Harvesting & Processing WILD CLAY in Arizona
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ย. 2020
- This video shows the entire process of harvesting and processing wild clay, from nature to the potter's studio. Follow the clay through the process which turns it from a natural material into potter's clay able to be used to create pottery.
Learn all about how to find and process wild clay at my online master class "Wild Clay 101" available here ancientpottery.how/courses/na...
\\ Videos related to this video
I discovered this clay source in this video - • Finding Clay for Potte...
I made a pot using this clay in this video - • 4 Coil Pottery Techniques
I broke pottery to use for temper in this video - • The Great Pottery Thro...
\\ Products used or referenced in this video
Mexican corn mill - amzn.to/2Gt6Rin
Gourd potters rib - ancientpottery.how/product/go...
Wuertz Gourd Farm - www.wuertzfarm.com
\\ Lots more information including video based lessons are available on my website at ancientpottery.how
\\ Social Media Links
Instagram - / ancientpottery
Facebook - / andywardpottery
#wildclay #nativeclay #primitivepottery - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
know those topics you always mean to look up on youtube but always forget ? glad you popped up in my feed iv been meaning to looking into pottery for awhile now
Glad to help
As something of a Keeper of Useful Things, I loved that video. The green Tupperware box at the end even has a value to collectors - they probably wouldn't want the contents though. We had one back in the 70s the same so it was nice seeing it for the nostalgia too.
Yeah my mom had all that old Tupperware stuff, lots of memories.
To refine clay: Mix the dirt or clay with water allow all the stones settle down and other impurities to float. Then drain the muddy water to some flat tray and let the water evaporate under the hot sun then you will have the pure clay powder.
This process is called levigation and it is efficient but time consuming. I detailed it in this video th-cam.com/video/aryqJ5I3f2Q/w-d-xo.html I prefer faster, more efficient methods of clay preparation but to each his own.
I like nature's way. Patience.
How do you get the organic matter out?
@@karenneill9109 Here is the answer. When you mix the wet or dry clay with water, you have to mix it real well, then drain the muddy water to a flat tray or a tub and pass it through a strainer or a screen or filter it in other words get all your unwanted organic matter out.
In due time when that muddy water will evaporate under the hot sun, you will have pure clay.
@@MehmetBoysal So the organic matter dissolves? I think I need to find sources with less organic matter, because there’s no way I could dissolve all this stuff. If I burned it, then filter it, would that work? It wouldn’t have to be at a very high temperature, but would that ruin it? I guess there’s a good reason that the local peoples here didn’t make much pottery. I’m in Vancouver BC, and everything here is either rock or vegetation- not only is it not great geology, there’s so much vegetation that you have to dig to see anything. Maybe I’ll have to go looking when I’m in the interior next time, I bet it would be a lot less frustrating.
I never knew I would like watching people making clay
funny the stuff life brings
Andy, I am just now seeing these videos, and they make my heart happy. I love learning about natural ancient ways to live, and I appreciate your knowledge. You have inspired me to research some good clay grounds where I am in Central NY state, and I can't wait to see what I find. Thanks for the motivation!
Thank you, glad to provide some inspiration.
I live in SC and I dig for fossils. I've seen some really nice quality clay, and I've been thinking that it would be pretty cool to get clay from the different aged sites. I just subscribed to your channel and I am really impressed with the different methods, and you teach them very well. Also, close to where I live the Catawba tribe has a reservation and they are famous for their beautifully burnished pottery. Some of the Catawba pottery is made out of this bright orange clay with swirls of white and red. It's all very amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us. Take care 🙏
Thank you
This is such an under rated channel the vids are just such good quality ( I bought my self a meat grinder to process clay thanks for the inspiration)
Thank you very much! By the way, I use a grain mill for clay, not a meat grinder, so not sure how well that will work for you.
Yeah I figured I was out on a trip with my extended family and I saw it so I remembered your channel and just bought it. It works alright I just need to put it through a sieve that’s all
That is a seed grinder for making flour, a meat grinder won’t work.
Touch grass
Wow....I live about 5 miles from where you dug up that clay. LOL Been wanting to try making my own clay for a while now. It was super crazy to find this video of someone doing this just down the way from me. Very nice and I want to try this sometime soon.
Well now you know where to go to collect clay. I live in Tucson but drive out there to get clay once in awhile. Thanks for watching.
Really appreciate this, Andy, very inspiring. Thank you!
