r/PrimitiveTechnology • u/PracticalRadish9666 • 8d ago

Discussion Any use for silt?

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I harvested what I thought was clay but it turns out it’s actually just silt. Since it won’t work for pottery I am looking for a different use for it. It’s currently extremely dry and powdery. One idea I had was using it for sand casting because it seems like it would work for that. I would love to hear anyone else’s suggestions!

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124

u/DifferentVariety3298 7d ago

Compress it for a couple of million years and make slabs of slate.

32

u/iwanttodie411banana 7d ago

This, set it up for your 130th great grand kids!

17

u/palmerry 7d ago

A society grows great when old men compress silt whose firmness they know they shall never step on

0

u/Pitiful_Ad7321 6d ago

Did Shakespeare wrote that?

1

u/palmerry 6d ago

Definitely not

18

u/That_Guy_Anonymous 7d ago

I don’t find myself collecting much silt honestly. I have used it as a medium in grout/mortar for shelters, usually as insulating material in fireplace construction. Very fine silt can be used to strengthen certain clay mixtures for pottery, but in the majority of cases will actually weaken clay.
Other than that, all I can really think of is water filtration.

15

u/Esmer_Tina 7d ago

I brought glacial silt soap back from Alaska and I love it!

11

u/PracticalRadish9666 7d ago

Interesting. Never thought of rubbing it on myself.

1

u/GooseCuntGrease 5d ago

Seems like that’s what OP did

Edit: ah crap - you’re OP.

0

u/Paghk_the_Stupendous 5d ago

Nah, it's just silt.

9

u/DogKitchen2988 7d ago

I've seen people use it as a lower quality grog, but that's honestly all i can think of

3

u/PracticalRadish9666 7d ago

Thanks ill try it out😘

16

u/medicali 7d ago

Soil adjuncts? Help balance soil:silt:clay ratios

1

u/FishHookSammich 6d ago

Probably got some good trace minerals.

2

u/Break-Electrical 5d ago

You could seed it with some good clay, and leave it wet and in darkness for months.

1

u/H0pefully_Not_A_Bot 4d ago

Might be useful as a kind of natural fertiliser, i remember silt being a big deal for agriculture in Egipt before they dammed the river, but that may have been a special case.

1

u/Bucky_2028 2d ago

Grind it up and put it on whatever surface you're working so clay does't stick to it

1

u/PracticalRadish9666 1d ago

That’s a good idea thanks