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quartz gravel in wood firings

updated tue 13 jan 98

 

Robert Compton on mon 12 jan 98

Personally I do not use quartz gravel, but do fire wood and salt, but I
visited several potters in New Zealand, Bruce and Estell Martin, who used it
exclusively in their anagama firings. I have several of their pots and heres my
take on it. Bruce and Estell are into duplicating a particular look they saw in
Japan. The pots do not have the flashing on the bottom of the pots that is
usual with wood and salt fired pots, but again they are striving for a
particular look.

You can use stilts for the shelves and still use the quartz gravel
under the pots, but you would not be placing the stilts on the quartz gravel.
They got the gravel from a place on the South Island NZ, obviouly no help to us
in the states, but I am sure if you check with your local geology dept of Univ
near you they can give you an idea where to find it locally. The only drawback
that I saw was it had a look I did not care for, a plain bottomed pot without
the fire flashing.
Robert Compton Pottery http://homepages.together.net/~rcompton
3600 Rt 116
Bristol, Vermont 05443 802-453-3778paul wilmoth wrote:
>

----------------------------Original message----------------------------

I have fired salt for quite a few years and I have never used quartz
gravel. I am a bit interested in using the quartz gravel. Are there any
draw backs to using it? Can you still stilt shelves , as long as it is
sturdy? And where do you purchase the quartz gravel?

Thanks - Paul


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