You CAN Fire Pottery Without A Kiln, Here's How
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- čas přidán 27. 05. 2024
- In which is dispel the myth that you can't fire pottery without a kiln, demo nd step by step instruction.
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Andy Ward PO Box 43601 Tucson, AZ 85733
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I’ve had four successful firings in my backyard thanks to the information you share in your videos and I’m preheating now to burn a couple of coil & scrape ollas today. 🤞This channel is a treasure! Thanks, Andy!
Great to hear! Keep it up
i love your yt name ^•^
I am running on four hours of sleep. I had a brain fart; I read that title as, "you can fire pottery without heat". I think I'll go for a nap after I watch this video.
LOL
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Andy, maybe you could use one of those metal tripod with chains concoctions that hold pots over a fire to pre-heat some bottoms.
Yes that would work
Too bad about the broken pots but it good that you show them. It's just the reality of firing. Beautiful red!
Thanks Wes. Yes, it is definitely a part of the process, learn from the mistake and move on.
Primitive pottery teaches you the philosophy of loss. I am used to having so much breakage that I started to make some pottery tools out of them and also chamotte by grinding them in a mortar. Those tempered with chamotte seem to come out better in fire than those tempered with sand. Also here in northern Sweden you don't have access to sand in winter: the soil is frozen under deep layers of snow.
Rule number 1 is to not become attached to your creation until after the firing.
Success and failure. Every failure is a data point for success.
Beautiful decorated pots, Andy.
So true. Thanks
worked like a charm for me, first time making pottery at home and it was easy to fire, i made two small pots to test and both survived with no cracks, great content, thanks!
I'm glad to hear it.
While it sucks that your St John’s Ppolychrome bowl broke in the firing, it makes me feel better about all my breakages. It’s not that I’m happy , but it’s reassuring to know that it happens to everyone at times.
Yes, it happens to all of us now and then, Thanks!
@@AncientPottery Maybe you could do Kintsugi with some of the broken pottery? Not every piece would be suitable for that style, but surely some of them.
We just broke a huge jar,... went from perfect weather to squall in less than 5 minutes. We are thinking that pit-firing would keep wind shock from happening, but we are doing some experiments! We will share the results as well as the assumptions!! lol! Hope the weather is better in Utah!! Enjoy the conference and we will be aiming for next season!
That's the way it works sometimes. We had some wind in Utah for the conference too.
@@AncientPottery if you fire pottery using charcoal can you use it for eating?
Thank you immensely for sharing your experience and expertise. I've never done pottery before, but bingeing your videos has me excited to give it a try. Your series on finding and processing natural clay is my favorite, and will probably prove most useful for me as I live in a part of Canada where most the ground is mostly exposed granite, so it's very helpful to have an idea of what to look for and where to find it. Thank you!
Indeed. Obtaining clay from nature was what led me to this channel.
Glad to hear you are enjoying my content. Here is a video by a friend that might also be useful Canada. czcams.com/video/i_WHtHX5_jU/video.htmlsi=D5FKY2e7JwFlvly4
Thank you for making this wonderful skill available to anyone.
You're very welcome!
Sad to lose that bowl, so beautifully painted 😢
Lesson learned, thanks
Perhaps the best short video on the primary steps and basic tips in firing pottery without a kiln! Thanks, Andy!
Thanks
Andy, thanks very much for taking the time to make, fire, video and edit this. It's greatly appreciated!
My pleasure!
Thankyou so much for this video. I fired my first ever pots at home in a fire using clay from my own garden ( in the UK). I really don't think I would have had the confidence to give it a go without your videos. Just fantastic.
I have learned so much watching you. You're a good teacher
I appreciate that!
I love these videos so much :)
It’s so sad that some of these broke but your designs are so pretty
Thank you so much!
I have a goal to make a cossack style clay pipe this year. These videos are a heaven send of information. Sourced some excellent wild clay and going to the lake tomorrow to fire a few pipe!
