Some of my woodfired ceramics

[EliWhitney3140]

Thank you very much

[EliWhitney3140]

Hey Jerry, yeah I would love to explain the difference. I assume you have an understanding on how an electric kiln works. Woodfire kilns run off of wood alone for it's fuel source.There are different kinds of woodfire kilns but the one I am familiar/fire with is an Anagama kiln. It is a traditional japanese kiln that came from china and korea.

It takes two to three days to load the kiln with ceramics. It is a very tedious process, we try to pack the kiln as tightly as we can to take advantage of the kiln. Also the amount of space can affect the way the kiln fires, either by temperature or overall outcomes of the work. The firing itself is 5 days long. We are stoking the kiln the full 5 days about every 10 to 15 minutes and go through about 6 cords of wood. 40 hours of Fir, 40 of alder, 40 of maple. There is a main chamber in the front that we put full logs into and also side stokes on the sides of the kiln where we put fir kindling into. We are constantly trying to keep the front and back of the kiln heating up about the same pace. Although the back of the kiln is usually cooler.

I personally like to fire as many pieces as I can in the sidestoke box because of the aesthetic that is creates on my pieces, very crustry and matte finishes. I tend to like my pieces drier and less glassy. So the wood ash is actually what creates the finish on the ceramics. The fire gets so hot that the ash lands on the pottery and melts onto the clay. You can also tell the way the pieces are facing by the way the fire and ash hits the pieces.

So after we get the kiln to temp and keep it there for 5 days we shut everything for a reduction finish and let the kiln cool for another week before we open it. There is a lot more to it but this is the general information. It is a lot of work but I love the whole process of it. I hope this helps.

[EliWhitney3140]

Here is a picture of me trying to look stoic in front of the kiln



and here is a photo of the inside when we were unloading the kiln.

[jerrytheplater]

Hey Jerry, yeah I would love to explain the difference. I assume you have an understanding on how an electric kiln works. Woodfire kilns run off of wood alone for it's fuel source.There are different kinds of woodfire kilns but the one I am familiar/fire with is an Anagama kiln. It is a traditional japanese kiln that came from china and korea.

It takes two to three days to load the kiln with ceramics. It is a very tedious process, we try to pack the kiln as tightly as we can to take advantage of the kiln. Also the amount of space can affect the way the kiln fires, either by temperature or overall outcomes of the work. The firing itself is 5 days long. We are stoking the kiln the full 5 days about every 10 to 15 minutes and go through about 6 cords of wood. 40 hours of Fir, 40 of alder, 40 of maple. There is a main chamber in the front that we put full logs into and also side stokes on the sides of the kiln where we put fir kindling into. We are constantly trying to keep the front and back of the kiln heating up about the same pace. Although the back of the kiln is usually cooler.

I personally like to fire as many pieces as I can in the sidestoke box because of the aesthetic that is creates on my pieces, very crustry and matte finishes. I tend to like my pieces drier and less glassy. So the wood ash is actually what creates the finish on the ceramics. The fire gets so hot that the ash lands on the pottery and melts onto the clay. You can also tell the way the pieces are facing by the way the fire and ash hits the pieces.

So after we get the kiln to temp and keep it there for 5 days we shut everything for a reduction finish and let the kiln cool for another week before we open it. There is a lot more to it but this is the general information. It is a lot of work but I love the whole process of it. I hope this helps.

Thanks Eli. So, am I wrong in thinking that you are not using glazes at all and rely on the ash alone to produce the finish on the pieces? If so, that is really neat.

If not using glazes, are the pieces porous after firing? Can they be used as planters outdoors and freeze down to below zero F without harm?

6 cords of wood! That is a lot! It sounds like it is more expensive to fire with wood than with electricity, but you loose on the wood fire properties. And no, I am not a potter. Just know a little from general inquisitiveness and speaking with potters at shows and craft fairs. I worked for maybe 15 years as a Toolmaker and am well aware of electric furnaces to heat Tool steel for heat treatment. Vacuum furnaces too.

[EliWhitney3140]

You can absolutely use glazes in a woodfire or anagama kiln, but many people probably choose to let the firing and wood ash do the talking. I have used shinos and slips to produce certain finishes. Laterite is probably one of my favorite slips to play around with. I will say the more I fire the less I use glazes and slips. (glaze is glass heavy, slips are clay heavy)

These pots are high-fire stoneware so they are absolutely frost resistant. They handle extreme cold and heat very well.

Oh my gosh, woodfire is much more expensive, it's one reason why wood fired pottery is much more expensive. Also you put so much work into the process.

[greenknight]

I like the blocky esthetic, resembles some natural rock formations.

When you need a crew of people constantly feeding wood to the kiln for days, along with the cost of 6 cords of wood, easy to see why it's expensive.

[mmcavall]

Very beautiful work!

[EliWhitney3140]

Thank you for the kind words. Greenknight I have to say that you saying my pieces look like natural rock formations is a very nice compliment. thank you

[EliWhitney3140]

One thing I am really interested in doing is making cracked stone pots. I love seeing cacti grow from out of the cracks of rock in nature and I would love to bring that into the hobby. I am just trying to figure out the mechanics of making something like this.

some inspiration, none of these are my photos.

[jerrytheplater]

I love that third photo. Do you know where it was taken?

[EliWhitney3140]

I am not sure Jerry, this is the photographer though.

https://ingramphoto.com/deserts/

[EliWhitney3140]

This is a perfect example of a vessel I would like to make

[EliWhitney3140]

[EliWhitney3140]

These are not my photos, but they are great reference for what I want to attempt to pull from.

[EliWhitney3140]

Just a few more pictures of a wood firing.

We start the fire outside of the kiln and slowly build up the temp of the kiln.





The owner of the kiln likes to perform Hikidashi (to pull from) which means he pulls pieces from the kiln while it is still running and place it on sawdust and cover the it for about thirty minutes.





Wrapping up the kiln