Fuller´s Earth

Draft autosaved at 3:19 am

If some of your US fans ask you where to buy fuller's earth?

Sure, it is easily obtainable once you know what it is. A few
Americans have told me they had trouble obtaining it when they asked
for "Fuller´s Earth" by name.

Most cat litter is Fuller´s earth. By the way, some other clays are
much the same, and will also work. Kaolin (China Clay, Pipe Clay,
Fuller's Earth) is hydrated aluminum silicate. Available as a fine
white powder with a rather slippery oily texture, kaolin is slightly
adhesive when mixed with water. The best grades are found today in
native deposits in England, although the name kaolin comes from China
and indicates a material from which the best white porcelain was made.
It is used as a carrier for lake colors, as a filler in paints, and as
a modifying material in pastels.


Bentonite is an American clay, sold as a powder, that gels when added
to water. It is used to make artists pastel chalks less brittle.

Montmorillonite is basically the same thing


FULLERS EARTH POWDER is a grey green powder,similar to KAOLIN,but with
slightly stronger absorbent properties.( This is the stuff commonly
used as beauty masks).

"European Clay" is the same stuff. To use it, mix an ounce or so of
the earth with a half a tea-spoonfull of liquid detergent, and a
quarter tea-spoonfull of glycerine. I carry a lump of this in a zip
lock bag, it will also fit in a normal small plastic film can, but is
then more difficult to use. It should be a very firm paste in a
solid but malleable lump. To use it, just draw the nylon through it.
This de-glints the nylon, because the earth is a mild abrasive. Once
the nylon has been de-glinted, you don´t need to use the earth on it
any more, you just need to pull it through a small sponge with dilute
detergent.

The detergent in the paste is only to make the leader sink. Drawing
nylon through the paste de-glints and treats it in one go. It also
cleans any grease or oil off the line.

You can add water if the paste is too hard. The glycerine is only to
stop the lump of paste drying out too fast. I have been using the same
lump for about five years now.

If you use the cat litter, just grind it up ( or crush it with a
hammer etc), and do the same as above.

One can also obtain the more expensive pharmaceutical quality stuff,
at drugstores or similar, it is sold as a "facial" for women, or
people suffering from acne.

It is known as "Fuller´s" earth, because it was once used for
"fulling", a process in the manufacture of certain textiles. It
basically fluffs up wool.

Fuller´s would knead the material with their feet, and the finely
powdered clay was added to the fulling bath.

This is also the origin of the surname "Fuller"

TL
MC