I am sad that those beautiful pieces broke. They are so gorgeously painted. That probably took a long time to create.
Anyway; I'm happy you shared this with us because I will soon need this knowledge.
Another well edited, informative, and entertaining video! Thanks! :)
Glad you enjoyed it!
Bummer, that pot was really beautiful, the colors! 😍
As always, an amazing video🎉❤
Thank you so much!!
Very cool, I've been meaning to try this sometime and you make it seem do-able!
Thx so much for doing this and sharing. 👍👍👍👍👍
My pleasure!
Awesome video Andy! Good thing you were not using organic paint, you had quite a family of Ant's running around there early in the video, haha 😅 Wow that explosion sure was loud! Sad too. That fire must have got really hot! Those colors and results turned out just beautiful! Love that canteen!!!
Yeah the ants were crazy out there on that day. Thanks Will! Your name was mentioned a few times at the kiln conference last week, too bad you weren't there.
thank you. exactly what I needed to know 🙂
You’re welcome 😊
You're amazing and talented. Thanks for your great content! ❤
Thanks
I just wanted to say thank you for sharing all your information-for free! I know you have the course but I like that you don’t push it or hide information. It makes me more likely to buy the course if I ever have the right space to try some of your firing and other techniques. Pottery is generally very expensive and inaccessible and you show how it can be cheap and completely accessible! Thank you, Andy!
You're welcome.
thank you
Great video! and I loved the little bit of bee footage! 🐝
Glad you enjoyed it!
THANKYOU
I’m so glad I’ve stumbled onto your videos! I live in the SF Bay Area and they literally give away clay by the truck load around here. My backyard is loaded. My wife and I are going to try to make some pottery based on your techniques. You’ve got my subscription
This was exactly the video I needed to see
Thank you!
You are welcome
Nice video. Even convinced my Texas friend Randy to give it a try.
Watching from my city Governador Lindenberg - Brazil. Nice 👍🇧🇷
I found your channel just as I started working with clay. Love your video on making your own clay and this one as well. Your cinematography adds very soothing touch. 😊 Makes me miss my home in Arizona.
Do you have any advice for someone living in an apartment in the city? There are no community kilns around here and I don't believe there's anywhere nearby where I can legally start a fire..
Maybe try the brick and charcoal firing if you have little space, you can always pretend you are having a barbecue. Check out this video for details. czcams.com/video/ztLn3BsYuJ8/video.htmlsi=mrX7-rvD8UarYZYq
Another well informed video especially sharing lessons learned. Will the broken pottery be recycled as temper for other projects? Thanks for sharing.
It will be used for cover sherds to protect pots in the firing until it breaks into pieces too small for that, then it will be ground and added into the clay for temper. In that way it will serve several uses.
i like how you discribe primary fire and secondary fire.
Hi Andy, your videos are fascinating. Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. Im wanting to fire some unpainted clay beads without having them discolour too much from the carbon. If I Suspend them on wires over the coals, and build a fire over the top do I need to protect them from the coals falling on top of them? build some sort of protective box around them? Would dumping them all together in a can in the coals provide enough oxygen to not discolour? Appreciate any tips.
Hey Andy we’ve been watching all your videos and they’ve been so helpful! We just did a firing with a galvanized bucket and we are wondering if there is any technique to testing if your pottery did actually fire after it has cooled off. We do not yet have a thermometer so we couldn’t check the temperature during the firing. Our bucket is pretty tall so we were concerned it may have kept the fire too far from the pottery.
Try flicking the pot with your finger and see if they ring or have a dull thud. The ultimate test is to put water in the pot and see if it falls apart.
I have had several successful fires but several failures too, but everytime is better and easier
Yes! As long as you learn something from it then your time and effort are not wasted.
I love watching your videos and it's nice to see when things go wrong rather than giving the untrue impression of infallibility.
Have you considered using a wind break? It could be as simple as a sheet tied to two sticks.