Thanks
Thank you so much for giving this valuable wisdom to us freely and with clear explanation. My mom ran a ceramics shop many years ago, I miss those days. Is it possible to coat these with glaze after they're fired & fire the pottery again? Can we make glaze?
God bless you abundantly. He is the potter, we are the clay. I will reflect on this today.
🤍🕊️🙏🏻🕊️🤍
You could glaze them if that is your thing, it's not mine
Thank you Andy love your work
Much appreciated
Very successful 👍
Thank you , intersting video and landscape 🤠🌵
You're welcome
Wonderful
Thank you
Very nice production value.
Much appreciated!
I was finally able to return to my clay project recently. I added sifted sand as temper (I learned my mesh screens have some different sizes per brand). So, I've got a large batch of clay with a fine temper resting after mixing with water. I'm looking forward to some projects, and my children are eager for projects as well.
Excellent.
Great "how to," as always!
Thanks
I love your channel!
Thank you so much!
thank you for the great videos, i've learned a lot from your channel! subscribed.
Awesome, thank you!
Awesome video again Andy. Unfortunately I had to stop with my clay refining and making pottery for a bit. I still watch your videos though. I have quite a buy of clay left but due to health reasons I have to take a break but hopefully by next spring I start again and use my homemade kiln.
Thanks. Don't give up on the clay, sometimes when I am feeling bad clay can lift me up.
Darn, I see I am viewing videos from years ago. How sad it is that I have missed your adventures in real time.
I will never get out of my head how similar making clay is to making pasta.
So I have heard. I personally have never made pasta but maybe I have the skills?
Man id wear a mask if there's that much dust
It wasn't that dusty but we all need to make the decision for what we are willing to accept.
Hello! What is temper and what does it do to wild clay? I love your sharing... Thank you!
Hey Andy! I really enjoy watching! I recently purchased some land in MS and found some gorgeous clay in the creek. What firing temperature should I aim for the first time?
Keep it low at first, then slowly try higher and higher temps. If you are using an electric kiln, make sure you experiment to find the melting point of your clay so you don't have an accident that could mess up your kiln.
I live near a creek and there is many visible clay deposits along it, to my knowledge it is grey clay but When looking up how to process clay I was told to turn it into a liquid... should I be drying it out and grinding it, or liquefying it? Everyone seems to do it differently and I noticed people who process clay from soil usually liquefy it, but I'm actually able to find clay deposits. Love your channel, hope you can point me in the right direction. Thanks! subbed
Thanks! You can try both ways and see what works best for you. I have shown how the dry and grind process is less labor intensive in this video th-cam.com/video/ntn2-Le4DB8/w-d-xo.html
Fort Thomas also has a lot of clay
I have looked for clay down there in this video th-cam.com/video/B1Z3ldWESwo/w-d-xo.html
@@AncientPottery I will give it a watch
I have property close to Globe Arizona with mounds of natural clean clay exposed . How can I know if it good for pottery??
Great videos! Just a question about grinding the clay - is the dust dangerous to lungs?
I think it's probably a good idea to wear a mask if you're working with anything that's fairly dusty. It can be hazardous to your lungs.
i have been trying some clay a local oilfield company has. the cement mixer works great. I filter it through some strainers, which gets out rocks, gravel and organics. then i let it settle and pour off water until it is ready to go on the plaster block. that grinding is way too much work, Andy.
if you are going to break stuff, take a rag and wrap it, then put it on an anvil and hit with a 3# sledge. i have done that with agate for rock tumbling. but why not just use fine sand at $20 for your truck filled "fill sand".
I think the wet processing is more work. Do what makes you happy.
Im terrible with north west south and east kind of stuff, do these methods work for clay in Tucson? I saw one of your videos about finding clay and now I'm interested in trying to make pottery out of the nearby clay in my backyard
Yeah it works in Tucson, I live in Tucson
"Wild clay enthusiast." That's going in my bio 😂
Funny
I wonder if one of those big Hobart dough mixers would do the job for you. I wonder what type of grinder you are using and if they make them with an electric motor attachment, like a v belt pulley.
I have a friend who attached an electric motor to his grinder so I know it can be done. Great idea!
I think the dough mixer might break with material this firm
Hi Andy! I love the videos and started watching them because I thought if I ever get on Survivor (now based in Fiji) I could use the knowledge to help me make pots, etc. My question though is about diatomaceous earth, and how much roughly to use to temper clay. I live in the Pacific NW currently and have some access to wild clay. Thank you so much!
