Re: SB: floor stuff

[Mikal Jakubal <mjakubal@asis.com>]

Andy et al.,
I have extremely dense clay as well. Here's how I've been processing it:

(Sorry in advance to certain people who don't seem to like my opinions or
the way I do things and who aren't particularly polite about letting me and
the whole list know it. You can hit "delete" now.)

First, fill a 5-gallon bucket 1/2 full with dry or damp chunks, add water
enough to cover and let soak overnight. If you have big chunks, a small
square-nosed garden shovel can be used to slice them up a bit in the
bucket. In the morning, reach in with gloved hands and squish the chunks up
and loosen the whole mess from the bottom and sides of the bucket. Add some
water if necessary to try and keep the big gooey globs in at least partial
suspension in the water.

To mix it, I use a 1/2" drill with a large drywall mud mixer on it. There
are lots of different kinds; the only one that has worked for me is the
steel spiral kind. It has a round metal base, 3" or 4" across, with two
steel spiral mixing blades rising from it. (Maybe someone who has the time
can find a picture of one on the Web and post the URL.) 

Start mixing the surface to get a good whirlpool going, then gradually push
the mixer in deeper. Usually takes 1-3 minutes per bucket to get the clay
mostly slurried. You'll have to keep adding water as you go, and
hand-loosening any globs on the bottom. The more water, the easier it
mixes. I usually make a too-thin mix, pour it through 1/8" hardware cloth
into a plastic-lined bale pit or plastic kiddie pool, and then let it
settle. The excess water can be scooped off the top the next day or two.
Or, depending on the use, I use it thin, and get the desired consistency by
adding dry stuff like sand, chopped straw, and the like. I try and keep
some dry sifted clay on hand specifically for thickening mixes when I need
it right now. Sometimes, with really thick stubborn blobs, I'll drill mix
it at a thicker consistency (like pudding) till it's half mixed, strain it,
and put the big chunks back in another bucket with more water to mix the
next day. This gives nice thick clay that can be used right away. I usually
have ten or more buckets soaking at once.

I wouldn't give up on clay so quick! Cement mixers, as you seem to know,
work poorly for processing thick clay (though once the clay is made into
slip, they work great for making plaster or floor mixes). I'm told mortar
mixers will work, though I've never used them. There's one other gadget I'm
looking at: a muller mixer. Anyone know anything about them? There's a
company that has a used one, and I'm going to go look at it and test run a
couple buckets of clay through it. Apparently, it is meant to process damp
clay and can grind up rocks in the clay. Once I get a chance to do the
test, I'll post the results.

Barbarian with an attitude 



  

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