Since getting a pug mill I think my studio practices will be undergoing a great del of changes.   I found that saving throwing scraps in a bucket of water and the removing the excess water and putting the clay on canvas or a plaster bat and let it dry and then knead the clay was not very practical for me.  I would always find various lumps of clay that was not of a very smooth consistence and could be difficult to throw.  Really for me this process works best when to use the clay slurry to mix with your dry clay and use a clay mixer or a mixing pug mill to mix the clay.   

The method I prefers based on a method that John Britt has used in a you tube video.  (I’ll link to his video below)    My method is basically to methods to accomplish the same result.  I take clay that that has gotten pretty stiff (beyond leather hard) and I take a cheese grater and grate the clay. (I usually take the next to the smallest size.  But any size will work) I wait till the clay is completely dried and add to a couple of gallons of water that has a teaspoon of darvan 7 in it (sodium Silicate will work as well) .  Then mix with a jiffy mixer until smooth and the consistency you want.  I go for a thickness that will pour with some assistance (If that Makes sense).  My other method is to take completely dry clay and break into fairly small pieces then I take a big rolling pin and crush it even finer into dust or very fine pieces.  Then I follow the procedure above.   The liquid clay is then poured in a ReCycle  Slab from The Ceramic Shop. 

I let the clay dry and flip over as needed.  The results you get will depend on your studio and conditions inside or outside where you recycle your clay.  

I will explain in a future blog how I use this recycle clay with my pugmill and how I may use this in practice in the future.

John Britt Recycling Clay on You Tube