Does it matter what kind of clay?

[duhva]

Hello all.

When you're building a clay oven, does it matter what the type of clay is?

I've found an aggregate company that sells a ton of clay for a whopping £12, which seems a bargain compared to potters clay, etc. The clay is from one of their quarries in Oxfordshire and is described as a "Firm Blue Silty Clay". Their guy said the people they sell it to use it for river bank repairs, to line ponds and landfill sites. Am I right in thinking clay is clay and it would be fine to build a WFO out of it?

[rivergirl]

Not at all in my humble opinion. My next one is being taken from the cliff slides ! I think it's called London clay .

[Woody]

Hi Duhva,

I am also looking for a cheap source of local clay.

Would the company that you are refering to be 'Smiths' @ Blechingdon?

If so I rang their sales office and they said the smallest quantity that can be ordered is 6 ton!

Regards,
Woody

[duhva]

Thanks Rivergirl.

That's the one Woody. I called and spoke with one of their sales guys. The clay comes from their quarry near Whitney. He told me they sold it by the ton but if I went to the quarry to pick it up myself I would be able to take less -- plus I'd save the £80+ they would charge to deliver. I'm still working on getting materials for my base so I haven't followed it up further. The guy I spoke with was called Darren, if that helps. Definitely let me know how you get on and where you end up getting your clay from.

[bosun]

Hi Does anyone know where to get Clay from around Sussex?

Also rough estimate of how much I might need for building a 90cm diameter inner oven dome?

Many thanks

Bosun

[dellboy78]

Apr 16, 2014 10:21:00 GMT duhva said:

Hello all.

When you're building a clay oven, does it matter what the type of clay is?

I've found an aggregate company that sells a ton of clay for a whopping £12, which seems a bargain compared to potters clay, etc. The clay is from one of their quarries in Oxfordshire and is described as a "Firm Blue Silty Clay". Their guy said the people they sell it to use it for river bank repairs, to line ponds and landfill sites. Am I right in thinking clay is clay and it would be fine to build a WFO out of it?

I realise this is an old post, but if you are still active on this forum I would be interested to know if you had any luck with this particular clay for your oven?

[downunderdave]

Feb 9, 2020 19:30:19 GMT dellboy78 said:

Apr 16, 2014 10:21:00 GMT duhva said:

Hello all.

When you're building a clay oven, does it matter what the type of clay is?

I've found an aggregate company that sells a ton of clay for a whopping £12, which seems a bargain compared to potters clay, etc. The clay is from one of their quarries in Oxfordshire and is described as a "Firm Blue Silty Clay". Their guy said the people they sell it to use it for river bank repairs, to line ponds and landfill sites. Am I right in thinking clay is clay and it would be fine to build a WFO out of it?

I realise this is an old post, but if you are still active on this forum I would be interested to know if you had any luck with this particular clay for your oven?

Most clays should be suitable. Clay has a tendency to shrink a fair bit so avoid Bentonite clay which has extremely small partial size and therefore high shrinkage. The recommended mix is 2 parts sand to 1 part clay. This reduces shrinkage rate.  It is best to mix the clay and sand dry first. I hope your clay is provided powdered in bags. Do not use a mixer as you want a stiff plastic mix. Best to mix dry sand and powdered clay together on a large sheet of plastic then add water and puddle around with bare feet. Occasionally grab the corners of the plastic sheet to roll the mud back into the centre. Add the chopped straw for reinforcing at the same time as the water. This can be a fun activity if combined with female helpers and alcohol.