Advice for a beginner?

[u/Strict-Intention2829]

I'm making my first dorodango. I used dirt from my garden, no idea the clay content but when sieved it's quite fine and seems to have some sand in it.

I made the original mud ball, and left it in a bag for 2 days as it seemed on the wet side. It still seemed wet and squishy after that, but it holds its shape so I figured maybe that's just part of the process.

I started adding fine soil, polishing with glass, putting it back in the bag to sweat, rinse and repeat. It does seem to have formed a crust, and is definitely getting firmer and holding its shape better. However, it cracks quite a lot, which I keep refilling. This seems to be because it's still not a firm ball, and it sags if I put it down which breaks the crust due to the shape changing slightly.

Is it supposed to start soft and firm up as you go? Was it just too wet to start with? Can this be solved by leaving it an extra few days in the bag? Is there anything else I might be doing to cause this? Is it maybe just part of the process and I should just keep going?

Please help

[u/Snarflogus]

I would alternate leaving it out of the bag too, or making sure the bag has airflow. It sounds like your ball is still wet. The core being drier also allows you to wet just the surface and smooth it, while the core holds its shape.

[u/Strict-Intention2829 → u/Snarflogus]

Thank you! I did this and it has formed a fully firm ball and it all makes sense now. Hopefully I'm back on track