So glad to have a new video from you! I love learning from you! And I've been wondering about combining glaze with pit firing, so this was perfect. I have a 2003 book "500 Bowls" from Lark Books that includes three beautiful bowls made by Jeff Kise of Johnson City, Tennessee (USA). The bowls all have glaze inside and pitfire-type marks on the outside. The captions read, "burnished; low-fire interior glaze; bisque cone 06; glaze cone 04; glaze saggar fired cone 08". I can't find any website for Mr. Kise, and the only technical info I can find about his work is in his Master's degree thesis (posted online). In it he says, "I began combining gloss glazes with smoke-fired ceramics. I made a shift from sawdust firing to saggar firing...I painted the inside of the bowls with glazes and placed them upside down in a handbuilt clay saggar." I have no idea if this info can help you in any way to develop the results you want combining glazed interiors with pit firing, but I hope it can.
Thanks :-) I have considered glazing with lower temperature glazes. However, for any glaze to melt correctly and leave the pot 100% waterproof I think it will in any case be so warm that the clay vitrify. Also, in my situation it is not really an option - I only have a small studio and can only handle one type of cone glazes - I do all mine at Cone 6. The one I tested was made in another studio I also work and that is fired higher - I think Cone 8. But still it worked :-)
As an introduction to your channel, this was quite fun to see how others experiment and find joy in the randomness. A lot of times I go into a project with a technical specificity and a predetermined expectation in mind that when I play with ceramics like this, I get to really lose myself in the 'chaos of chance' that anything and often the opposite will result from expected behavior. I'm currently transitioning from the composite world into ceramics (on a hobby level at least while I get my feet wet and partly a new avenue of technology research) and absorbing as many takes as I can while I learn.
I enjoyed this video and all your videos. I’ve done pit firing at my home a number of years and fine this firing method to be one of the most exciting. Surprised there were no cracks using porcelain. Normally I use a Raku body which accepts the changes in temperature. The walk at night to check the kiln fire is almost spiritual with nature and the process of earth, fire and smoke together. Thanks so much!
What a great video!! Made me a subscriber. Thank you for your time and willingness to share your knowledge, experience, and willingness to experiment and post. You made what I thought would be a scary project look doable; and then to finish with such beautiful results. The video was well worth every minute of watching. Your presentation outstanding.
Tack för dina trevliga videor. Jag har testat att bränna glaserade föremål i tunna det senaste året och det fungerar oftast mycket bra. Vissa glasyrer förändras och får olika spännande effekter av de kemikalier jag tillsätter (koppar och järn). När glasyren ligger tunt så kan man se att kemikalierna kryper in under glasyren vilket blir superfint. Så, visst fungerar det men det kräver lite övning. :-)
Just simlpy fabulous! Maybe that pot cracked as it dropped down the bin and landed badly?? anyway soooo so inspiring. look forward to a follow-up video. I love the way you work, you make anything seem possible. THANKYOU.
Enjoyed your firing experiments and results. I sagar ornaments also - they are fun to do - each one a surprise. I warp them as you did but also place them in a bisque bowl with combustibles/colorants which keeps them contained and provides their own little environment. The ornaments can be addictively fun 🤪
@@deMibPottery yes that works too - I save the holiday cookie and treat tins for that - I have drill many wholes in it if I put the lid on for circulation.
Love your experimental attitude and approach. The colors and patterns are amazing. Have you considered adding extra temper into your clay for the vase that was glazed? It should make your pottery more resistant to thermal shock. Or like you indicated use stone ware clay or clay used for raku.
Good video, but I wish it would've had subtitles available... you did a fair bit of talking, but I missed everything you said because I was watching in silent, and there were no subtitles... other than that, it was a good video.
It might be easier to get a little of the chemicals on your ornaments if you use a small ladle and scoop it out of your bowl, instead of trying to pour it on. Or maybe a small squeeze bottle and drip it on. Interesting tests, thanks for sharing your experiments!
