Terra Cotta: My musings on...and resulting actions with.

[HorseloverFat]

Also.. ORIGINALLY.. the idea was to construct a wood-fired kiln.. even cheaper. I just.. made the damn thing too small!

The next kiln I fabricate will be, though.

 

[sorce]

I Think...wait wait.....I know it's an addicting adventure.

Something about creating something you can create something in that you created.

Just as a $400 pair of designer jeans is worth the money to some.....

The satisfaction of this is worth it.

IMO...this satisfaction is way better than some bitch ass denim!

Sorce

 

[Crawforde]

And never discount the value of failure.
nothing in my life has ever satisfied me as much as, or taught me more than recovering from my failures.
I have learned stuff from books and schools, but not near as much or as deeply as I have from my mistakes and misconceptions.

 

[LittleDingus]

I don't feel the need to learn flint napping everytime my butcher knife gets dull. My niece's husband is a PhD anthropologist, and he feels he needs to learn flint napping, but that is to prove some obscure historical point about paleolithic technology, not because he needs a sharp knife in the kitchen.

Your experiments are interesting, and I enjoy following the progression, but I think if you really wanted to make bonsai pots that are durable enough to actually use for bonsai, you should really just invest in a decent kiln.

lol...not dogging you @Leo in N E Illinois but by this logic, why do we spend so much money on bonsai tools and material when we could just buy a finished bonsai I personally could have bought a half dozen top notch bonsai by now for the time and materials I've spent on the crap growing around my yard!

At the end of the day...we do hobbies to be doing things that make us happy. For some, that's buying an already completed bonsai to take care of. For others, it's growing new material from seed. And for other others...it's building kilns

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

lol...not dogging you @Leo in N E Illinois but by this logic, why do we spend so much money on bonsai tools and material when we could just buy a finished bonsai I personally could have bought a half dozen top notch bonsai by now for the time and materials I've spent on the crap growing around my yard!

At the end of the day...we do hobbies to be doing things that make us happy. For some, that's buying an already completed bonsai to take care of. For others, it's growing new material from seed. And for other others...it's building kilns

Point well made.

 

[HorseloverFat]

All sealed up!

Now gonna just keep adding moderate layers of the Ash/grog/sand-heavy slip (Made with about 1/3 OF the “clay component” being a mix of Kaolin and ball clay ((I have it for glazes))) Until I run out.

Theeen it gets an external torch treatment.

 

[TinyArt]

Also.. ORIGINALLY.. the idea was to construct a wood-fired kiln.. even cheaper. I just.. made the damn thing too small!

The next kiln I fabricate will be, though.

Forgive me if this has been explored earlier in the thread, but —

Have you dug around for “experimental archaeology” info? You might find a good deal of “what we tried, and how it worked out” info, maybe something useful.

Also, “just” archaeology, but might be fun to see:

https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/archaeological-and-historic-pottery-production-sites/heag019-pottery-production-sites/

 

[HorseloverFat]

Forgive me if this has been explored earlier in the thread, but —

Have you dug around for “experimental archaeology” info? You might find a good deal of “what we tried, and how it worked out” info, maybe something useful.

Also, “just” archaeology, but might be fun to see:

https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/archaeological-and-historic-pottery-production-sites/heag019-pottery-production-sites/

Thank you for the link! I’ve not read that!

I studied quite a bit of “endemic people’s” Pottery and firing Processes... Australia was my favorite to “study”.. but people in Australia have access to much better materials in the ground/around them..
But I am partial to Native American Earth kilns.. go figure.

I will check that out, more thoroughly, at my leisure.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Forgive me if this has been explored earlier in the thread, but —

Have you dug around for “experimental archaeology” info? You might find a good deal of “what we tried, and how it worked out” info, maybe something useful.

Also, “just” archaeology, but might be fun to see:

https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/archaeological-and-historic-pottery-production-sites/heag019-pottery-production-sites/

Just actually read a lil bit..

SPLENDID!

 

[sorce]

Theeen it gets an external torch treatment.

I think you may be better off just firing it, since it will dry nice and slow from the inside.

