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question on pitfiring

updated mon 1 nov 99

 

Deanna Palfrey on wed 27 oct 99

hello! I am doing a pit-firing this weekend, and would appreciate any
suggestions or tips anyone can give me on the process. Or unusual
techniques. You can reply to my e-mail address, or to the list. thank you so
much!
Also: Do you know if putting wax resist on bisque wear works when pitfiring?

Rick Brady on thu 28 oct 99

Hi,

I have a "permanent" pit lined with cement blocks on the sides with a dirt floor

Try wrapping some of your pots with copper wire (24ga) and if you can find them,

The following is my process:

1. Place a thin layer of twigs and pine needles in the bottom of the pit.
2. Cover the twigs and pine needles with about 4 to 6 inches of saw dust. I gen
3. Add rock salt, copper carbonate and other goodies like Ironite (fertilizer) o
4. Place your pots directly on top of the sawdust and make sure that they are p
5. Carefully cover the pots with the first layer of wood. I use fir, pine and c
6. After the first layer of wood, I add a layer of kindling and newspaper and t
7. It generally takes about 18 to 20 hours before the pots are cool enough to p
8. When the pots are cool I clean them with plain water, let them thoroughly dr

Good Luck and HAVE FUN! Post some pictures of your results.

Rick Brady
Pleasanton, CA

PS: Has anyone created a "pit" using a 55 gal drum. I'd like to try this over

-----Original Message-----
From: Deanna Palfrey [mailto:Ndsumhugs@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 1999 11:44 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: question on pitfiring


----------------------------Original message----------------------------
hello! I am doing a pit-firing this weekend, and would appreciate any
suggestions or tips anyone can give me on the process. Or unusual
techniques. You can reply to my e-mail address, or to the list. thank you so
much!
Also: Do you know if putting wax resist on bisque wear works when pitfiring?

Dannon Rhudy on thu 28 oct 99

At 02:44 PM 10/27/99 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
>Also: Do you know if putting wax resist on bisque wear works when pitfiring?
>--------------------------------------------------

The wax will burn off at a very low temperature. What is it you want
to "resist"?

Dannon Rhudy
potter@koyote.com

James Shepard on fri 29 oct 99

We here at Fresno City College in Calif. have just gotten our website up and
going. You can go to http://www.fcc.cc.ca.us/humanities/art/CERAMICS.htm
and click on pit firing and see how we do it here.

JIM SHEPARD, at: http://www.terrashire.com
Fresno City College/Art/Ceramics Phone: 559 442-4600 ext.8325
E-Mail me at school: jim.shepard@do1.scccd.cc.ca.us
FRESNO CITY COLLEGE: http://www.fcc.cc.ca.us

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

Joyce Lee on fri 29 oct 99

> The wax will burn off at a very low temperature. What is it you want
> to "resist"?

Dannon's gentle response reminds me of my dismay and embarrassment when
I first took a class in pottery and became upset because my glaze ran
when fired. I had thought it was the wax's job to protect my pot from
glaze runs right through the firing! AND I was a very mature (older than
dirt, remember, when I started clay) and supposedly educated person.
Pottery sure makes one humble .... over and over again.

Joyce
In the Mojave thrilled with the test firings of the new Geil kiln. I'll
be doing a real ^10 glaze firing this weekend. I loved, and do love, my
small Geil but so far the new, larger one rules!

John Guerin on fri 29 oct 99

In a message dated 10/28/99 12:44:55 PM Central Daylight Time,
RickB@netro-corp.com writes:

<< Hi,

I have a "permanent" pit lined with cement blocks on the sides with a dirt
floor

Try wrapping some of your pots with copper wire (24ga) and if you can find
them,

The following is my process:

1. Place a thin layer of twigs and pine needles in the bottom of the pit.
2. Cover the twigs and pine needles with about 4 to 6 inches of saw dust. I
gen
3. Add rock salt, copper carbonate and other goodies like Ironite
(fertilizer) o
4. Place your pots directly on top of the sawdust and make sure that they
are p
5. Carefully cover the pots with the first layer of wood. I use fir, pine
and c
6. After the first layer of wood, I add a layer of kindling and newspaper
and t
7. It generally takes about 18 to 20 hours before the pots are cool enough
to p
8. When the pots are cool I clean them with plain water, let them
thoroughly dr

Good Luck and HAVE FUN! Post some pictures of your results.

Rick Brady
Pleasanton, CA

PS: Has anyone created a "pit" using a 55 gal drum. I'd like to try this
over
>>

Hi,

Tim Kapral does an excellent Pit Firing Workshop just outside Tucson Arizona
a couple of times a year. There are some pictures of his last one at
"http://www2.crosswinds.ntet/~mforgach/pottery1.html" He has another one
scheduled for November 20-21, next month. In addition to firing in a
bricklined pit he also demonstrates how the same firing can be done in a
garbage can. Tim gets excellent coloration on his pottery. If you are
interested in additional information on this workshop, contact me and I will
provide it.