@@deMibPottery Two questions - 1)does pit firing work with any technique of making meaning- if you dont throw on the wheel but rather use plates likea tailor ? or little snakes to make the pots - do you see any problems with variations in wall thikness ? Any recommendations for wallthikness with larger things ? 2)is there a way to fite really large things in a drum like 120 high 50 in diameter or so ? or do they have to lay so the diameter of the barrel is the max in hight any experiences with that ?
1) I have personally only pitfired thrown pots but I don't see any reasons other kinds would not work too. I have seen other people do that. Try :-) 2) When I fire large pots I want them to lay down. So the max high I fire in my barrel is approx 50 cm. I know some people fire larger ones standing up but I am afraid they will heat up too fast at the top and then crack. I am working on making another pit - a low low one for larger pieces. You can make that from cheap building stones. The heat is not as high as in a normal kiln, so even cheap stones should work. You can put one together really fast. When I make mine I will, off course, show in a video but it will probably not be before the spring.
I missed something… before or after glazing the interior, do you apply terra sig or do you just pit fire a glazed piece? Thanks so much for your videos; I’ve learned so much!
I just had a thought, since you have mentioned that you have issues seeing where the Cobalt Sulfate is on the pot after you apply it. Perhaps adding some food coloring to the solution. It should burn away but would allow you to see the application.
No, this kiln fires very even and I have fire a LOT of similar sized bowls with the same clay, placed the same way in the kiln but with other glazes. None of them ever broke. There also other very clear signs - all in all there is no doubt this is a case of misfit glaze :-)
Hi Mikkel, your Videos are so great, I like them a lot. I would like to know, if I can take Fe Sulfate for it too, ínstead of Fe chlorid. Does it do the same work?
I really really wanted to see the difference in end Colour between using the Ferric Chloride and the Cobalt Sulphate, but unfortunately it was not made a point to show this at the end. I have read there is a difference, but I really wanted to see it. :) Are there some good pictures of the pots after they are cleaned up ? It seems everyone uses Ferric Chloride and gets oranges but what is you don't use it ? I was hoping the Cobalt really showed up some blues and Greens instead. Thank you, Louise
Cobalt sulfate and ferric chloride are very different. FC will produce colors from yellow to red. Cobalt - at best, will produce blue colors. But cobalt sulfate is difficult because to get the best blue it needs to be fired at 950 C and that is often not the temp you get in a pitfire. So often I do an additional saggar fire in my raku kiln to get it to 950 and that can turn out very nice. See also: ua-cam.com/video/KBj6_1gfrWE/v-deo.html
My community studio had a pit fire event. I put one handbuilt stoneware bowl in the pit fire (wrapped in copper wire steel wire) and it came out 2/3 black. My question is, can I now glaze it and fire it to cone 6 in the community electric kiln ?
Unlike what many will tell you, yes you can. But there are some risks: 1) the glaze may not stick so well 2) the pitfire colors may burn off 3) the glaze may cover and hide the pitfired colors
I have a question : Were the pots precooked before the burning in the fire pit or they were dried on the table for few weeks and if so how much weeks do you let them dry before cooking them?
I enjoyed your video very much, thank you for sharing. Don’t you find using pine or spruce results in pitch sticking to your pots? I alway try to use only deciduous tree products.
