that whole lump to make sure it gets evenly distributed in the end. I have dried in a plaster bowl and that works great, I just don't usually have an extremely large one available. Check out how my friend Tony does it czcams.com/video/UIDGm51q4hc/video.html
My question is if the wet process is how you separate the Clay from all the unusable stuff. Then how is it you are able to separate everything from the dry clay so that all you need to do is grind it up to a silty consistency without any apparent processing other than screening it?
Hey there loving the videos, I'm in Thailand and it's very muddy here and I suspect that there is a high clay content would I have to dry it then grind it or better to do the wet method
Hi, I’m just looking at getting into pottery, and am lucky enough to live on 50 acres of clay, so would like to process my own. My questions is why do you have to add sand to the clay? Why can’t it be used in its pure form? Thank you
Most clay will crack if used pure, adding temper will help it to withstand drying and firing. This video will help explain it czcams.com/video/uZZdLLCO8Iw/video.html
What about levitation? What if your only sources of clay is full of bio mass or organic materials? Don't you have to levitate it to get that stuff out?
Yes, if your clay is full of impurities then levigation is an option. My advice would be to find a better clay though because levigation is very time intensive. Here is a video I made showing the levigation process I use czcams.com/video/aryqJ5I3f2Q/video.html
I understand the wet and dry process but wouldn't you still have to do the wet process anyway to get the clay separate from other impurities. Especially when it's harvested clad from a river bank etc..
I guess it depends on how much junk is in your clay. My thought is that we remove sand and silt from our clay and then add it back in with temper, why not leave it in place and save yourself the effort?
Andy, Thank you for all the info you provide in your great videos. I'm a beginner potter, but decided to try to mill my own clay, just to see if I could do it. I knew of a place where I thought I could find clay relatively easily. I don't know if you're familiar with a substance called chirt/churt. I live in Alabama and churt is a commonly used substance in road building here. It consists of rocks of all sizes with bright orange to red orange clay binding this material together. I knew of an abandoned churt pit and that's what I decided to work with. Fortunately I have a brother who was willing to do the heavy lifting for me. We ended up (like the optimist I am), digging out about 4 5-gal buckets! Insane? Yes! But onward we went with the innocence of ignorance. We divided it into 5 more 5 gal. buckets and covered them all with water. We let it sit overnight in the hope that the chunks of clay would begin to break down as well as the organic matter (mostly decomposing leaves an pine straw) float. It did to some degree. We poured off the first water & repeated this same process over the next several days. Each time mixing well. THEN we proceeded to start screening out the rocks. As I said, my brother was a great help & he was very interested in the results. When all was said and done, we might have overscreened the product. Final step was to pour into pillowcases and tie them tightly and hang them on a rack to drain. It took 3 or 4 days for it to reach a wet,plastic feel. We poured and scraped it out onto pieces of sheetrock to further remove moisture. Again, a process that took 2 or 3 days due to the amount we ended up with. After it was pliable enough to work, I was able to wedge it into a block and place in heavy plastic bag I just used my regular bathroom scales to weigh our final product and it weighed out at 24.6 pounds. A LOT of work, but it was an interesting project and it wasn't time wasted at all. When I said I suspected we had over-screened it, it's because now it feels almost like a bright orange porcelain. The sand particles in it are the tiniest imaginable. I HAVE worked with some of it and made a couple of small pots and several small animals. None have been fired as yet, but I'm due to start back in classes and have made a small test piece to see if it will hold up in a Cone 5 firing. It was difficult to work with as there's little plasticity to bit. I needed to constantly use a water spray to keep it from cracking as I worked it. If it holds up to the firing, do you think an addition of sand would help or should I purchase a grog to add to it to increase its plasticity? Note: this churt is usually used as a base for eventual paving of roads or lots of people use it alone as driveways. Messy when wet and the stains are near impossible to remove! Thanks for any input you might have for me.
What about impurities in the dry method. In the wet method you filter out rocks and whatever else but you just ground the clay up in the dry method Edit: the clay I have access to has quite a bit of impurities but I would like to do the dry method if possible
Most clay needs temper added anyway. Temper is just the same as those impurities, non-plastic material. In the dry method those impurities get ground up and become temper.
are you processing RAW clay you found outside? or some old clay that's already been processed? why do you add sand doesn't that dilute the end product?
It is wild clay that I collected from nature. All clay must must have non-plastic materials added to promote even drying. Commercial clay uses grog, fired clay that is ground super fine. The temper protects the clay from cracking while drying and from cracking in the firing.
I often use either or both of those materials. The definition of temper is “non-plastic material” so lots of different materials will work. Try diatomaceous earth for a super fine temper.
@@AncientPottery thank you, also do you need a supply of clay? I was gonna start working with it but It's a little too much I have other projects I'm working on but I have a lot of it & I'm in Tucson, its red clay straight from the ground
Why dont you siphon the water from the setting stage od the wet process? That should be easier than tipping a bucket and disturb the clay layer much less?
Hi! Me again. Hey.... I'm a bit bamboozled here. I wet processed most of my clay, but I did the best I could to dry a bucket full & dry processed that. I was able to remove about 95% of the inert material via wet processing, but not so much via dry processing. So my first question is... Does it matter if there's a small amount of inert material in your clay? If so, is there a best way to screen it out (as I have already used the smallest metal screen, that I could find & still have tiny particulates of inert material)? Thank you for your time & videos. I've watched all of them at least 4x's each. =-)
Thanks Jenny! Clay that is suitable for dry processing needs to be at least 70% pure to start with because dry processing does not purify the clay in any way. I will pick out bigger bits of roots and sticks etc while I am grinding clay but I don't obsess over getting every little bit. The smaller pieces of plant matter run through the grinder and become tiny bits of temper. You can run your ground clay through a screen but chances are this is not catching only organic matter but little grains of sand and even bits of clay that didn't get ground well enough, so it is best to not throw that material out but just re-grind it. So if your clay is really chuck full of junk then it probably isn't well suited to dry processing. But if not then don't worry about cleaning all the junk out, just grind it all up and use it.
