Pottery firing experiment

[Jodocus]

I dug up some clay last week. Did not clean or sieve it, although it containes plenty of little rocks and organic matter. Just pinch potted some stuff from it as it was.

Then I knocked up a little oven from the loessy earth in our garden. That was a matter of two hours. I fired the oven to dry the inside, repaired the cracks the next morning. I was a little worried as it was pouring rain, but it held up.

I loaded the pottery yesterday, and set it going.

[Jodocus]

Today in the morning, I opened it up. I was ready to wipe up the shards, but then I smiled  Wanna see?

[half eye]

now that is a class act right there, beautifull.
rich

[NeolithicMan]

I tried harvesting clay right out of the ground and make a few little dishes and they all turned to dust when I tried to cook them by an open fire. Ill will have to try this little oven style when it gets warm enough to dig some more clay. do you build a fire inside the oven with charcoal then add the clay items? any info is appreciated, thanks

 

[Jodocus]

Thanks Rich, good to know you like it. It was a very nice experience overall, the entire process. The clay felt real soothing and full of possibilities after I had battered unforgiving, sharp flint for a while. And playing around with fire is always just good, basic fun.

NeolithicMan. I just put the stuff in as in the pic, closed the oven and built a fire right at the entrance. I started small. As the oven got hot, it startet to suck in more air, the fire went hotter. I gently pushed the coals back into the chamber, but gently. 

I tried the open fire before, with similar results as yours.

[PrimitiveTim]

I love the fern imprint!  That stuff is so cool!

[HikingViking]

heck yes! thats awesome!  i was just talking to my housemates about setting something like this up.  the fern imprints are definitely my favorite.  did you continually feed the fire? or just burn it hot and let it sit?

[Jodocus]

I kept the fire going for about 9 hours, feeding it in shorter and shorter intervals as it got hotter, until I went to sleep. Did not take too much wood, maybe two buckets.

[stickbender]

     Cool!   Well I know one of the first things I will be doing when I go back to Montana in April.  That is nice.  The clay I have is like modeling clay.  In fact, all I have is clay, and rock.  Almost six acres of it!  Those are nice.  Now I have two methods to try, Ryan's and yours.  How long did you let the pottery dry, before you fired it?

                                                                Wayne

[BryanR]

Love this post.  I've done open fire with good results, but you do it way better with a build-your-own oven.

[Jodocus]

Stickbender: Most of the pieces dried about a week. Some, were still obviously a bit wet though. I think the oven took a while to get hot. This allowed the rest of the water to dry out.
In the beginning, I'm pretty sure the smoke would even condense on the pottery and wetten it pretty much.

But I'm no potter and this was my first oven firing. I'm really only guessing.

[Gsulfridge]

That's so cool.  As a kid, I used to dig up white clay in Kentucky and make marbles from them.  I have never tried anything that takes skill and imagination though.

[AndrewS]

a heck of nice stuff!
I like it

[Pappy]

Beautiful stuff,very nice work.
  Pappy

[stickbender]

     What did you use for the color on the tall pieces?

                                            Wayne