I usually start with roughly 20% temper (by volume), but all clay is different so start there and maybe add more or less depending on how it works out.
Andy, can sand be used as a clay temper instead of potsherds that have been ground to a powder? Or, perhaps, a combination of sand and ground potsherds?
Hi David. Watch this video th-cam.com/video/uZZdLLCO8Iw/w-d-xo.html which will answer the question about types of temper.
@@AncientPottery Thanks!
I'm over in Michigan n just harvested a bunch of clay from my front yard but it rained yesterday n I guess I'd describe it as fairly plastic from the ground. Do I have to let it dry as much as the clay you harvested before going through the steps in this video or is there another process? 😄
Check out this video which explores the wet and dry methods of processing clay. th-cam.com/video/ntn2-Le4DB8/w-d-xo.html
@@AncientPottery You're the best!! Thank you!! 😁
Hello Andy! I've zero pottery knowledge. Just kind of dipping my toe in as a fun project. Just curious, what surface works best for working clay on?
Something that is a little bit porous is best, that way the clay won't stick firm. A kitchen counter will make a mess because the clay will stick firm. Try a piece of plywood or concrete board which are more porous.
i think a solid wooden surface should be nice, rough so it doesnt stick and robust
I like to first wet process my clay (there is no real clay deposits where i live so i extract from dirt), let it dry down and then grind it. Seems like a dumb thing but with this i know exactly how much Temper to add and dont need to make experiments
I just found your channel searching for ways to do pottery without a wheel & kiln. I am brand new at this and the raw clay that you are harvesting and processing I don’t have access to here in Florida. Any advise on what type of Clay I could use that would have a great quality such as the raw clay you have there in Southern Arizona ? ❤
I do have students who have been successful harvesting their own clay in Florida, but I'm sure it depends on what part of the state you are in. New Mexico Clay sells some good, similar clays. Check out this video th-cam.com/video/n1zwTqlu4GI/w-d-xo.html
@@AncientPottery oooh sweet! Thank you!
Can I fire up clay that does not have a temper in order to create a temper for future clay? I can't wait to start touching mud. I have mental blocks and I've been iching to start doing clay work in the wild. Kinda mixing chad zuber and primitive technologies. Anyway glad chad had you ok his channel. I am enjoying getting this info :)
Yes, that's a good way to do it, just fire lumps of raw clay then grind it up into a powder and add to your clay. Have fun!
Thanks so much for sharing this stuff. Wooo I can't wait for this weekend
And thank you for replying so quickly holy moly
I live in northern AZ and found a great source of clay by a spring, but it has a LOT of sand and seems to crack during the drying process. What is the best way to filter out some of the sand?
Chances are if it cracks a lot now, it will crack much worse once you have removed all the sand. I add sand to clay to prevent drying cracks.
@@AncientPottery ...could size of the sand be a problem with cracking , just wandering maybe Cindy might be have to bigger sand particles and not fine enough etc , not sure of sand size myself .
Is it totally necessary to do the well in the centre when mixing water with the clay/temper blend?
Also, does the initial clay that you sourced at the beginning of the video need to be dry before processing? Or can I use already wet clay from, for example, the bank of a dam or something similar?
Thanks!
You can wet process if you want to. I think the way I mix clay is good but do it different if you want. There are no right and wrong answers with clay just do what works for you. My videos just show what works for me
@@AncientPottery thank you for the response
Can you use bentonite clay? I think I know where some big chunks are!
Bentonite has an extremely high shrinkage rate, so it don't work for forming pottery. It can be used as an additive to another clay to improve plasticity and as a slip.
is the ratio of temper to clay always the same irregardless of nature of clay and temper being used?
No. The ratio varies based on the clay just as you suggest. The amount I mention here is just a good rule of thumb to start with. Only experimentation with your clay and your working procedure will tell you what is best for your circumstances.
hi andy. in this video you use Temper. But on different videos you use sand. Are both options good?