Oh for measuring the amount of temper in the wet process? Well I think it would not work so great because the clay is wet (that weight is mostly water), and the temper is dry. But maybe, give it a try and let me know what you find.
Andy, I really liked the video. I have been extracting clay from the soil in my back yard. I live in a high altitude desert of Southern California. I have found it necessary to sift through the soil to get down to clay and silt (smaller than 50 microns). I find that when I leave the suspended mixture to sit for a while (an hour to a day or two) the shiny silt settles to the very bottom with a layer of various grades of clay on top. Can silt be used as temperature? Is there an easier way to separate silt from clay?
The method you are using is called levigation, I show how to do that in this video czcams.com/video/aryqJ5I3f2Q/video.html As far as I know there is not a better way to remove silt. I think you probably want something larger than silt to use as temper.
I'm sorry, but this is dishonest. The thing about the dry process is that for it to work you need clay that's pretty pure. If the clay is already pure, there's no need to wet process it. But what if your clay isn't pure? What if it has too much sand, gravel, salt and or organic material? That's what the wet process is for. It's not a case of which is best, because they're not equivalent! They serve different purposes.
Hi Andy , I do both processes with my clay. For me depends on the amount of clay I need at one time. For large number of pottery that I need to make, I use the wet method. Thanks for sharing... The following is my video of the dry method - czcams.com/video/jcwNllP2bTE/video.html
Funny you should ask, that is the subject of next weeks video which I just finished today. Temper is non-plastic material that is added to prevent cracking. Usually it is sand.
perkkd the answer is a bit too complicated for a comment, I probably should make a video about this. In the meantime check out this video czcams.com/video/YId_uswkMBI/video.html
Hi! Thanks so much for all the helpful videos! I’ve been trying to learn how to make primitive pottery and this video was super great. I’m questioning purification of the clay thru the dry method. Based on your other comments the clay doesn’t need to be purified from dirt or sand depending on the amount of impurities?
Hi, super interesting video! Do you have another video where you work with this 2 differents clays to see if there is a difference to manipulate it? on firing? and the end?
Thank you for all your help I make indean artafscts and want to ma k e some pots and pipes , I just harvested some native red and may have a sorse with white clay ,how do I store 10# of wet clay for long term use? Thanks Andy I Am Idaho Rob
Thanks Rob. Try storing it in a 5 gallon paint bucket with a tight fitting lid. Although I have to tell you I am just guessing since I have never tried storing wet clay for longer than a couple of months
THANKS FOR YOUR ANSWERS AND FINE INFO. . IF MY CLAY IS VERY WET ,CAME FROM BANK OF POND, AND THE WEATHER ISN'T HELPING DRY IT CAN I JUST ADD MORE TEMPER OR SAND OR IS IT BETTER TO jUST HOLD? TH A KS ROB.
I can't really say, out here in Arizona I never have trouble drying out clay because the air is so dry all the time. Temper might dry it out some but if leaving it uncovered outside does not dry it out maybe you could put it in the oven on low or something.
@@AncientPottery Thanks idaho has been very wet this year but I will give it more time only had. It in pillow case for 3 days and now on drying tables with cotton coverage for two days and it was very wet on pond edge when I found it. Thanks for the help and the information you are very nice to share the years of learning. . Rob
I did not remove the impurities. I have to add temper to the clay anyway, and that is essentially just adding an impurity. So instead of removing impurities then adding impurities back into the clay, I just leave them there and grind them up so they can act as naturally occurring temper.
I believe that he starts with soil that has a very high percentage of clay. If you can’t find the right soil, he also has a video on wet processing and levigating.
shape your wet clay into a circle cut out a pizza slice=1/4 then fill that void with temper And then mix in your cut out slice. should get you in the ball park of 20%
put the filter in first. Dump the material in. Fill BOTH buckets with water, then basically just do as you did, but after the first stir, dunk it like tea into first one, then the other bucket. If you play around with this you should be able to essentially get most of the useable clay out that way between both buckets, rather than doing it in a multi stage process.
To measure temper to wet process I create a flat disc of the clay, cut out a pie wedge, make a snake out of removed bit and frame the section removed from the disc (like you're adding crust on your pie) and fill the missing space with temper. Quarter wedge removed will give you 20% mixture.
That's a new idea to me, thanks for sharing.
Dry is great if you live in a dry area where you can get dry clay naturally. Living in a wetter environment its easier to start the process wet. Love the comparison.
Believe it or not we have a rainy season here in Arizona and during that time it is hard to get dry clay and humidities are rather high. During this time I just leave my clay sitting out in my studio and let it air dry, it's still less work in my opinion.
I wish there were more people like you on Earth.
That's very nice. Thanks!
Great introduction to dry processing...I've always done wet. I have a large strainer that is made to fit over a sink for washing vegetables, etc., and which has mesh about the size of window screen. I put the clay through that, washing it through as part of the wetting process, then levigate it, and like Micki (see comment below) pour off several times, though I don't use a siphon at the end. The use of the pillowcase is brilliant--I hadn't tried that.
I have read that storing native clays wet actually helps to make them more plastic--the organic particles in it start to decay some, and makes it more workable. I wait until mine is a good moisture level for workability, and then make them into softball-sized balls, put them in labeled ziplocks, and store them in a sealed 5-gallon bucket. Then they're ready to pull out whenever I have a chance to work on them. Since I live in NM, a softball sized chunk is about what I can work up without it getting too dry. If I need more, I pull out another ball. Since several of them will fit in one ziplock, over time the slightly drier balls absorb moisture from the slightly wetter ones, and so I wind up with nice consistent moisture levels from one ball to another in the same bag.
