Reclaim and test plasticity
Not all reclaimed clay behaves identically to fresh clay. This exercise teaches you to evaluate your reclaim.
The experiment
- Reclaim a batch of dry scraps using the standard process (soak → plaster bat → wedge)
- Wedge thoroughly (at least 50 strokes)
- Throw a cylinder and compare to fresh clay from the same batch:
- Does it center as easily?
- Does it pull as smoothly?
- Is it more or less prone to cracking at the rim?
What you might notice
- Reclaim is sometimes more plastic (fine particles from throwing)
- But sometimes short (over-dried, lost some plasticity)
- Mixed scraps from different clay bodies = unpredictable (don't mix porcelain with stoneware!)
If plasticity is low
Add a tiny amount of water and re-wedge. Or mix 50/50 with fresh clay. Many potters use reclaim as an additive rather than a standalone material.