One time I was teaching a workshop and when it came time to fire the wind was blowing so I was going to reschedule. The students talked me into trying it, saying that they would hold a piece of plywood to block the wind. Well it didn't work, the wind just eddied around behind the plywood and the pottery all came out black. In the ned we tied again on a different day and burned out all that black. It just doesn't work to try to fire in the wind.
@@AncientPottery Interesting, I hadn't considered that the wind would have to flow around the wood, it might have actually made the problem worse if the venturi effect or similar was at play.
Ah well, it's nice to know that it doesn't work for future reference :)
I tried firing pottery in my wood stove but it seems like it did not get hot enough since my pots seem to disolve in water. I think i need to let more air in.
I know people that have successfully fired in a wood stove but I have never tried it
I think pit firing is more popular because it has a more catchy name. Whenever I talk to people about firing like you do, they always say “oh yeah: a pit fire!” And I have to say, no it’s actually a “surface” firing, no pit needed. Anyway, we should come up with a catchier name for surface firing so it gets more attention.
I'm trying to figure out how to access this technique with a modification since I am not allowed to burn where i live. I did however pick up a little saucer grill and hope that could make due? it wouldn't exactly breathe like the slots between the bricks though, any advice? btw I only intend on making miniatures to keep everything as mobile and accessible as possible :) thanks! been loving the little slivers of humor in your vids and love the raw common sense
Can you put glaze n them and it still work???
I haven’t done any pottery before but I find your videos intriguing. I also binge-watched a lot of TimeTeam during COVID, and there was a lot of ancient to historical era European pottery to see on that show. It’s made me wonder about trying to make something out of the wild clay in my area (Ontario, Canada). I know much of what you do stresses authenticity, but I wonder whether one can fire pottery in an old cast iron wood stove? Is controlling temperature mor or less of an issue with them?
I don't think the cast iron stove would withstand such high temperatures inside it, it will crack. But you can give it a try outdoors and see what happens.
@@petrapetrakoliou8979Yes, I have an old cast iron woodstove that I would experiment with outdoors. Someday.
Wood being the intended fuel of the stove makes me think that it will be fine.
I have heard of people firing in a wood stove but I have never tried it. Why not try this easier, outdoor method first?
@@AncientPottery I may try both, especially if some of my First Nation pals want to give it a try with me. But for several reasons I wondered about wood stoves. For much of the spring and summer we were under outdoor fire bans because of forest fire risk, but fires in stoves with stove pipes and spark guards are not subject to those bans. I would also think with a wood stove I should have more control the temperature by adjusting the amount of fuel, air supply, and chimney damper. Old wood stoves are easy to come by up here, as insurance companies ‘encourage’ people to upgrade to newer, certified stoves.
Nice video.
In some similar videos, youve talked about trying to dial in the right amount of fuel to get the firing you want. It occurs to me that the _mass_ of wood is the thing to measure.
Assuming consistent moisture, ambient temperature, and wind speed, a given mass of wood should produce a reasonably similar effect each time. 8s this something you've tried?
No, I think the diameter of the wood is more important than the mass of the wood used. Because the size of the wood indicates the fuel-air mixture and how fast and intensely it will burn. Also the fuel moisture and species has a big effect too.
@@AncientPottery for sure, diameter will impact burn rate,which, I guess will impact temperature.
Your goal is to reach a temperature, not dwell there, is that correct? I think mass would be useful for understanding the total amount of energy being produced, but says nothing about how fast it burns. 🤔
@@andrewsackville-west1609 large logs burn much slower and release their energy at a different rate. You need a certain amount of fuel burning at one time to reach the desired temps. Any wood burned 10 minutes ago will not help much now because it has already escaped into the atmosphere. This is the reality of firing without a kiln to hold in heat.
@@AncientPottery yep, I savvy. Thanks!
To avoid explosions it could be useful to put broken terracotta bits over pieces that you'll fire
That will only protect against thermal shock, this kind of explosion is caused by moisture, not thermal shock and the broken pottery will not protect against that.