Thanks Leslie, good description of your process.
The difference in storing and the final difference in mass makes a huge difference in my mind. Thanks for taking us through the steps so clearly.
Keith Lightminder thanks Keith.
I appreciate seeing both methods. I plan on doing a pottery project with my 6 year old son based off of your videos. We're going to attempt the wet processing method first for the fun of getting messy together. I'll take on the hard labor part of adding temper. I just have to remember where I put my sand or I might lose my temper ;)
LOL, let me know how your project comes out
Hi Andy! The answer to your question why you get a much smaller volume through the wet method may be that you have sieved the clay, whereas there was no sieving in the dry method, so you're using a purified clay with the wet method and have cast out a great deal of it. Great thanks for your videos, they are very inspiring, archaeologists included, and I am aiming to start to make the kind of Prehistoric pottery I usually find in northern Greece (which is also hand made, burnished and open fired), it's just a question of finding the time and I am preparing the kind of tools I might need according to your videos.
Awesome, that Greek pottery sounds cool. You are welcome, I am glad to help.
A wet density check can show you the difference in weights. But you also have higher compaction on wet processing due to refined particle size. So some density was lost through screening through any type of cloth. Particle size distribution also plays into the size differences. Great video.
I really like the dry processing, and went ahead and got a grinder based on your recommendation. Thanks for posting this. However, I've done wet processing, and did it just a little differently. I didn't use the pillow case, although I did run the slurry through a screen. It took a lot longer, but I didn't do as much work. I let the mixed clay settle overnight, poured off some clear water, let it settle again, then used a rubber tube to siphon off most of the rest of the water. At this point you can add the sand, and it mixes in pretty easily. Then I just let the bucket sit outside for a couple more days... or less, depending on how hot and dry it is. I live in AZ too. You DO need to check it to keep it from drying out too much, and if it's pretty wet, I give it a stir. The yield is much higher, but this won't work if you're in a hurry.
Thanks for the rundown Micki, there are a million ways to do it and no "right way". It's whatever works for you. I have another video where I go through the levigation process, that is really the long way.
And I despise the wet method. I just want clay to create already. This is not good for indigenous-inspired artists because I doubt the adobe for pueblos or Mediterranean pottery was made using buckets and sieves and pillowcases for days, nothing would get built.
I prefer the wet method so I can control the quality and type of aggregate in the mix and when to add it.
My biggest hurdle with implementing the dry method is that my clay is quite contaminated with organic matter. I can't see how the fibrous roots and soil in various levels of decay can be removed before the grinder stage. Otherwise this vid has helped with me streamlining my wet process as it doesn't generate nearly as much as I would like to play with.
I'm glad it helped you. I have dealt with small amounts of organic matter, but yours sounds like its a whole different level. This method doesn't work for all clays, so maybe it just isn't the method for your clay. Good luck.
I don't think he is describing the 'refining' process of dirt to clay. I was also very confused why he wasn't using dirt, and where he got his supply of already dry and refined clay.
Some users here, like myself, have come for bushcraft knowledge on how to make clay from out in the woods.
@@HaloWolf102 I feel like the simple answer to why he's using clay rather than dirt is that Andy's found a good clay source within driving distance as opposed to the bushcraft approach where much of everything is done in situ. Clay does naturally form and collect in the way Andy finds it whereas what I'm dealing with is probably a 60/40 or 80/20 split of "refined" clay and "bush" clay but beggars can't be choosers since I'm walking about 20ft to where I dig clay vs driving 20 mins
@@A.L.75 Simon seems to have a long-spanning youtube history of videos so on first inspection I can't seem to find the video you are meaning. Sifting the clay is definitely the most viable method I have explored but with fine roots and bark fragments that go down to a few millimetres I've only found wet filtration works. It actually results in pretty decent slips but I'm yet to try using them.
@@HaloWolf102 I have the same question. How did he get to the clay he is starting with at the dry process? My clay would be dug from the ground and have dirt and organic matter mixed in too.
Andy, your videos are amazing.
The presentation is professional and very on the nose/to the point, and I cannot express how much I appreciate that.
The best pottery professor on CZcams, everyone.
Wow, thank you!
You are amazing.
High five my friend! I just love listening to how he tells us how to do it properly! I think he is our full time pottery teacher now!🥰😁👊🤛🤜👀✍️
Wow! Your channel is a revelation! Thank you for your superb work and good style. Boy, I wish I'd found your videos a long time ago.
The dry method makes a world of sense. I've been wet-processing wild clay--and as pleased as I've been with the prettied systems I've created, the process seems cumbersome and wasteful. (Though I have been capturing the waste water and levigating it to render a fine powder.) And all that just to turn around and dry it out entirely for storage!?
I can't wait to tackle my next batch with your more elegant method. And save waterplay for pigments.
Thanks again for your great videos. I'm soon on my way to watching them all. Aloha!
Thanks a lot! I hope it helps you.
Exactly, SO wasteful and it's taking FOREVER and there's a mess EVERYWHERE. and it takes the fun and adventure and spirit out of art. The dry method is what I thought up in my head as a means to an end after staring at a bucket of dirty water waiting. But apparently, it makes sense to just...get soil and wet it a bit and lump it and dry it. Idk WHY people do the wet method????
Definitely time to buy a grinder! Thanks for a great video.
You're welcome. A grinder will make it faster for sure.
Andy, thanks for all the demonstrations, this will save me alot of time . great video ""
kaolinwasher you’re welcome.