John Guerin
Tucson, AZ

Dannon Rhudy on fri 29 oct 99





...... reminds me of my dismay and embarrassment when
>I first took a class in pottery .....my glaze ran
>when fired. I had thought it was the wax's job to protect my pot from
>glaze runs right through the firing!..........

We all make odd assumptions when we begin with clay - or anything
else, likely. I've always found the "wax" assumption to be one of
the funniest - if caught in time. There's never a semester without
at least one beginner waxing the whole pot "because I don't like that
unglazed part" and then waxing the foot ring OVER the glaze,
on the assumption that the wax somehow makes a permanent barrier
between glaze/shelf or lid/pot. Even though it is one
of the first and most frequent items I mention, it isn't always heard.

I am often bemused by the oddities of what we hear and don't
hear when learning any new thing. But my all-time favorite
non-hearer is from my undergrad days. A young woman
taking clay listened to nothing at all, nor read, nor thought,
apparently. In any case, as the semester approached it's
end and she had made no work that she liked, one day she
came in and began glazing all kinds of odd items: a shoe,
a teddy bear, various found items - I happened to be in the
studio, started to say something, but decided it was none of
MY business. But I did watch. Fascinating. Of course the
items did not get fired, but she was outraged that they weren't.
Literally screamed at the instructor when he said it was not
possible. She was convinced that the glaze would somehow
"hold it's shape" from the various "experiments" she'd made.

Regards

Dannon Rhudy
potter@koyote.com

Jonathan Kaplan on sat 30 oct 99


>
>We all make odd assumptions when we begin with clay - or anything
>else, likely


>I am often bemused by the oddities of what we hear and don't
>hear when learning any new thing.

Hi Dannon and others:

Hows' about the student who came on like gangbusters being the next great
Hamada or Pete
the first week of class, then never shows up until the last week and asks
if he will get his "A" in ceramics.

Actually, the dialog went like this:

"Uh...dude..I'm going to get my "A" right?

"No dude. Not only are you not going to get your "A", but your are going to
fail ceramics.

"But dude, what can I do to pass? I need to pass this class.

Dude, you didn't pass Go, you didn't collect $200, and this discussion is over.

His mother had the gall to call the campus dean when HAMADA/PETE WANNABE
got his "F" and harrang me and question my grading policy because her son
couldn't have possibly failed ceramics 1.

Go figure.

Jonathan


Jonathan Kaplan
Ceramic Design Group LTd/Production Services
PO Box 775112
Steamboat Springs, CO 80477
(970) 879-9139 voice and fax
http://www.sni.net/ceramicdesign

UPS: 1280 13th St. Unit13
Steamboat Springs, CO 80487

Carenza Hayhoe on sun 31 oct 99

How I wish I had space for a proper pit of my own. I make do with a garden
incinerator - not sure how many gallons it would hold. By using coloured
slips and a variety of different woods, fine sawdust, shavings, dried leaves
and so on, I have had a variety of very happy results but of course the
firing never reaches the temperatures you can achieve in a big pit and you/I
loose out on the wonderful reduction reds. Can anyone tell me how to beat
the system?
Carenza
www.mochaware.com

----- Original Message -----
From: John Guerin
To:
Sent: Friday, October 29, 1999 11:39 PM
Subject: Re: question on pitfiring


> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> In a message dated 10/28/99 12:44:55 PM Central Daylight Time,
> RickB@netro-corp.com writes:
>
> << Hi,
>
> I have a "permanent" pit lined with cement blocks on the sides with a
dirt
> floor
>
> Try wrapping some of your pots with copper wire (24ga) and if you can
find
> them,
>
> The following is my process:
>
> 1. Place a thin layer of twigs and pine needles in the bottom of the pit.
> 2. Cover the twigs and pine needles with about 4 to 6 inches of saw dust.
I
> gen
> 3. Add rock salt, copper carbonate and other goodies like Ironite
> (fertilizer) o
> 4. Place your pots directly on top of the sawdust and make sure that
they
> are p
> 5. Carefully cover the pots with the first layer of wood. I use fir,
pine
> and c
> 6. After the first layer of wood, I add a layer of kindling and
newspaper
> and t
> 7. It generally takes about 18 to 20 hours before the pots are cool
enough
> to p
> 8. When the pots are cool I clean them with plain water, let them
> thoroughly dr
>
> Good Luck and HAVE FUN! Post some pictures of your results.
>
> Rick Brady
> Pleasanton, CA
>
> PS: Has anyone created a "pit" using a 55 gal drum. I'd like to try
this
> over
> >>
>
> Hi,
>
> Tim Kapral does an excellent Pit Firing Workshop just outside Tucson
Arizona
> a couple of times a year. There are some pictures of his last one at
> "http://www2.crosswinds.ntet/~mforgach/pottery1.html" He has another one
> scheduled for November 20-21, next month. In addition to firing in a
> bricklined pit he also demonstrates how the same firing can be done in a
> garbage can. Tim gets excellent coloration on his pottery. If you are
> interested in additional information on this workshop, contact me and I
will
> provide it.
>
> John Guerin
> Tucson, AZ
>
>