I love the test of the pot with glaze inside. Sometimes there is still some shrinkage even after a glaze fire. I am wondering if the glaze was stable in size while the raw porcelain had the smallest amount of shrinkage causing it to crack. I am waiting to watch your test of the earthenware. This is facinating :-)
I doubt there was any additional shrinkage in the pitfire. It is a much lower temperature than the glaze fire before. I will not be doing any tests with earthenware but with stoneware. I only work in stoneware and porcelain :-)
Thanks. They do get much more vivid in colors when cleaned and polished but I had to delay it a few days for these ones so did not make it into the video. On a lot of my other videos I show the final results in the end :-)
@@deMibPottery Thank you Mikkel I loved your video and am excited about trying my own firing. I was told that drum pit firings don't turn out but now I know they do. Thank you again and looking forward to seeing more of your video's. love and light Judith from New Zealand
Sir... If i may,,, put zee fire on bottom... Even coals.. Grey hott.. Then space and put potts above to avoid cracking... Pots must be bisque fired lower heat first.. Danke- k.o.f
So glad to have a new video from you! I love learning from you! And I've been wondering about combining glaze with pit firing, so this was perfect. I have a 2003 book "500 Bowls" from Lark Books that includes three beautiful bowls made by Jeff Kise of Johnson City, Tennessee (USA). The bowls all have glaze inside and pitfire-type marks on the outside. The captions read, "burnished; low-fire interior glaze; bisque cone 06; glaze cone 04; glaze saggar fired cone 08". I can't find any website for Mr. Kise, and the only technical info I can find about his work is in his Master's degree thesis (posted online). In it he says, "I began combining gloss glazes with smoke-fired ceramics. I made a shift from sawdust firing to saggar firing...I painted the inside of the bowls with glazes and placed them upside down in a handbuilt clay saggar." I have no idea if this info can help you in any way to develop the results you want combining glazed interiors with pit firing, but I hope it can.
Thanks :-)
I have considered glazing with lower temperature glazes. However, for any glaze to melt correctly and leave the pot 100% waterproof I think it will in any case be so warm that the clay vitrify. Also, in my situation it is not really an option - I only have a small studio and can only handle one type of cone glazes - I do all mine at Cone 6. The one I tested was made in another studio I also work and that is fired higher - I think Cone 8. But still it worked :-)
As an introduction to your channel, this was quite fun to see how others experiment and find joy in the randomness. A lot of times I go into a project with a technical specificity and a predetermined expectation in mind that when I play with ceramics like this, I get to really lose myself in the 'chaos of chance' that anything and often the opposite will result from expected behavior. I'm currently transitioning from the composite world into ceramics (on a hobby level at least while I get my feet wet and partly a new avenue of technology research) and absorbing as many takes as I can while I learn.
:-)
I enjoyed this video and all your videos. I’ve done pit firing at my home a number of years and fine this firing method to be one of the most exciting. Surprised there were no cracks using porcelain. Normally I use a Raku body which accepts the changes in temperature. The walk at night to check the kiln fire is almost spiritual with nature and the process of earth, fire and smoke together. Thanks so much!
Thanks 🙏❤️ I love pitfire too. Although its safest to use clay with a lot og clay you can some times get away with other clay bodies too
What a great video!! Made me a subscriber.
Thank you for your time and willingness to share your knowledge, experience, and willingness to experiment and post.
You made what I thought would be a scary project look doable; and then to finish with such beautiful results.
The video was well worth every minute of watching. Your presentation outstanding.
Thank you so mych! 🙏❤️
Tack för dina trevliga videor. Jag har testat att bränna glaserade föremål i tunna det senaste året och det fungerar oftast mycket bra. Vissa glasyrer förändras och får olika spännande effekter av de kemikalier jag tillsätter (koppar och järn). När glasyren ligger tunt så kan man se att kemikalierna kryper in under glasyren vilket blir superfint. Så, visst fungerar det men det kräver lite övning. :-)
Thanks :-)
Good to hear it works for you too
Just simlpy fabulous! Maybe that pot cracked as it dropped down the bin and landed badly?? anyway soooo so inspiring. look forward to a follow-up video. I love the way you work, you make anything seem possible. THANKYOU.
Thank you so much ❤️🙏
Yes, often pots crack because they fall on each other
Enjoyed your firing experiments and results. I sagar ornaments also - they are fun to do - each one a surprise. I warp them as you did but also place them in a bisque bowl with combustibles/colorants which keeps them contained and provides their own little environment. The ornaments can be addictively fun 🤪
Thanks. I was actually thinking of putting them in a metal saggar next time. Then I don't have to go ash-diving for them after fire hehe :-)
@@deMibPottery yes that works too - I save the holiday cookie and treat tins for that - I have drill many wholes in it if I put the lid on for circulation.
