Glamis Road Allotment clay drying

With the wet weather and the amount of clay drying I have been doing, these plaster bats are pretty wet, so the clay is rolled up and slopped out onto another plaster bat.

Glamis Road allotment clay preparation

Crail beach clay

This batch of Crail beach clay is lovely and, well, clay-like. It is taking an age to dry though, as it is so fine and not settling out. One batch out, next batch in. These will be wedged together later.

Still drying clay...

It has been wet. The plaster bats are wet. The clay is wet.

Allotment clay preparation

Given the deadline approach, I decided to take the clay from the allotment and slake down while it was still wet. It helped that the clay content wasn't high and there was lots of sand in it. So here my daughter and I throw little pieces of clay into lots of water and use a plaster mixer on a drill to agitate it vigorously. 

Yet more clay prep

The heavier clay from the bottom of the bucket has dried out quickly. That's because there wasn't much clay in it it was mainly sand.

More clay drying

The Crail Beach clay was very difficult to dry out, since it didn't settle out of the water very readily. I think that means the clay particles are very fine. This is why I needed to get the pipes and stockings out...

Wedging Pittormie (1) clay

This clay is difficult, sticky and very short.

Sieving clay from Reekies Garage

This clay is fantastic. I could tell right from digging it, it was going to be good. The only things to be sieved out of it were the sort of stones you get in a tarmacadamed road.

Sieving Crail beach clay

Clay drying

Wedging

Breaking up and slaking more dried clay

Breaking up and slaking dried clay

I have found it easier to break up the clay into smaller lumps to help the slaking down process - semi wet lumps of clay are difficult to pass through the sieve. 

Clay drying on plaster bat

Clay drying and slopping out

Clay drying and settling

Sieving and drying out clay

Slaking and drying

This clay is now dry and ready...

Clay drying

This clay is now ready to get wedged up.