Making ones own pots

zen

Could anyone here direct me to a good site for buying low fire (as in no kiln,just a fire pit) clay that'll be strong enough for bonsai pots. I also will have to get tools and that type of thing. Also I need knowlege of pottery techniques and such. Any help that ya'll can offer will most certainly be greatly appreciated. Thanks and again thanks, you guys are an indespensible resource and support system. Jeremy M.C.

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bonsaikc

How are you fixed for the pit?

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TreeBay

It was my belief that you had to high-fire bonsai pots to make the pot (terminology alert!) non porous enough to resist the penetration by moisture that could freeze and break it.

Of course this is going to depend on your climate, and whether you're subject to freeze/thaw cycles.

Regards,

Matt

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zen

I have a small pit probably about 2 ft. square by about 2ft. deep so about 2ft. cubed i guess. LOL. It is set by three-brick-high walls but is dug out down into the soil a bit. But I can and will most likely dig another pit larger than this by at least double.I really don't think i'll be able afford a kiln,...maybe I could use one of the ones at the University of GA it's nearby and my folks there,I've gone there before to the art department to have some pinholes drilled in copper sheeting for photography. The lady there was really nice and wouldn't take my money when I offered to pay her a few dollars for helping me out,so I just left the money on her desk. But I was rather hoping to not have to use someone elses equipment. Thanks for the replies so far guys.

__________________
"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/

pootsie

Zen:

I am by no means a potter, so you take take or leave what I have to say, but I have been told by those who know far more than me that very low-fire clay is unsuitable for bonsai pots, especially anything that may last. High-fire clay should be used.

Might I suggest looking into a community center with pottery classes where they have the facilities you need?

pootsie

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Joanie

Matt and Pootsie are right, low fire clays aren't going to work well. Anything you fire in a pit isn't going to work except for perhaps accent pots or very small pots, protected from frost. Eventually the water will penetrate the inner clay surface and cause cracking and crazing.

The reason is, that low fire pottery is porous. It will always be porous, no matter what you do. Now, you could glaze it inside and out, and perhaps make it work for a while, but how would you stilt it in a pitfire (keep the melting glaze from touching any surface)? Low fire pottery has to come to somewhere close to 2000 degrees F in order to be "mature".

High fire clay, on the other hand, is not porous if fired correctly. It has crystals that grow and fill the areas between the clay platelets. So water can't go through it. Even without glaze, the high fire clay won't allow water to get into the pores very far. High fire clay goes considerably above the 2000 deg. mark. Not only temperature is important, either... it takes a combination of temperature and time to mature the clay.

Pit firing is fun, and many potters do it. It is used for non-functional ware mostly... dry jars, things like that. They often use a "saggar" which is a fireproof box to put the ware in, so that it heats up but doesn't get contaminated by the burning material. It takes a lot of material to get a hot fire even for low fire ware, I'm not sure a pit the size you describe would do it anyway without help. (like some sort of draft, or something special to burn instead of pallet wood etc.)

There are places that will fire for you, for a very small fee. Most of them do low fire, but you should be able to find someone who will fire high. Go to your local ceramic supplier (not a glaze and paint place) and put up a little ad or ask around. Most ceramists are looking to fill their kilns, because the more ware the better. Just make sure you have the right kind of clay, and don't leave any air pockets or your little pot will explode all over their stuff and they will be really upset.

Lessons are the best way to learn. It's dirt, so to speak, and primitive man was able to make vessels from it. But these days we expect a little more out of our dirt, and we have more choices.

Good luck!
Joanie

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Will_Heath

Zen,

You may find this and this interesting reading.




Will

Joanie

Will! Do you read the Clayart list Now I'm impressed!!

Joanie

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Will_Heath

Nah, no reason to be impressed, I enjoy reading about pottery.


Will