Andy I use both methods depending on the clay. If it is wet and has sand and gravel in it I use the wet method. I also weigh the clay before soaking as a reference for the temper. Each method for different materials and locations / weather conditions. Sometimes a batch may take 3 weeks to dry but once you have several batches going that's not a problem. Just keep processing at regular intervals, cheers
Thanks Andy! I imagine it is less stressful in a moist climate like England. Here if I forget to check the clay every 4 hours or so I can end up with an adobe brick.
@@AncientPottery Andy, opposite here, in mid December I had a trough of wet clay freeze solid, didn't seem to harm it but slowed things down for a week or so. Cheers
I suppose it depends on where I sourced it from. Most of the clay I find does have a pretty large amount of random crap in it. Mostly organic matter, some rocks, good amount of sand.
Yes, the clay itself makes a huge difference in how you will choose to process it.
L9ok forward to your vids every week ...best teacher ever in my opinion...other channels don't explain in depth what is required to make a pot...thank you!
Thanks, I try
👍
I dug a wide shallow hole, added water and some clay-ish soil, and trod around in it for a few minutes. Then I let the water seep into the ground. Two hours later I ended up with a two inch layer of clay on a bed of sand. I scooped it out, but after watching this, I think next time I will let it dry out and then harvest it to process dry.
That sounds like an interesting method. Do what works for you.
Great...(could have a wire to quarting the clay at final stage, help get mor homogenous moister in the claybody). Also I when it s a slip stage, I use to separate a part it for finer engobe, by siphon the top part of the bucket after let seetle a bit, giving really fine slip close to terra siligata...I have a large jar, very thick and porous (add vegetal carbon into the bodyclay), it s a bsorbing very well extra moisture.
Great tips, thanks!
Andy , what's temper?
Non-plastic material added to the clay body to open it up and promote even drying. All pottery clays have some form of temper in them.
@@AncientPottery Thank you Andy
Excellent documentary!
Many thanks!
I was wondering if you adjust your temper to allow for the natural impurities of dry processing verses the straining out during the wet. In your video you mentioned the same percentage in both processes.
After reading the comments, I understand it's all about the clay itself, but noticed you didn't have a different percentage noted.
I recently moved to the south and have discovered clay all over my property, in particular some nice veins of bluish white and tan amongst the predominantly red areas along my mineral stream beds. Just for fun I've been wet processing it in various batches and combinations for over a year now. I have a couple of hundred pounds in blocks stored. There are no classes near me that I can find, so I'm very happy I have found these videos! I haven't done a thing with the clay and haven't been able to figure out how to fire it if I did. I've read conflicting information regarding whether or not open fire temperatures get high enough for stoneware or dishware, and that different clays have an optimal firing temperature. How do you test wild clay to know it's range of what you CAN do with it?
Yes, always adjust your temper proportions based on the grit that is naturally in your clay. 20% is just a good overall starting place. Outdoor firings are fine but you cannot reach stoneware temperatures without a kiln or even get hot enough to melt glaze. All you can do in an outdoor firing is earthenware, something like a bisque firing.
ANDY ,, JUST GOT MY GRINDER AND IT WORKS GREAT SO MUCH EASIER THAN WET ,THANKS FOR THE GREAT TIP. ROB
That's great.
Somewhere I picked up that clay contains about 30% water....so weigh ..back out 30%...weigh and add the temper...here in La. it takes a good 5 days to dry clay in a pillow case....that grinder you have is wonderful...
Allen Bealle great tip. Thanks.
I'm curious why not add the sand while the clay is still in suspension so it mixes easier?
You could do that, but my concern would be that the sand would settle to the bottom right away and need to be kneaded through anyway.
i don t think you could accurately measure 20% sand not knowing how much clay you'd end up with. Plus you'd loose it if you used the filter.
I always wet process my recycled clay. When I pour the water off the top, I stop when the fine sediment starts to pour out. I let the bucket rest for a couple of hours and start removing the excess water by floating a sponge on the surface, then pillow case it. It's more work, but when using the recycled clay I am mindful of my efforts and less prone to carelessly waste it a 2nd time. BTW, I prefer adding paper, or cotton instead of sand.
Clay is precious and when you process it yourself you are definitely more mindful of waste. Cotton or paper will make for a porous clay, why would that be desirable?
@@AncientPottery DISCLAIMER: Adding paper to clay wasn't my invention. Many years ago Clay Times magazine did an article on the benefits of "paper clay". At the time I was having a problem with cracks developing in my large slab-formed pieces. I decided to swap the sand for paper and it solved the cracking problem. Later on, I experimented with cotton and it worked as well. The small pieces of cotton or cellulose fibers add strength to the unfired piece as well as evening out the moisture content between 2 pieces of clay at a joint. This is especially helpful when joining large pieces of clay near the point of leather hardness. It's even possible to successfully join 2 pieces of clay with dIfferent moisture levels (within reason). It also decreases the chances of cracks from thermal shock in a pit/raku firing because the ends of the crack will stop when they hit a void left by the paper fiber. Porosity isn't really an issue because it doesn't take much, I only use 4-5 squares of toilet paper, or 2 cotton balls (pureed in a blender). I've never liked sand in a clay body, so the paper trick was a definite win-win for me.
Sadly I'm stuck with the wet process. My clay has a lot of fine mica in it and it seriously impacts the workability.
Yes, many times your process is dictated by the clay quality.
Me to so bitty I am trying so hard to change the texture to its, right form! Not to wet or dry! OMG! it's hard BUT I am learning 1st TIME I will be patient learn and I won't give up either! 😂 I am buying my 1st pottery machine today but by hand too. 🤣I think I have come to the right place though he is a very good teacher for us all! 😌
I know you commented this a year ago, but technically the wet process is better for plasticity, and in my mind requires less physical labor especially if you scale up to 100+ lbs, the disadvantages are just the extra time and space required for drying
This channel is so great
Thanks
Your dry process idea was brilliant! I was looking to make dirt birdhouses and this is the cheapest method
Btw, I had tried with a seed press and didn't work, because the tip gets jammed very easily, It's much quicker if you get the corn mill. I got mine for $30 in Mexico
Thanks, good luck with the birdhouses.
