Play With Hydrated Aluminosilicates!
Saturday July 11, 2009
Have you played with your hydrated aluminosilicates today? In reading Minerals of the Earth's Surface, I discovered that this is what geologists formally call clay.
For us non-geologists, this article is a good overview of the processes that create clay from rock. After reading, it is also gives you a good excuse to wander around clay prospecting. Finding local clay to use as a slip or in a clay body is, after all, intrinsically satisfying...at least for me.
Personally, the way potting crosses into the realms of geology, chemistry, art, archaeology, and so on always keeps me entranced. Does it fascinate you, too?
Comments
I prospect a lot of clay myself. I live on the Texas Gulf Coast which is the world’s largest lump of clay! If you would not mind emailing me or posting here in great detail, how to you go about getting your prospected clay free of tiny lumps and evenly hydrated? I love prospecting — I’ve got clay from Blanco County and Elgin County ranches, clay from the roots of a tree in my back yard that Hurricane Ike toppled, clay from my neighbor’s yard when the water company dug up his lawn to do repair work, clay from Beaumont Texas from a retired geologists field trip — I got more clay than you can shake a stick at and it all needs processing! I need some good clay advice!
Hi DJ, and thank you for your comment and question!
Have you seen my article “Dig Your Own Clay and Use It”? I think it may
answer most of your questions. I’d start by doing fairly small batches first, perhaps about 50 pounds dry, and see how things progress.