How to Make a Heated Plaster Reclaim Table to Speed Up the Reclaim Process Clara Wodny

No potter is a stranger to the time- and energy-intensive process of reclaiming clay, ensuring no usable materials are wasted. When running a busy community teaching studio, the struggle is only multiplied. For example, at Midway Clay in St. Paul, Minnesota, at least 80–90 potters come through its doors on a weekly basis. This is where a heated plaster table comes in—a simple, innovative tool that will slide seamlessly into your current reclaim process—accelerating the time for sloppy reclaim to become usable clay and reducing the amount of waste produced. 

Benefits of the Heated Bat Process 

At Midway Clay, before the owner Phil Raskin developed and built the heated bat, members strained liquid clay reclaim through a layer of hardware cloth, stretched in a wooden frame, and lined with two sheets of muslin, to dry the clay to a consistency where it could be mixed into the rest of the reclaim. While this process worked, it took a long time—two to three weeks before the clay was dry enough—and it never dried evenly, resulting in crispy edges and non-homogeneous clay that took more effort to mix and prepare for subsequent use. With the new heated bat method, throwing water is transformed into usable clay in roughly one week. 

Building the Heated Bat 

Before you begin, it is worth noting that the exact table measurements we used when building aren’t particularly important, as the height and overall size of the table can be adjusted depending on your preference, space, and material constraints. What is important is that the bed of the table is roughly 3–4 inches (7.6–10.1 cm) deep to hold the heating element and plaster. 

This table was built with a plywood top (24 × 43 inches (0.6 × 1 m)), 2 × 4 legs and cross pieces, and a 1 × 4 attached to the plywood top to make a cradle for the plaster. It was built with pine, but any material you have available will work. 

The bottom of the table bed area is first lined with a layer of foam core tile backer board—any type from big-box lumber or tile setting stores will do, just ensure it is foam core rather than the traditional cement. This layer not only insulates the bat but also helps distribute the heat more evenly and directs it upwards through the plaster layer. 

The table and plaster will be heated with a floor-heating unit, such as the ones typically used in bathroom renovations. Be sure to select one small enough to fit your table frame. It can be difficult to find the correct size if you have a small table—the one used in the pictured construction was purchased from Warmly Yours (www.warmlyyours.com). This unit is then installed directly on top of the foam core and connected to a high-quality thermostat. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for installation on the backer board (1). This unit was installed with hot glue, starting at one end and ensuring the mat stayed taut and flat as each section was glued down. If the unit is not properly and sufficiently secured, it may float up when the plaster is poured. Be sure to add the extra sensor to the heating component, as they do go bad occasionally. 

Once the heating unit is properly installed, painter’s caulk should be used to seal each edge where the 2 × 4s connect with each other, to prevent leaking (2). Ensure the table is sufficiently level on the floor, then pour freshly-mixed plaster directly on top of the heating unit (3). If you already have a preferred type of plaster to use in your reclaim bats, any type will work. Here, a basic, generic pottery plaster is used. Mix enough plaster, following the manufacturer’s directions, to fill the table bed with a thickness of roughly 2–3 inches (5–7.6 cm). When the plaster has been poured, gently rock the table back and forth for roughly 3–5 minutes, to help any bubbles rise to the top and even out. Here, a six-inch putty knife was used to further finish and smooth the surface (4). Once the plaster is poured and smooth, it can take a few days for it to fully dry (5). Once it is set, your new heated table is ready for use. 

the author Clara Wodny, currently based in Duluth, Minnesota, is a freelance journalist, potter, and printmaker. She is a 2025 graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where she studied creative writing and graphic design, but really spent most of her time experimenting in the clay studio.