Reclaiming Clay

I finally got myself to learn more about this technique as it would be useful in case I can no longer afford to use ready-made clay. Clay that has not been fired can be reused over and over again. This technique requires a simple set-up. You will need some cotton rags, large covered bins to contain the clay and some sponges and small water containers. You may want to purchase some stone slabs from the garden shop. These will be used as a base for drying out the clay mixture.

First Step:
Dry out the clay completely. You can sun it out in the open for a few days.

Second Step:
Break the dry clay into smaller pieces and place them into the bins.

Third Step:
Slake the clay down by adding some warm water to cover the clay completely. Cover the bin and leave it to soften overnight. The

Fourth Step:
Remove the excess water with a sponge and spread the softened clay onto the stone slabs. The stone slabs should preferably be placed out in the open. Allow the clay to firm up.

Fifth Step:
Once the clay can be removed from the slab, turn it over to even out the drying process. This could be repeated until the clay in a workable condition.

Sixth Step:
Remove the clay from the slab and wedge it well. You can now store the clay by wrapping them in the damp cotton rags and placing them into a covered dry bin.