Love your experimental attitude and approach. The colors and patterns are amazing. Have you considered adding extra temper into your clay for the vase that was glazed? It should make your pottery more resistant to thermal shock. Or like you indicated use stone ware clay or clay used for raku.
Thanks. I have some longer videos on my UA-cam channel where I explain more about what types of clay I use and why :-)
Good video, but I wish it would've had subtitles available... you did a fair bit of talking, but I missed everything you said because I was watching in silent, and there were no subtitles... other than that, it was a good video.
Thanks. Unfortunately UA-cam do not always turn them on and manually writing them is more work than I can do :-)
@@deMibPottery understandable
I think like this too! If you don't try it - youll never know
Thanks :-)
This is great! Thank you so much for doing this experiment and for sharing the results- I am now encouraged to make similar attempts of my own. :-)
Thanks :-)
Thanks so much for this video. I am going to try this in 2 weeks.
Thanks. Best of luck! :-)
It might be easier to get a little of the chemicals on your ornaments if you use a small ladle and scoop it out of your bowl, instead of trying to pour it on. Or maybe a small squeeze bottle and drip it on.
Interesting tests, thanks for sharing your experiments!
There are many ways to do it but this works OK for me :-)
P😊
you are amazing absolutelyagree withyour approach thx for sharing
Thank you so much :-)
@@deMibPottery
Two questions -
1)does pit firing work with any technique of making meaning- if you dont throw on the wheel but rather use plates likea tailor ? or little snakes to make the pots - do you see any problems with variations in wall thikness ? Any recommendations for wallthikness with larger things ?
2)is there a way to fite really large things in a drum like 120 high 50 in diameter or so ?
or do they have to lay so the diameter of the barrel is the max in hight any experiences with that ?
1) I have personally only pitfired thrown pots but I don't see any reasons other kinds would not work too. I have seen other people do that. Try :-)
2) When I fire large pots I want them to lay down. So the max high I fire in my barrel is approx 50 cm. I know some people fire larger ones standing up but I am afraid they will heat up too fast at the top and then crack.
I am working on making another pit - a low low one for larger pieces. You can make that from cheap building stones. The heat is not as high as in a normal kiln, so even cheap stones should work. You can put one together really fast. When I make mine I will, off course, show in a video but it will probably not be before the spring.
I missed something… before or after glazing the interior, do you apply terra sig or do you just pit fire a glazed piece? Thanks so much for your videos; I’ve learned so much!
I most often use terra sigillata on the pure pitfired surface
I'm still laughing at a guy who told me on Ceramics Art Network forum last week that I had to wear a hazmat suit to work with ferric chloride.
Yeah, if one feel that way maybe they should do pitfire at all :-)
I just had a thought, since you have mentioned that you have issues seeing where the Cobalt Sulfate is on the pot after you apply it. Perhaps adding some food coloring to the solution. It should burn away but would allow you to see the application.
That may work well. However, as I have now used it so much I pretty much know how much to apply :-)
The cracking on the glazed pot was probably because it was on the side of the kiln instead of in the middle. The heat was uneven.
No, this kiln fires very even and I have fire a LOT of similar sized bowls with the same clay, placed the same way in the kiln but with other glazes. None of them ever broke. There also other very clear signs - all in all there is no doubt this is a case of misfit glaze :-)
Hi Mikkel, your Videos are so great, I like them a lot.
I would like to know, if I can take Fe Sulfate for it too, ínstead of Fe chlorid. Does it do the same work?