What about major impurities, like organics, grass, and sand? The wet process removes most of these (organics float, sand falls to the bottom), but grinding the clay would mix some of this into the final clay. In any case, your channel is awesome. Really appreciate all of the effort you put into your videos.
Note: I read more comments after posting this, so I get the jist of it. The dry process really only works well if your clay isn't too contaminated. But if it has more than 30-40% sand/dirt/debris, you would probably need to screen it with a finer screen, or use the wet process.
Yes, that is right. But the other point I want to make is that if your clay has like 30% junk then maybe you should find a better clay to start with. My point is that digging and processing clay is a time consuming process and in my opinion, not the fun part. So make it as easy and low input as possible so you can get to the fun part of making pottery sooner.
You should test the drying shrinkage. I bet grinding the dry clay gave you a smaller partical size and there for more surface area
Perhaps. That would be an interesting experiment.
Today I'm rewatching your videos while I process some Santa Cruz River clay from Tucson. I'm using your suggested method to sieve out coarse material, the Home Depot paint strainer and then levigation to remove the suspended clay. I use this local clay in my Cone 10 ash glazes. Thank you so much Andy for the great advice and instruction!
Thanks Paula, I'm glad to help. I can't wait to see what you make.
Nice to learn about the two methods of processing clay. My take away from this is it personal preference and experience. You make an important point that is useful for storing the clay. Perhaps less space is needed for dry storage. Is there any concerns with mold when storing wet clay? Thanks for sharing.
Iam learning! I Live in Sahaurita Az south of Tucson and theres lots of clay here!
I am in Tucson. Enjoy!
Can't be sure what my favourite part of this caper is... Is it the clay rustling? Is it the processing? Or is it the sculpting... Can't decide. It's all good 😀👍
Thanks
When adding 20% temper to your clay , has anyone ever considered adding even amounts of black iron sand w/regular sand - - or even adding finely ground black sand in red clay slip to enhance the red color in an oxidizing fire ?! I love your channel & i’m interested in your reply ! Thx Andy
How about a combination of the two methods: Dry grind and sift the clay, add water and mix well, screen out gravel and dirt, let settle, pour off excess water, add the temper, mix well, then bag and dry?
Give it a try. It still sounds like more labor than just dry, but it might work for someone or some specific clay. There are not right or wrong answers, just what works for you and your clay.
Hi Andy! Would you consider making a Dirt to Clay Video with Dry Method? That would help us beginners so much. Dry Method is so perfect storage wise.
How about this one? Is this what you are looking for? czcams.com/video/u6RlHSG4cY4/video.html If not please elaborate on what else you need.
@@AncientPottery Hi Andy!! Thank you so much for replying! My idea really is, do the wet process first to remove impurities such as rocks, organic stuff, etc.. and what remains is pure clay. Then mold it thinly and let it dry completely in the sun. When it’s stone hard, i’ll just break it and finally grind it so I can store it dry. In that way, I’m storing dried powdered pure clay. I would love to hear your thoughts on this
This is amazing information. Thank you! You won a sub.
Awesome, thank you!
Hi Andy, I love you channel and your content. I moved to Taos NM three years ago and have gotten really into pottery and my new passion is everything you do in your videos. I have a question about after you have made your clay how do you know at what temp. to fire it at? If you do have a video I have not found it to tell me how to figure it how to find the right temp. If you don't have a video could you please do one on the process of how to determine the correct temp to fire your homemade clay. Thank you for all your wonderful work!
David Blackwell
So with an outdoor firing you don’t have to worry because you can’t get it hit enough to melt the clay or at least you would have to work at it real hard. But if you mean what temp to fire in an electric kiln. That video is currently in the planning stage and should be out around November.
That's really insightful, thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Lol thanks I think I'll use the dry method. Keep up the good work, found this very informative.
Great! Good luck with your clay.
I like this type of pottery. Start from the beginning.
It’s all about the process, thanks for watching.
thank you
You are welcome.
@@AncientPottery I am learning a lot from you
PERFECT TIMING!!!
I did JUST get my red clay; Four, 5-gal buckets, and was wondering how to process it. What I have, is sticky-damp.
I was looking for sand, and am wondering if regular ol riverbank sand will work, or do I need to find washed sand?
Riverbank sand should work.
@@AncientPottery forgive me please for asking; why do we add sand, again.
Hello Andy!
Thank you for your great videos.I already learned a lot from them. I have a question that I can‘t find an answer to:
What exatly is „Temper“? Translators don‘t help. I think it is a function the sand has and maybe other materials could have as well, but I‘m not sure. Could you explain it to me please?
Thank you and greetings from Germany 🙂
Li Ma thanks for the encouragement. Temper is non-plastic material that is added to clay to open it up allowing it to dry more efficiently, it protects pottery from cracking in the drying and firing process. All clay has some temper added, commercial clay uses grog which is just finely ground fired clay. I use sand because that is what the prehistoric potters in my area used, other materials like grog are superior. Thanks for the reminder to explain terms like temper better, maybe I will make a video explaining what temper is and why it is important.
Thank you Andy,you made my day!🙂
@@AncientPottery How much grog should I add if I have it available? same proportion to sand?
TIA!
@@gabrielasantos8289 if not mistaken he before mixed 8 or 9 clay to 2 temper. He talk about it in his other video. Here: czcams.com/video/UzkZ1EpLXxs/video.html
Our land has so much red clay on it and there is a lot of mica. Would the mica count as temper? Thank you. These videos are so helpful!