Sand is temper. Temper is defined as “non-plastic material added to clay” so that would include sand, grog, ground stone, plant fiber, seashells, etc.
thank you so much for the quick answer and for sharing your knowledge
Could you please make a video on best methods of long-term and short-term clay storage after you have found, tested, and processed it? The processing takes a good amount of time, and I'd like to be able to do finding and processing on one weekend, and then wait a few weekend before beginning to actually mold the clay into the shape that I want. Where do I keep the clay after it has been processed? In a warm or cold place? With or without air flowing around it? In one large chunk or breaking it down into smaller chunks? Do I store it Dry and powdery, or Plastic-like and somewhat wet? How long until mold begins to grow on it? Do I cover it with a towel or something? I had mold develop on a 2x2x2' block of some wild clay that I processed and left wrapped in a t-shirt in a container in my house (72 degrees) for a couple of months, so I want to make sure I am storing this clay to last.
This is another reason why I prefer dry processing clay, because I can store it dry indefinitely. If you try to store clay wet it can grow mold, get stinky, dry into a brick and all sorts of unfavorable things. But dry clay can be stored in a bin or a bucket forever in hot or cold or any conditions and then be wetted a day or two before use. I talk a little about this in the video linked here th-cam.com/video/u6RlHSG4cY4/w-d-xo.html
I saw a video how to get clay from dirt so I went to my backyard and tried it my first ever batch is drying right now. I live about 40 minutes from pima where did you get your clay?
Near the big water tanks just west of the Pima cemetery.
Andy I am researching dom of your old video and I have a question when you use old.pottery for clay how do you count for percentage clay to temper
I just mix them dry and use a ratio. So if I want 20% temper that is a 4 to 1 ratio, so I mix together 4 scoops of dry clay to 1 scoop of dry temper.
But when you are using pottery as your temper it.already has temper so you add 20 percent you are now at 40 or so . So how do you compensate.
@@robsmith6961 when clay is fired it changes, now it is no longer clay but ceramic and is permanently hard like a rock. 100% of ground pottery sherds counts as temper, not just the small percentage that may be rocks.
What software did you use to do those graphics? 🤔
Affinity Design
Can I use a brick of clay I forgot about that became solid? And would that be temper?
It was harvested from a river bank.
Can you please define temper and let us know what kinds of materials can be used for it ?
Oh, so sorry. I sometimes forget to define things that may be unknown to others. Temper is non-plastic material added to the clay body to open it up and contribute to more even drying. I have a good video about temper here th-cam.com/video/uZZdLLCO8Iw/w-d-xo.html
@@AncientPottery wow awesome thank you
Can wood ash be used as a temper? And how do I know when I have the correct ratio?
Having never tried wood ash, my assumption would be no it cannot. Ash is sticky and somewhat plastic when wet, the definition of temper is "non-plastic material". You can try volcanic ash, diatomaceous earth, ground seashells, hair or even horse manure as temper.
Do you offer classes? I would like to take my daughter to learn how to locate and process our own clay
I have pottery classes but not clay classes. I have tried that in the past and had trouble getting enough people signed up. I might try again once the weather cools off. Sign up for my newsletter if you are interested in hearing when classes are scheduled. ancientpottery.how/subscribe/
You need a ball or hammer mill, that way grinding and mixing would be one step.
That is an efficient but expensive solution. I am trying to keep this simple and accessible.
If I don't have pottery shards to temper what could I substitute.?
Sand, diatomaceous earth...
Can pottery sherds be glazed or do they need to be preglazed sherds?
For temper (grog)? I don't know if the glaze will have any negative impact having never tried this. But I would think that glazed pottery would be very hard and much more difficult to grind up than earthenware.
I've never done anything with clay before. What kind of sand do you mix with wild clay? Can it be any kind?
I just use whatever sand is convenient nearby. Some minerals can be a problem but most sand is fine.
@@AncientPottery Ya, thanks.
but the wild clay collected from site is not pure clay. that is why the dry method yields more than the wet method. which method yields a better quality clay?
That's true and another good question for another video. Of course clay quality is subjective.
Why do you need temper and what else can you use?
He mentions using sand in a previous video... I'm just learning though, so hopefully someone wiser will answer you. 😅
You are not adding China clay(kaolin) and feldspar why ??? Plz explain
I'm not sure why I would need to add kaolin and feldspar, every clay does not contain these ingredients.
Would this clay be difficult to throw on a wheel?
No idea, I have never used a wheel.
if i don't have any pottery sherds, how do i temper my clay?
Sand or something else. Learn more about temper here th-cam.com/video/uZZdLLCO8Iw/w-d-xo.html
Do You make pots that I can use to cook in ?
