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

HorseloverFat said:
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)
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I'm curious...you've been plotting temps. Is there a noticeable difference in response from the kiln? Does it rise slower/faster than when it was mounded in dirt? Can you feel a temperature change on the outside of the shell?

My inner physicist needs to know ;)
 
LittleDingus said:
I'm curious...you've been plotting temps. Is there a noticeable difference in response from the kiln? Does it rise slower/faster than when it was mounded in dirt? Can you feel a temperature change on the outside of the shell?

My inner physicist needs to know ;)
Click to expand...
Temps rise more consistently... i COULD make them rise MUCH quicker.. I’m taking it slow..

It takes much longer to be hot to the exterior touch.. which is great.

This shell functions much better than when it was buried, AFTER my work to it..

But my conclusion is..

After I get the shell in acceptable order.. I’ll build retaining walls and STILL bury it. 🤓
 
HorseloverFat said:
Temps rise more consistently... i COULD make them rise MUCH quicker.. I’m taking it slow..

It takes much longer to be hot to the exterior touch.. which is great.

This shell functions much better than when it was buried, AFTER my work to it..

But my conclusion is..

After I get the shell in acceptable order.. I’ll build retaining walls and STILL bury it. 🤓
Click to expand...

If the shell feels warm...you're leaking heat :(

That's what I was wondering about. I don't have a concept of how good a heat insulator clay is. Dirt tends to be pretty good. Lots of air pockets to throttle conduction...typically the largest avenue of heat motion. The air pockets are small and the air itself cannot move around easily which chokes off the next largest source of heat motion: convection. The third avenue...radiation...is pretty weak the your temps plus, to really get away from your shell it would be a radiate-absorb-radiate-lather-rinse-repeat sort of path to get away from the shell which lessens the efficiency even more.

...I remember just enough thermodynamics to sound like I know what I'm talking about! DO NOT take that to mean that I do know what I'm talking about ;)
 
LittleDingus said:
If the shell feels warm...you're leaking heat :(

That's what I was wondering about. I don't have a concept of how good a heat insulator clay is. Dirt tends to be pretty good. Lots of air pockets to throttle conduction...typically the largest avenue of heat motion. The air pockets are small and the air itself cannot move around easily which chokes off the next largest source of heat motion: convection. The third avenue...radiation...is pretty weak the your temps plus, to really get away from your shell it would be a radiate-absorb-radiate-lather-rinse-repeat sort of path to get away from the shell which lessens the efficiency even more.

...I remember just enough thermodynamics to sound like I know what I'm talking about! DO NOT take that to mean that I do know what I'm talking about ;)
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Oh yeah.. burying it was kind of the plan.. earth is always the best insulator.. the last few (5-6) coats where ASH heavy... which is an alright insulator

What i meant was, the old shell would be hot to the touch in 1.5(ish) hours.. whereas THIS shell took 3(ish) hours.
 
I just gotta fire the shell a few times and observe it.

Because, from the moment you “fire up” you are essentially losing heat.. And fire only gets SO hot... so it’s a continuous battle for temperature gain within an environment where heat (of the “fire”) it actually your limiting factor...

The struggle reaches physical difficulties at 900F and 2000F (I’ve heard 🤣)
 
I really like your tiny structure!
We need more mud em and such drawn from this hemisphere’s forms so our Western Hemisphere trees can have some Western Hemisphere stories in our little melting pot penjing landscapes.
 
Crawforde said:
I really like your tiny structure!
We need more mud em and such drawn from this hemisphere’s forms so our Western Hemisphere trees can have some Western Hemisphere stories in our little melting pot penjing landscapes.
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EXACTLY!!
 
I could only carry one bag due to conditions.. I managed to get to my desired vein (past about 1/4 mile of 45-degrees-at-parts “normal” earthenware ... uh ... cliffs(?)) dry... scraped and a bit bruised.. but dry. The trek back proved to be more... moist... 🙃CE9D3FF3-0249-4C58-B1BA-2BF935B0E95F.jpeg5A41BAE5-B6A2-4C07-A45F-56BCC8D8CF9D.jpeg2CEBD4C1-6352-413D-AD96-F6E22BA36BAC.jpeg
...worth every soggy, cliff-rashed second.

🤓
 
Am I to understand you hike along the base of that ridge? What's up top? Do you have a rope?

Even if you can't repell down the side, I'd think you'd be able to rig something with a rope to get several loads up the side at once. Maybe??
 
LittleDingus said:
Am I to understand you hike along the base of that ridge? What's up top? Do you have a rope?

Even if you can't repell down the side, I'd think you'd be able to rig something with a rope to get several loads up the side at once. Maybe??
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The top is private land. ;)

I come by shore!
 
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