Yes, mica can act as temper
Great videos! Thanks. What type of sand do you use for tempering? Is this what they call "engine sand" for top-dressing putting greens?
I guess you could use putting green sand. I live in Arizona so I can collect sand from just about any wash (dry stream) near my house.
based on the information on internet, usually ~30% (+-5%) of the clay mix is water, so when adding temper maybe we could extract that weight from the total to calculate it?
Example: 1000g of wet clay should be ~300g water and 700g "dry" clay, therefore 25% of 700g equals 175g of temper? (or 163g - 188g range with the +-5% water difference)
- as was said, it's not rocket science but it could be better than eyeballing it, right?
Maybe next time you are mixing dry clay you could measure weight before and after to check the water percentage...
@@Daab11091982 it does not need the level of precision you are seeking. But if it makes you happy, do it.
Using a brush to spread out the fresh wet processed clay onto a flat tray and put it under the sun ;much faster than hanging inside a pillow case.
A great video like always.Clay things and pottery is my 2021 project. Thanks for you “Muchas Gracias” fr othe Otero video
Thank you and you’re welcome.
You could always just weigh it for the temper process. Digital scales are inexpensive and just get the weight of the clay and divide by 4. Weigh your temper and
ba-da-bing there ya go! 😃
👍 for your ideas.....
Thanks!
You are so funny! 🤣 "highlight" the clay on your face😂👌 I think the most messiest clay creatures are the most talented! I love your videos I am looking forward to learning from you as it is my 1st time! I am ordering a pottery machine and Manuel wish me luck! 🍀Ps I ordered a 12.5kg of wet clay how can I use it to form it at my best! It slips far to much round my fingers! 😬🤣
My name is hayley all the way from the UK! 🇬🇧😁
Hi Hayley. I add sand to store bought clay myself, I think it improves the texture and it helps it survive my outdoor firings. My video next week will be all about using commercial clay to make primitive pottery.
My ancestral homeland! I would love to visit some day.
Nice idea
Thanks a lot
Thank you. This is great! Do you think a coffee grinder would work as well for the dry process? And in that dry process, I take it you’re all also grinding stones and whatever else is in there?
Yes, my corn grinder eats through small rocks just fine as long as they are not too hard. These just become temper in the clay body. I kind of wonder if a coffee grinder could work at the same volume as a grain mill, maybe though.
Would you be able to remove the handle on your grinder and use an electric drill to do the turning of the grinder?
I'm not sure that a drill will have the required torque to turn this. I have a friend who has rigged his up to an electric motor using a belt and that seems to work like a charm.
Perfect bro keep going
Thank you, I will
I live in finland and its dry, cold, and windy here.
And yet, then ancient Finns made pottery in that climate. Have you heard about their asbestos pottery? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos-ceramic
I have enjoyed watching your videos. Around my area, is alot of red clay just under the surface of top soil. I thought I might just scoop me up a couple 5 gallon buckets of the stuff using the wet method, and get a 5 gallon bucket of sand off the dirt road and process it similarly and mix it all together in a big pillow case and let it dry a few days and be able to make some pottery. Will that work?
Watching this video, using the "dry" method, and just running it all through a grinder would save loads of time and increase any yield plus make it easier to store for longer, not having to worry about it drying out?
So now I am confused. Using the dry method, how do you know what the sand to clay mixture is that is already in the clay you dig up if you are grinding it all up together? I thought the wet method was necessary in order to separate the sand and other impurities out of the clay?
I read the answers in the comments after posting.. But great content in your videos. Thank you for your time and efforts in making them.
Yes that could work John. The thing is that each clay comes with its own grit or different amounts so you need to kind of feel it and try different things to know what it needs. This video might help you czcams.com/video/l4QjKYP3fGk/video.html
You are welcome.
Interesting if you start with play did you know is clay
Muy buen video gracias
De nada
I've got lots of time and my clay (at the foot of a mountain) has a lot of impurities. I tried grinding and screening but to no usable result. I'm going to start a wet process batch tomorrow weather permitting. I know I got good clay, I just have to float it off of all the rocks.
Sounds great!
Thanks for making the vid. When you are doing the wet process, have you considered adding the temper to the filtered clay suspension in the bucket... and then drying it along with the clay? then you don't gotta wedge it in :) Also wondering if you have tried drying the clay sludge on a plaster bat or plaster 'bowl'? the pillowslip looks messy.
Yes, I have considered that. My concern is that the temper will settle to the bottom so I will have to knead that whole lump to make sure it gets evenly distributed in the end. I have dried in a plaster bowl and that works great, I just don't usually have an extremely large one available. Check out how my friend Tony does it czcams.com/video/UIDGm51q4hc/video.html
My question is if the wet process is how you separate the Clay from all the unusable stuff. Then how is it you are able to separate everything from the dry clay so that all you need to do is grind it up to a silty consistency without any apparent processing other than screening it?
Hey there loving the videos, I'm in Thailand and it's very muddy here and I suspect that there is a high clay content would I have to dry it then grind it or better to do the wet method
Find a process that works for you. That being said, in a damp climate it could still be done by first allowing the clay to air dry under cover.
Hi, I’m just looking at getting into pottery, and am lucky enough to live on 50 acres of clay, so would like to process my own. My questions is why do you have to add sand to the clay? Why can’t it be used in its pure form?
Thank you
Most clay will crack if used pure, adding temper will help it to withstand drying and firing. This video will help explain it czcams.com/video/uZZdLLCO8Iw/video.html
@@AncientPottery oh ok! Thank you so much! 😊
also why not mix in the temper while the wet clay is still in solution? Mix it up then let it dry?
I believe the temper would quickly settle to the bottom so you would need to wedge it through either way.
What about levitation? What if your only sources of clay is full of bio mass or organic materials? Don't you have to levitate it to get that stuff out?
