I haven’t tested any new clays for a while, just different tests on clays I can find around my house. This clay comes from a small community in the far Southeast corner of Oklahoma called Moon. It was not processed at all. I dug a small handful out of the creek and then stored it in a plastic bag for over a month until I could remember to test fire it.
It was a dark gray in the ground but after working it, small iron fragments dispersed leaving it a more brownish red color.
As you can see, it’s not terribly plastic but will probably be throwable. It was actually a bit dry in these photos. It does not feel sandy which is the norm for the clays around my house unless I process them to remove it. It maybe higher PH since it leaves a slick feeling on my hands when I wash them after forming. The small white fragment was a piece of something that I dug out while forming it. Looks like it maybe lime but I question that after firing, since the test didn’t bloat when fired.
It fired to cone 5 without bending or bloating and the color seems to indicate that it’s not vitrified. I’ll be going back with an ATV, a tub, and extra muscle to get more.
