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20-Nov-2006
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#21 |
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bonsaiTALK ArchMaster
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"I really don't care. There are ways to build ones own kiln, my statement was to do nothing more than to give a few quick examples of some I have heard about."
Relax. Meant no slight. You may not care, but I thought the details were worth explaining, not only to show such home-made kilns are meant for a purpose other than what Zen was asking about, but also to emphasize the possible dangers of building your own. In light of Zen's idea of using coal, metal pipe, duct tape and a hair dryer to build a furnace and bellows, I thought the warning was warranted. |
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Sponsor Message
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Kilnless clays?? |
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Forum Sponsor
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20-Nov-2006
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#22 |
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Old Bonsaiman-new pots
 
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[QUOTE=rockmIn light of Zen's idea of using coal, metal pipe, duct tape and a hair dryer to build a furnace and bellows, I thought the warning was warranted.[/QUOTE]
even McGyver would need... matches!
__________________
________________________________ If you want to be Different.... You have to DO something Different! __________________________________________ Some people NEVER take the time to do a job right the first time.... but, they always seem to make the time to do it over again... ____________________________________________ Dale Cochoy Wild Things Bonsai Studio Yakimono no Kokoro Bonsai Pottery Hartville, Ohio |
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20-Nov-2006
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#23 | |
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Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Feb-2005
Location: Carlsbad, California..coastal desert
Country: United States
USDA Zone: 11
Posts: 5,344
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Quote:
My kiln doesn't get that hot (I fire to the 1900 F range) but it is glowing orange when at its peak, which takes 6 hours for the electric kiln to reach... I can't imagine how long it would take to get a coal fire to reach such temps. Remember, the coal's heat would have to be far in excess of the temp range you would want inside the kiln chamber, as the chamber and ware always lags behind the temperature of the actual heat source. The loss of heat drops rapidly in proportion to the distance from the heat source. Interesting, as always. Have fun at the clay place! Joanie |
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21-Nov-2006
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#24 |
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bonsaiTALK ArchMaster
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Zen, here's a link to a good bonsai potter's web site.
http://www.langbonsai.com/ Ron is very good -- He is local to me and I've been using his pots for many years now. A few years ago, he built his own wood fired kiln. His work has gone from good to amazing since he built the large kiln. He works with huge pots now with sophisticated glazes. The "Technical Information" link on the left hand side of the page will take you to detailed slide shows of making a big bonsai pot and to a step by step in how he built the kiln. By the way, Dale C. has posted photos of his kiln set up here, I think. They will turn up in searches. Anyway, thought this might give you some ideas. |
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21-Nov-2006
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#25 |
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GREEN HORN
Join Date: Jan-2005
Location: Danielsville GA (Near Athens)
Country: U.S.
USDA Zone: 7b
Posts: 1,690
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Deffinately better than a trashcan.
__________________
"Although profoundly "inconsequential," the Zen experience has consequences in the sense that it may be applied in any direction, to any conceivable human activity, and that wherever it is so applied it lends an unmistakable quality to the work." ~ Alan Watts (1915-1973)
http://www.bonsaiswap.com/ |
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21-Nov-2006
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#26 |
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day-clay-dreamster
Join Date: Jun-2005
Location: Gennep
Country: the Netherlands
Posts: 374
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Hello Dear Zen
It hurts my heart to read Your longing to make and fire . Indeed it is as Joanie and Rock explain to You. Yes , i also do firing in the open , at New Years Eve as my sons and friends make a big bonfire . And only from one kind of wood , the ashes will be in a glaze. But before i have fired the pots on high temp in my kiln . For bonsaipots , yes , you need the high temp ................. Wish you lived closer and You could come , make and fill one kiln with only Your work for a firing . Kind regards Morea Enjoy----------------------------------------> |
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21-Nov-2006
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#27 |
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GREEN HORN
Join Date: Jan-2005
Location: Danielsville GA (Near Athens)
Country: U.S.
