What to do with clay scraps or deformed pieces when doing pottery? - The Ceramics Basics
Potters are the original recyclers! Here’s how to reuse your clay:
As you make your pieces, it’s only normal to accumulate some clay scraps, especially when you are throwing on the pottery wheel.
But in the world of pottery and ceramics, there’s no need to waste anything!
What to do with clay scraps BEFORE FIRING
If you have some fresh clay scraps that you want to reuse right away, you can do that. Just re-wedge them and reuse (kneading the clay with your hands to remove air bubbles). You may need to wait a little if it’s too wet to wedge, an hour or so - this is likely to happen if you’re throwing.
If you have some older scraps or want to reuse them later, use the bucket method:
As you finish your work, putyour scraps in a designated bucket.
As you fill your bucket, try not to mix different types of clay as this may result in unexpected results when working and firing it. Sort your buckets by the clay’s temperature range, color and working purposes (throwing vs hand-building).
Stop filling your buckets halfway through and let it air dry completely (this can take up to a week).
Break any big pieces into smaller ones as this will make the process much faster.
Fill your bucket with water, submerging your clay completely. The clay will dry slowly but don’t let it dry too much.
Once it’s almost dry, place the clay on a plaster bat, some towels or plastic and spread it to a 5cm thickness, leaving it for a few hours until you can touch it without sticking to your fingers
Wedge it and store it properly for later use.
Clay shavings on pottery wheel