Unless "external torch treatment" means shining an English Flashlight aboot it.

Sorce

 

[HorseloverFat]

I think you may be better off just firing it, since it will dry nice and slow from the inside.

Unless "external torch treatment" means shining an English Flashlight aboot it.

Sorce

Haha! Gotcha, friend. Thank you!

 

[HorseloverFat]

Take in this 2 part series and leave Phil and Dennis a comment that Sorce sent ya! They're great people!

Read this article, and of you google it, there's a handy PDF, that I, having some internet class, won't post the link to! (Trojan Bastards)

How to Fire A Gas Kiln Efficiently

Hal Frenzel gives expert advice and information on how to fire a gas kiln efficiently, no matter what type of firing you are doing.

ceramicartsnetwork.org

Read all the "technical info" tabs here. In the order most useful to you.

Ward Burner Systems - Power Burners, Raku Burners, and Kilns

Ward Burner Systems Power Burners and Raku Kilns - natural gas burners, kilns, and furnaces

www.wardburner.com

There's a ton of Raku videos on Youtube that could also serve very useful for your situation.

Simon Leach had some videos on his weed burner setup.
New Saying...
Leach Trained Breaches Bullshit.
Don't know how else to put it.
Take ALL his stuff in!
Simon is so modest it's hard to tell you are learning so much till you realize what it is you're learning.

Sorce

Just watched part 1, last night, part 2, this morning.

AMAZING!!! I’m SO glad I did..

The PS3.. which is our only.. “tv object”, won’t let me leave comments.. (I’ll try on the phone now). But I DID subscribe and will be viewing videos from that “channel” frequently now.

Thank you, brotha.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Just watched part 1, last night, part 2, this morning.

AMAZING!!! I’m SO glad I did..

The PS3.. which is our only.. “tv object”, won’t let me leave comments.. (I’ll try on the phone now). But I DID subscribe and will be viewing videos from that “channel” frequently now.

Thank you, brotha.

Part 3 was great!

Then, whilst perusing the videos, I noticed one titled: “Operating a small, gas, updraft kiln”... I was all, “Hey!.. that’s pretty relevant”...great video.

I also watched a few of the “shorts”, like the 13-17-minute Selections.

Thanks again for bringing this “channel” to my attention.

 

[sorce]

Fuck!

Sorce

 

[HorseloverFat]

The rain stopped for long enough that I was able to let the kiln dry, fully.. then slap some more layers of shell on it..
Almost time...
Also, Abstract New England post-colonial cottage I am working on..

(Obviously IN progress, just sharing)

@Wulfskaar had mentioned he was interested in seeing my new “structure-based” endeavors.

 

[Crawforde]

Still doing chaos in the swamp

A few new ones in the fire, and the big one that broke during the last fire.
I put it back together with some slip and ash, and brushed it down with some too. It will probably blow up, but that makes it more fun if it doesn’t.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Still doing chaos in the swamp

A few new ones in the fire, and the big one that broke during the last fire.
I put it back together with some slip and ash, and brushed it down with some too. It will probably blow up, but that makes it more fun if it doesn’t.

View attachment 371903

NICE!
That’ll be interesting to see if you can “glue them”.... that’s alot of different temps/moistures exchanging and “changing”

I hope it works!

 

[Crawforde]

Hey
Just to spice it up,
Will this do some reducing?

 

[HorseloverFat]

Hey
Just to spice it up,
Will this do some reducing?

When i wood-fire, I DO consider wood/whatever I’m burnin; solid fuel.

So fuel-rich environment, sure!

I think, that given the pieces POSITION in relation to the flame, in a pit fire, it’s all “reducing”..

(this is bull... the last thing I said)

Cover it in alligator dung!

They do it with Llamas!

 

[HorseloverFat]

Had until 4pm before the rains rolled through.

So I decided to throw some unglazed pieces in there and do a lil “bisque” to get used to my new regulator and to dry/fire the kiln.. trying to crack it a lil’.. then a couple thin, watery shell coats.. (i believe I will do this process for the next couple fires)