Reclaim is unfired scrap clay, trimmings and slurry collected and turned back into workable clay. The scraps are dried, soaked into a slurry, then dried back to a throwing consistency on plaster or fabric and wedged.
What Is Reclaim?
Any clay that hasn’t been fired can be reclaimed. Most potters let scraps dry completely first, because bone-dry clay slakes down in water quickly and evenly. Once it has become a thick slurry, it is spread on a plaster slab or canvas to lose water until it is firm enough to wedge.
Reclaim saves money and waste, and many potters find it throws beautifully once it has been well wedged. Keeping different clay bodies separate is important, because mixed clays can shrink and fire unpredictably, and a speck of low-fire clay in a stoneware can blow out or melt.
Keep plaster chips, paper, sponges and other debris out of the reclaim bucket. Plaster in particular causes small pieces to pop off fired work.
Work reclaim wet where you can: dry clay dust contains crystalline silica, so avoid crushing dry scraps in the open, and clean up with a damp sponge rather than a broom.
This pottery glossary entry from Le Studio Art Space is general educational content. Always follow the clay, glaze and kiln makers’ data for your own materials and equipment.