@@AncientPottery I'm sure of your experience in the field, I don't think you need lessons. By moisture do you mean interleaving water? Because it goes away from the piece over 200° c.
I use a method that I learned from a wild ceramist friend of mine, his name is Aquilino Antonio Rodriguez Santana, he lives in the Canary Islands.
He keeps the pieces on the embers from 150° to 400°, only after 400° does he stake the wood, like you did at minute 03:35
He rarely has breakups.
I am aware that there are many other variables, such as the type of clay used or whether you use the pore sealing method (I'm sorry I don't know the english technical term of "closing clay pores", in italian is turapori)
I just wanted to share this with you.
I have a question, I live in Texas and there's a lot of dirt mixed in with the clay do I have to use water to separate it I already dried ground it down with two bricks I just wanted to know if I needed to separate the clay from the dirt? Also I have a mixture of red and white clay will that make any difference?
Yes, if your clay is too impure then you need to refine it a little and remove some of the non-clay particles. This video shows some different options for cleaning your clay czcams.com/video/ca20JkKFAcE/video.htmlsi=P_AHA9EK1rLIwtiG And mixing clays can change the properties and the colors obviously.
Is there an advantage to the higher firing temperatures that can be obtained and maintained in ovens, furnaces, and kilns? Is it easier to control temperatures? Is it a more efficient and complete combustion of the fuel (like a rocket stove)? Is the resulting pottery more nonporous? I would think that it would be harder, but more brittle. Is it possible to repair exploded pottery by sintering the fragments back together?
Well, after seeing this video, I can see that temperature control should certainly be more of an advantage with a closed heating chamber. Wind would not be as much of an issue.
Yes there are many advantages to a kiln, more efficient use of fuel, higher temperatures can be reached, etc. It is also harder to get a good oxidation atmosphere in a kiln.
cool
Can you please 🙏 show what you do with clay after you formed your desire design like mug 🍵 if I done ✔️ what next? Should I put in the oven or let it dry on the sun 🌞 I watch you from Middle East.
What about ceramic arrow heads
Hi Andy, is it possible to make the firing on a metal foil if the soil is too wet ? I've seena lot of video but never this way. Thanks.
It sounds reasonable but because I live in Arizona I have never had to try that
@@AncientPottery Thanks Andy, from the french Alps !
I’ve been experimenting with a metal trash can with charcoal. I drilled holes in the bottom of the can to let in more air to get the coals hot. I’ve had mixed, but encouraging results. I’ve had some very good hard ceramic results. Even my failures gave a sort of subpar terracotta. I’m still working out my process. I live in a very wet area of the Pacific Northwest, so the process shown here, firing on the open ground, isn’t practical for me.
Can we store wet process tempered clay for longer duration ?
Some clays will grow mold or start to stink if mixed and allowed to sit around too long. But it varies a lot by clay so try it and see what happens.
Hi Andy, I made my first piece of pottery using clay from my own yard. I watched a lot of your videos and found out pottery is much harder than it seems.
I made a bowl and when I fired it, it developed a crack down the side😢. Is there any way to repair this or is the only option is to try again???
I was under the impression that if air got trapped in the clay that heat would cause the air to expand and that is what caused my pots to explode in the fire.
That is an old wise tale. It is moisture that causes breakage, not air.
Watch this video where that myth is busted czcams.com/video/--d6usmwW1g/video.htmlsi=xZzmE8mfivq3g9Nj
I checked out that CZcams. Thanks for that. I am wiser now.
So the pots the broke during the firing what do you do with them?
grind them up and use for temper, you will want to add more temper to your clay next time to prevent breakage.
I’ve been thinking of trying this out for a little bowl I made. It just gets so windy in my backyard 😕
Check the weather forecast and pick a day with little wind, then fire early in the morning for the stillest air.