Yes
How do you store your clay
I store my clay dry
If I went processed some dirt to make clay and let it dry completely could I store it and use the dry process to make it moldable?
That would depend on the qualities of that clay but it sounds workable.
Use a washer’s motor on the grinder
Yes, that would work, I have a friend who has hooked his grinder up to an electric motor.
is sand also a temper?
Yes, sand is a great temper.
Hi Andy, Noni here from Australia. I have clay on the property and also have a lot of sand. Can I sieve the sand for the temper and how much sand to clay? I’ve never done this before, but as we have the clay and sand here I’d love to give it a go. I love pottery and have purchase a lot, but making my own in an ancient way appeals to me greatly. I know absolutely nothing, so I’ll be binge watching your videos. I have a wood stove I could use for firing. Is a gourd just a butternut pumpkin? I need to make the tools. I do not have a corn grinder, probably none in this country. I do have an old mince grinder, I could try that I guess. Any other techniques for grinding? Between 2 rocks? Cheers Noni
I usually start with 20% temper (4 to 1 ratio) as a starting place but experiment with it, every clay is different.
A gourd, sometimes called a "bottle gourd" or a Calabash en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calabash They were common in ancient time all over the world and are even mentioned in the Bible.
A corn mill is not necessary, you can grind it between two rocks or on a concrete patio with a brick.
I have videos about most of these subjects, dig around in my video archive and you should find the answers you are looking for. Thanks!
Greeting ....How about cob and clay self sufficient in law and guest building 🏫 methods
Earthen architecture is wonderful but not the subject of this channel.
how to dry the clay hard without firing it?
Set it out in the hot sun, spread it on baking sheets in your oven, there are many possible ways.
@@AncientPottery Many thanks! Your videos are inspiring!
We clay process video?
Not sure what this means but yes, we clay process video!
Where can i buy this grinder
Follow this link amzn.to/2Gt6Rin
@@AncientPottery thank you much
Alone of places I have lived in Texas have clay that is red or gray that looks store bought
That's cool
I guess you need a hopper?
Yes that would work well.
Hey
Hey there
4:1 is 25% and 5:1 is 20% I've been following your videos for some time and I've noticed a few times you've called 4:1 20% and wanted to make sure, or if it was even that important
Nope, fractions and ratios are written differently. 1/4 is 25%, but 4:1 is the same as 1/5 or 20%.
@AncientPottery oh yes! Thank you, I was mistaken. Your explanation makes it much more evident where I was goofing up such simple math and now I feel quite silly 😅
Sherds?
plural noun: sherds
a broken piece of ceramic material, especially one found on an archaeological site.
@@AncientPottery Oh I thought that was shards
Is all clay food safe? Probably a dumb question😅
Not a dumb question. The average person consumes about 6 pounds of dirt in their lifetime. Clay is just specialized dirt. Very little of the clay of a pot gets into your food. I think as long as you don't go around eating chunks of clay you will be okay.
@@AncientPottery thank you so much!!
Why not just fill the truck part way, easy few yrs supply
If I lived on acreage and had room to store a truck-load of clay but I don't.
I love your Chanel and am learning so much. However..why do you never wear a mask? Silicosis is a thing. Are you not worried?
Sure, but my clay processing takes place on a well ventilated porch so the dust dissipates pretty well. It probably looks in the video as if I am doing this inside but I am not.
Th
This is Earthen-ware, not Stone-ware.
That is correct
Please wear a mask. Protect your lungs.
Thanks for your concern.
doesnt make sense to me. you harvest unrefined dirt which is high in clay, then you add temper to it... but doesnt the unrefined dirt already contain silt and sand? and why dont you ever process the dirt into pure clay? i never see you process pure clay in any of your videos, nor do you explain why you never process pure clay. genuinely curious
You make the assumption that none of this natural clay is pure. And you make the assumption that pure clay is somehow required for something when in fact pure clay is hardly good for anything other than facial masks. th-cam.com/video/uZZdLLCO8Iw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=XRnv-9JajJSeBCTc
@@AncientPottery wow, that's amazing when I consider my previous comment how God is the potter, we are the clay.. Of course we should learn from this, the clay is not pure, we are certainly not pure. Yet the only thing you suggest pure clay is good for is a face mask. 😅 A covering. Covering our filth. 😅
Sorry, this just hit me with deep wisdom this morning. 😄🕊️🌻