Yes, if your clay is full of impurities then levigation is an option. My advice would be to find a better clay though because levigation is very time intensive. Here is a video I made showing the levigation process I use czcams.com/video/aryqJ5I3f2Q/video.html
I understand the wet and dry process but wouldn't you still have to do the wet process anyway to get the clay separate from other impurities. Especially when it's harvested clad from a river bank etc..
I guess it depends on how much junk is in your clay. My thought is that we remove sand and silt from our clay and then add it back in with temper, why not leave it in place and save yourself the effort?
How do you go about getting the gravel and rocks out before dry processing clay?
I grind them right up and they become temper which I have to add anyway.
@@AncientPottery Wow, that's a pretty impressive grinder.
P.S. JUST WATCHING ONE OF YOUR BUDDY TONYS BIG POT BUILDS VERY IMPRESSIVE, I KNOW HIS WORK FROM FLINTKNAPPING HE IS GREAT AT THAT ALSO. ROB
Tony is very talented, and great guy.
Andy, Thank you for all the info you provide in your great videos. I'm a beginner potter, but decided to try to mill my own clay, just to see if I could do it. I knew of a place where I thought I could find clay relatively easily. I don't know if you're familiar with a substance called chirt/churt. I live in Alabama and churt is a commonly used substance in road building here. It consists of rocks of all sizes with bright orange to red orange clay binding this material together. I knew of an abandoned churt pit and that's what I decided to work with. Fortunately I have a brother who was willing to do the heavy lifting for me. We ended up (like the optimist I am), digging out about 4 5-gal buckets! Insane? Yes! But onward we went with the innocence of ignorance. We divided it into 5 more 5 gal. buckets and covered them all with water. We let it sit overnight in the hope that the chunks of clay would begin to break down as well as the organic matter (mostly decomposing leaves an pine straw) float. It did to some degree. We poured off the first water & repeated this same process over the next several days. Each time mixing well. THEN we proceeded to start screening out the rocks. As I said, my brother was a great help & he was very interested in the results. When all was said and done, we might have overscreened the product. Final step was to pour into pillowcases and tie them tightly and hang them on a rack to drain. It took 3 or 4 days for it to reach a wet,plastic feel. We poured and scraped it out onto pieces of sheetrock to further remove moisture. Again, a process that took 2 or 3 days due to the amount we ended up with. After it was pliable enough to work, I was able to wedge it into a block and place in heavy plastic bag I just used my regular bathroom scales to weigh our final product and it weighed out at 24.6 pounds. A LOT of work, but it was an interesting project and it wasn't time wasted at all. When I said I suspected we had over-screened it, it's because now it feels almost like a bright orange porcelain. The sand particles in it are the tiniest imaginable. I HAVE worked with some of it and made a couple of small pots and several small animals. None have been fired as yet, but I'm due to start back in classes and have made a small test piece to see if it will hold up in a Cone 5 firing. It was difficult to work with as there's little plasticity to bit. I needed to constantly use a water spray to keep it from cracking as I worked it. If it holds up to the firing, do you think an addition of sand would help or should I purchase a grog to add to it to increase its plasticity? Note: this churt is usually used as a base for eventual paving of roads or lots of people use it alone as driveways. Messy when wet and the stains are near impossible to remove! Thanks for any input you might have for me.
What about impurities in the dry method. In the wet method you filter out rocks and whatever else but you just ground the clay up in the dry method
Edit: the clay I have access to has quite a bit of impurities but I would like to do the dry method if possible
Most clay needs temper added anyway. Temper is just the same as those impurities, non-plastic material. In the dry method those impurities get ground up and become temper.
are you processing RAW clay you found outside? or some old clay that's already been processed? why do you add sand doesn't that dilute the end product?
It is wild clay that I collected from nature. All clay must must have non-plastic materials added to promote even drying. Commercial clay uses grog, fired clay that is ground super fine. The temper protects the clay from cracking while drying and from cracking in the firing.
Is that sand or the grounded bits of old fired clay?
I often use either or both of those materials. The definition of temper is “non-plastic material” so lots of different materials will work. Try diatomaceous earth for a super fine temper.
@@AncientPottery thank you for your informative reply.
Great video, really helped me out 👍
Glad to hear it!
@@AncientPottery thank you, also do you need a supply of clay? I was gonna start working with it but It's a little too much I have other projects I'm working on but I have a lot of it & I'm in Tucson, its red clay straight from the ground
@@xsaguaroxcc7155 No, I'm good for clay, thanks.
@@AncientPottery yeah i just seen your new video haha anyways, good luck on your clay endeavors! Thanks again
Hi Andy
If i want to use the clay on a pottery wheel, should i still add sand? :-)
If you will be firing outdoors definitely. If you are firing in an electric kiln then maybe not.
Okay, Thanks!
Why dont you siphon the water from the setting stage od the wet process? That should be easier than tipping a bucket and disturb the clay layer much less?
Hi! Me again. Hey.... I'm a bit bamboozled here. I wet processed most of my clay, but I did the best I could to dry a bucket full & dry processed that.
I was able to remove about 95% of the inert material via wet processing, but not so much via dry processing.
So my first question is... Does it matter if there's a small amount of inert material in your clay?
If so, is there a best way to screen it out (as I have already used the smallest metal screen, that I could find & still have tiny particulates of inert material)?
Thank you for your time & videos. I've watched all of them at least 4x's each. =-)
Thanks Jenny! Clay that is suitable for dry processing needs to be at least 70% pure to start with because dry processing does not purify the clay in any way. I will pick out bigger bits of roots and sticks etc while I am grinding clay but I don't obsess over getting every little bit. The smaller pieces of plant matter run through the grinder and become tiny bits of temper. You can run your ground clay through a screen but chances are this is not catching only organic matter but little grains of sand and even bits of clay that didn't get ground well enough, so it is best to not throw that material out but just re-grind it. So if your clay is really chuck full of junk then it probably isn't well suited to dry processing. But if not then don't worry about cleaning all the junk out, just grind it all up and use it.
