How do you dig your own clay and where do you find it?

Question

I can't find a website that tells you step by step where to find it how to know which is clay and which isnt and how to process it etc.
websites or anything you have is helpful.

Answer 1

Below you'll find a link to one of the best operations on the West coast at least, and very helpful staff.

Certainly if you were in the area of the base of Puget Sound, in Olympia WA. , you'd find outcroppings of Clay taller than you are.

Studying the geology of an area is part of the process. Certainly it's likely that clay exists globally, but not always so easy to access depending on your location.

I used The people within the link below for 4 YEARS and enjoyed any contact I ever had, in person, on the phone, or through e mail.

Steven Wolf

Answer 2

Normally clay dug from the ground has to be cleaned to remove sand, dirt, and organic material. It may be washed, dried, crushed, screened, etc. Commercial clay is sold dry or wet. Presumably the clay you have dug from your garden is wet. Depending on how you took it out it may be dirty and/or sandy. Sandy is not necessarily a problem but dirty can cause real problems when fired. I would suggest taking some the cleanest of your clay as it stands now, perhaps a lump the size of a pound of butter and massage or knead it to make it uniform. Add as little water as possible to make it workable. Use this lump to make a crude bowl. You don't need a pottery wheel. You can work it on a piece of paper or a plate so you can work it around and around, pushing down in the center and lifting the sides to make a bowl shape. Make the walls fairly even. Let it dry hard over several days. Take another lump the same size that looks about average for your stuff and drop it in a ziplock bag. Take the crude bowl and the lump and go find a ceramic supply shop, pottery club or school instructor - call first and ask if you can bring the these by.and talk about using the clay. You do this because even experienced potters may never have worked with anything but clean clay. After seeing the stuff, your contact can tell you what needs to be done to the clay, realistically, and may be willing to include your bowl in a firing so you see what the result will be.

Answer 3

Without getting technical, clay is a type of soil that

when moist becomes plastic.
dries hard retaining its molded shape
will change characteristics when fired, so it will not dissolve once again when wetted, allowing storage and cooking
Most everyone knows what clay is. You just have to find some. It really is a rather abundant earth material. One will most often easily find clay along stream banks, ponds, and road cuts. If wet when found, a step and time is saved. Just dig back into the vein a bit to get away from the surface debris(that will only have to be removed), and dig it up. If dry, it needs to be re-wetted. Lots of ways to do this.

What most good potters do is to pound/grind up the clay before adding water to allow for better absorption. Add enough water to completely dissolve the particles to make a "slurry" solution. You want it kind of thin, which will allow you to stir the solution well. Let it set for 20-30 seconds to allow the heavier stones etc. to settle and then carefully pour off the thinner, silty clay solution into another container. This can be repeated if necessary. Once amost of the impurities appear to have been removed, the container should be set aside to allow the heavier clay to settle. The lighter water should occasionally be poured off. This can take several days. As the clay begins to thicken, it can be spread out on a smooth surface for drying. When it reaches the right consistency, it is ready to use. If you are in a hurry, you can mix the water and clay, kneading and working it until it's "right", feeling the larger impurities and removing them with your fingers. This is OK for smaller, quickie bowls, but it is believed that the longer the clay sits wet, the better.

For working, the moisture content must be "just right". Too wet and it will be too sticky and will slump, not holding its shape. Too dry and it will crack as you work it. If a little too wet, it can be worked in your hands. This additional working is good for the clay, most notably removing pockets of air. Alternatively, it can be spread out, allowing the sun or wind to dry it. If the clay is just a little bit dry, dipping your hands in water, shaking off the excess and working the clay works well.

Not all clays will work! A good simple test is to roll it pencil thin and tie it into a knot (like a pretzel). If it doesn't break or crack, it's a good candidate. Plasticity is the key. The amount of shrinking during drying is also an important factor. Too much can hurt. The addition of "temper" can sometimes help here. Some clays may have all the outward characteristics of a good clay but blow apart when being firing. If you follow all the instructions and still have firing problems, change clays.

Answer 4

dig with a shovel in your garden, clay is normally about 2' or 600mm down.

Answer 5

U dig it up with a spade and you'll find it underground.

Answer 6

Come down to Georgia. We have more than we want.