USDA Zone: 7b
Posts: 1,690
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Thanks for the kind words Morea,...I wish I lived closer too. I did go down to the creek and dig up some of three different colors of clay one is the regular GA red clay, one is a golden color, the other is silvery grey, almost white. I will try to make some lil doodads maybe indoor pots,...i'll most likely finish them with an all over floor sealer, or wood sealer to keep it from breaking down. Wish me luck in my silliness.
__________________
"Although profoundly "inconsequential," the Zen experience has consequences in the sense that it may be applied in any direction, to any conceivable human activity, and that wherever it is so applied it lends an unmistakable quality to the work." ~ Alan Watts (1915-1973)
http://www.bonsaiswap.com/ |
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21-Nov-2006
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#28 | |
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Old Bonsaiman-new pots
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Quote:
Oh my Gosh!  I'm sorry ...but..."Earth to Zen....dude!"
__________________
________________________________ If you want to be Different.... You have to DO something Different! __________________________________________ Some people NEVER take the time to do a job right the first time.... but, they always seem to make the time to do it over again... ____________________________________________ Dale Cochoy Wild Things Bonsai Studio Yakimono no Kokoro Bonsai Pottery Hartville, Ohio Last edited by Dale Cochoy : 21-Nov-2006 at 06:23 PM. |
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21-Nov-2006
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#29 |
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GREEN HORN
Join Date: Jan-2005
Location: Danielsville GA (Near Athens)
Country: U.S.
USDA Zone: 7b
Posts: 1,690
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Where do you guys get your clay? The clay Fairy? I mean all clay comes from the ground at some point right? There has to be a way to make this clay fireable (dunno if that's a word),....right?
__________________
"Although profoundly "inconsequential," the Zen experience has consequences in the sense that it may be applied in any direction, to any conceivable human activity, and that wherever it is so applied it lends an unmistakable quality to the work." ~ Alan Watts (1915-1973)
http://www.bonsaiswap.com/ |
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21-Nov-2006
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#30 |
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Enthusiast
Join Date: Feb-2005
Location: Carlsbad, California..coastal desert
Country: United States
USDA Zone: 11
Posts: 5,344
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Sorry, Zen, the clay fairy does deliver. All nice and pugged, in 25 lb. bags.
 For stoneware, most people do buy it. It's fairly inexpensive, considering the labor required to purify it. A 25# bag is something like thirty to forty cents a pound. Bigger amounts go lower in price per pound. And the clay has been refined, so that there aren't large lumps or impurities, and has been run through a pug mill to eliminate air pockets. The main problem would be finding the proper maturity for your clay. There are other clays added to a typical "mix" to balance out the clays so that they are consistent. They don't ususally consist of one local clay, at least as far as I know. Some clays are more "plastic", some are more crumbly, some have more of one attribute or another. So they are often mixed to give the potter the best of all worlds. Sometimes "grog" is added, which is already fired clay that has been ground into bits and sieved for size. Grog, because it is already fired, cuts down on thermal shock. In other words, since the grog was already fired, it won't shrink anymore so you cut down on the overall shrinkage of the pot. Grog is also decorative. To find the maturity temp of your clay, you would have to refine it first, and then make little test tiles with it. Each tile would have to be fired at a different temperature, and then tested. Although, if you were going to pit fire, it woudn't matter because you wouldn't have that sort of control anyway. If you spend fifteen hours, say, digging the clay and refining it... crushing it, sieving it, re-blending it, and wedging it, then you saved yourself about ten dollars. And in that twenty hours, you could have been learning so much about different clays, about using the wheel and firing... and of course, another ten or fifteen hours building your pit, buying the coal, etc...at least one full day of stoking the fire... that's just to test your clay mix and see if it has the attributes to work at all! Oh, gotta go... the clay fairy just called and she's on her way. She drives a semi, you know. And chews tobacco. And her name is Hal. Joanie |
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