@@AncientPottery Thanks. You're the best.
Can you weigh your clay and temper?
Oh for measuring the amount of temper in the wet process? Well I think it would not work so great because the clay is wet (that weight is mostly water), and the temper is dry. But maybe, give it a try and let me know what you find.
Hi Andy, Is there a way to dry process clay when significant sands and gravels need to be separated out?
Thank-you
No, Dry processing only works well when the clay is relatively pure, if you need to remove a lot of junk then wet processing is the way to go.
I've been using a t-shirt without cutting it the doubled layer you lose less clay through seepage
Sounds good.
Andy, I really liked the video. I have been extracting clay from the soil in my back yard. I live in a high altitude desert of Southern California. I have found it necessary to sift through the soil to get down to clay and silt (smaller than 50 microns). I find that when I leave the suspended mixture to sit for a while (an hour to a day or two) the shiny silt settles to the very bottom with a layer of various grades of clay on top. Can silt be used as temperature? Is there an easier way to separate silt from clay?
The method you are using is called levigation, I show how to do that in this video czcams.com/video/aryqJ5I3f2Q/video.html
As far as I know there is not a better way to remove silt. I think you probably want something larger than silt to use as temper.
I'm sorry, but this is dishonest. The thing about the dry process is that for it to work you need clay that's pretty pure. If the clay is already pure, there's no need to wet process it. But what if your clay isn't pure? What if it has too much sand, gravel, salt and or organic material? That's what the wet process is for. It's not a case of which is best, because they're not equivalent! They serve different purposes.
Did you not watch his other videos? He literally shows you that he levigates and then dries, with the dry clay then ground for dry processing.
Hi Andy , I do both processes with my clay. For me depends on the amount of clay I need at one time. For large number of pottery that I need to make, I use the wet method. Thanks for sharing... The following is my video of the dry method - czcams.com/video/jcwNllP2bTE/video.html
what is temper?
Funny you should ask, that is the subject of next weeks video which I just finished today. Temper is non-plastic material that is added to prevent cracking. Usually it is sand.
Couldn't you just put the sand and clay through a softer to mix it together more uniformly?
How do you determine if you have clay in soil and how do you extract the clay from soil, so that you can try to make your own clay body?
perkkd the answer is a bit too complicated for a comment, I probably should make a video about this. In the meantime check out this video czcams.com/video/YId_uswkMBI/video.html
Hi! Thanks so much for all the helpful videos! I’ve been trying to learn how to make primitive pottery and this video was super great. I’m questioning purification of the clay thru the dry method. Based on your other comments the clay doesn’t need to be purified from dirt or sand depending on the amount of impurities?
if you grind clay wont you be grinding dirt an debres in with it?
Yes, these impurities act as temper which is needed.
Hi, super interesting video! Do you have another video where you work with this 2 differents clays to see if there is a difference to manipulate it? on firing? and the end?
No, I have not made a video like that, but that is a great idea. I will try to make one like that soon, thanks.
I can't wait to see it!
Thank you for all your help I make indean artafscts and want to ma k e some pots and pipes , I just harvested some native red and may have a sorse with white clay ,how do I store 10# of wet clay for long term use? Thanks Andy I Am Idaho Rob
Thanks Rob. Try storing it in a 5 gallon paint bucket with a tight fitting lid. Although I have to tell you I am just guessing since I have never tried storing wet clay for longer than a couple of months
Can you tell me what kind of sand?
Pretty much just ordinary sand, playground sand, creek sand, construction sand.
THANKS FOR YOUR ANSWERS AND FINE INFO.
. IF MY CLAY IS VERY WET ,CAME FROM BANK OF POND, AND THE WEATHER ISN'T HELPING DRY IT CAN I JUST ADD MORE TEMPER OR SAND OR IS IT BETTER TO jUST HOLD? TH A KS ROB.
I can't really say, out here in Arizona I never have trouble drying out clay because the air is so dry all the time. Temper might dry it out some but if leaving it uncovered outside does not dry it out maybe you could put it in the oven on low or something.
@@AncientPottery Thanks idaho has been very wet this year but I will give it more time only had. It in pillow case for 3 days and now on drying tables with cotton coverage for two days and it was very wet on pond edge when I found it. Thanks for the help and the information you are very nice to share the years of learning. . Rob
How did you get the impurities out with the dry method?
I did not remove the impurities. I have to add temper to the clay anyway, and that is essentially just adding an impurity. So instead of removing impurities then adding impurities back into the clay, I just leave them there and grind them up so they can act as naturally occurring temper.
How does soil and other debris get separated in the dry process?
It gets pulverized and becomes temper which is needed anyway.
I believe that he starts with soil that has a very high percentage of clay. If you can’t find the right soil, he also has a video on wet processing and levigating.
shape your wet clay into a circle cut out a pizza slice=1/4 then fill that void with temper And then mix in your cut out slice. should get you in the ball park of 20%
put the filter in first. Dump the material in. Fill BOTH buckets with water, then basically just do as you did, but after the first stir, dunk it like tea into first one, then the other bucket. If you play around with this you should be able to essentially get most of the useable clay out that way between both buckets, rather than doing it in a multi stage process.
Yeah this might reduce the amount of labor involved. Thanks for the idea.
i like that shirt! where'd ya get it?
Amazon amzn.to/3wht2RX (affiliate link)
What type of sand do you use?
Sand I collect from a local stream.
Is there much difference with the quality of the 2 clay lumps you have?
Not much difference.