@@AncientPottery oh yes very true I noticed it’s not very windy In the morning thank you! 🙏🏽
Can I do the same thing in my woodstove, do you think? I've been watching your videos and trying to learn enough to start making pottery.
Probably. Make a few clay objects that you won't miss if they explode, dry them thoroughly, and place them in different parts of the stove. You might also try altering the amount of fuel that you are burning. It might be necessary to gradually add more fuel rather than a bunch at once. I am curious to learn of your results if you decide to try it out.
Thanks. I think I'll put it on my Winter list. I heat only with wood so I like to multitask with the fire. @@Kargoneth
I do know some people who fire in a wood stove but I have never tried it so can't provide any tips.
Thank you. I'm going to try it, and the good thing is, I have less than zero chance of ruining any kind of artistic or practical creation. Winters are long and how much damage could I do? (Just kidding, Universe. I am truly at your mercy.) 😁@@AncientPottery
What were the 2 types of clay that you used?
I used several different clays for this project. I dig my own clay from nature so it is hard to characterize them other than to describe their colors (yellow clay, red clay, grey clay, etc).
where is a recommended place to have fires? my county has a burn ban right now and i dont know where i can fire my pottery.
I live in Arizona, we have fire restrictions for several months each year. Once fires are allowed I usually fire on public land, National Forest or Bureau of Land Management.
So, question; since campfire firing can be unpredictable and you sometimes end up with much higher temperatures than you intended, should you make a habit of using high-temperature tolerant clay for this application?
It is hard to find high temperature clays, better to just try to keep your temperatures lower. This was a fluke caused by the wind
@@AncientPottery fair enough.
I really love your channel. Thanks so much.
Thanks for watching!
Hi, I'm new to ceramics and know nothing so I'm sorry for what's probably a stupid question. Does salt glaze taste salty? Like, if I made a pit fired cup and salt glazed it would that impact the taste of the coffee? I tried googling it but didn't have much luck which leads me to believe it's a dumb question that normal people wouldn't ask. Or that it's so obvious everyone but me already knows.
I don't do glaze so you are asking the wrong person. See this video czcams.com/video/V5eiGaFdeuw/video.htmlsi=NUF7pMt6-t9rJT-u
@@AncientPottery Hey, thank you for the reply. I watched that video and then about a million more that night. New favorite channel. I replied to this but I don't know why it didn't post. Might have missed the blue arrow or something. Sorry about that. I'm surprised I haven't came across one about pipes yet. Like smoking tobacco pipes. Have you done one and I just haven't found it yet? The back catalog is huge. I'm not a smoker but I collect pipes for some weird reason. Making my own clays was what brought me here in the first place and you captured and expanded my interest far beyond. So thank you for that.
@@sethcarson5212 I am also not a smoker and for that reason have never made a pipe or a pipe video. Many people do make them though.
If you fire something this way and it breaks, can you smash up the pottery and re-use it?
A little Kintsugi action with the broken pieces, maybe?
How long does each step usually takes?
It varies a lot based on all the variables.
make a windbreak to tame the gusts
Not sure that would work.
i saw another video where you were testing the waterproofing methods? and recall you just kinda dumping coals/chips directly overtop the 4 bowls! So this leaves me confused now seeing the whole *keep the pottery from touching the coals* thing 😢
The fuel can touch the pottery
@@AncientPottery ok so it *can* but maybe it's not *ideal*? i just remember seeing where creating space is what ya were goin for 😌
@@ginasaltina a lot depends on the results you are going for
Oh man!
How much time did you lose in those two broken pots?
That would kill me!
You have to tough out the losses, they are a part of the process.
What was that pop sound?
Exploding pottery
👍
What about glazing?
No, I never glaze, this is primitive, earthenware, you cannot glaze this without firing it a lot hotter.
@@AncientPottery Thanks for clarifying!
❤
☕
I think I missed a step as I bumped into the 🚒 and they put my fire out 😭
Yep I went to bit I see that now