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| The Clay |
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| One of the identifying characteristics of the pottery found at Pine Hill is the clay that is used. On our property a clay body has been discovered that effectively fires to 2291*F. There will also be a set of glazes made from local/natural materials (i.e. sunflower seed hulls, wheat straw, wood ash, etc.) Along side our indigenous clays and glazes (in their experimental stage) you will find work that is made from clay and glazes that are purchased from a supplier to guarantee a product tried and true alongside our relatively unknow indigenous works. |
| Out of five, 5 gallon, containers of raw clay approximately 240 pounds of useful clay can be refined. There has been an average of 1/5 sediment in the surface clay worked with to date. Plant growth, sediment and stones are removed from the clay using a 60 mesh screen in order to make it usable. |
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| After the excess water has been siphoned off the remaining slurry is transfered to a Drying trough where it sets up for 3-7 days. The clay is covered with a screen to protect it from air born contaminants and insects. To keep the clay from taking on additional water, in case of rain, the trough is covered with a 4x8 sheet of plywood. |
| The raw clay is first put into a 55 gallon drum (five 5-gallon buckets worth) and diluted with 30 gallons of water. After the clay been mixed thoroughly, the plant growth and other floating materials can easily be raked out. Then the mixture is further diluted to ease the screening process. A thinner mixture allows the heavier rocks, stones and sediment to settle while the clay stays in suspension and is transfered to the sieve. Clay, mixed to a consistency of milk, is passed through a 60 mesh screen and allowed to settle for 2-3 days. |
| After the clay has set up enough to bear its own weight (still quite soft and tacky) it is taken inside to the wedging to be thuroughly mixed together and then set out to dry 1-2 days, or until it is no longer tacky. Then the processed and malable clay is ready to be stored away in an airtight contianer for later use. |
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