Thanks :-)
Yes, but sulfates, chlorides, oxides and carbonates react in very different ways. So you will probably get a very different result :-)
I really really wanted to see the difference in end Colour between using the Ferric Chloride and the Cobalt Sulphate, but unfortunately it was not made a point to show this at the end. I have read there is a difference, but I really wanted to see it. :) Are there some good pictures of the pots after they are cleaned up ? It seems everyone uses Ferric Chloride and gets oranges but what is you don't use it ? I was hoping the Cobalt really showed up some blues and Greens instead. Thank you, Louise
Cobalt sulfate and ferric chloride are very different. FC will produce colors from yellow to red. Cobalt - at best, will produce blue colors. But cobalt sulfate is difficult because to get the best blue it needs to be fired at 950 C and that is often not the temp you get in a pitfire. So often I do an additional saggar fire in my raku kiln to get it to 950 and that can turn out very nice. See also: ua-cam.com/video/KBj6_1gfrWE/v-deo.html
My community studio had a pit fire event. I put one handbuilt stoneware bowl in the pit fire (wrapped in copper wire steel wire) and it came out 2/3 black. My question is, can I now glaze it and fire it to cone 6 in the community electric kiln ?
Unlike what many will tell you, yes you can. But there are some risks:
1) the glaze may not stick so well
2) the pitfire colors may burn off
3) the glaze may cover and hide the pitfired colors
I have a question : Were the pots precooked before the burning in the fire pit or they were dried on the table for few weeks and if so how much weeks do you let them dry before cooking them?
All pots I pitfire have been bisque fired first. Its much safer :-)
I enjoyed your video very much, thank you for sharing. Don’t you find using pine or spruce results in pitch sticking to your pots? I alway try to use only deciduous tree products.
Thanks :-)
As the pots are wrapped in tin foil I never have that problem
King deMib
Hehe too kind :-)
Were they all made of porecain? Will this work with stoneware? Love it
Yes, these ones was made with porcelain but should work with stoneware too
I appreciate your experiments jah!!🐯🐯🐸🐸🐸🐞🐞⛄🎊🎊🎉🎉🎈🎈🎈🎇🎇🎇
Thanks a lot 🙏
I love the test of the pot with glaze inside. Sometimes there is still some shrinkage even after a glaze fire. I am wondering if the glaze was stable in size while the raw porcelain had the smallest amount of shrinkage causing it to crack. I am waiting to watch your test of the earthenware. This is facinating :-)
I doubt there was any additional shrinkage in the pitfire. It is a much lower temperature than the glaze fire before.
I will not be doing any tests with earthenware but with stoneware. I only work in stoneware and porcelain :-)
@@deMibPottery This is a great test and I enjoy your channel. TY and have a great day :-)
Brilliant! very informative, thank you :o)
Glad it was helpful!
How do you make the washes with copper Carbonite and Cobalt carbonate? I am buying 4 oz weight of each
I mean Cobalt sulfate
I have a video about it here: ua-cam.com/video/6yfOOnhW6So/v-deo.htmlsi=dt2i1g_QbCFJu8xd
would love to see them all cleaned and finished
Thanks. They do get much more vivid in colors when cleaned and polished but I had to delay it a few days for these ones so did not make it into the video. On a lot of my other videos I show the final results in the end :-)
@@deMibPottery Thank you Mikkel I loved your video and am excited about trying my own firing. I was told that drum pit firings don't turn out but now I know they do. Thank you again and looking forward to seeing more of your video's. love and light Judith from New Zealand
Thank you so much :-)
GENIAL❤
🙏
How do you clean them?
I have a video about it here: ua-cam.com/video/ccc9TdQUcIM/v-deo.html
Nice 🌹🌹🌹🌹
Thanks 🙏
and glaze after pit fire ? doing a 3rd fire.. 1st for bisque, 2nd the pit fire, and 3rd for glaze ?
Yes, that is one way :-)
But I did busque first, then glaze, then pitfire
Would any color come through if you put and colorants inside the pot when pitfiring?
Probably not. There are so many variables you would have to test
Thank you so much for your wonderful videos. I am so inspired and am learning so much!
Sir... If i may,,, put zee fire on bottom... Even coals.. Grey hott.. Then space and put potts above to avoid cracking... Pots must be bisque fired lower heat first.. Danke- k.o.f
There are so many variations in doing pitfire. I just show what works for me.
For the ware I make high temp bisque is actually best :-)
Why do til used the sawdust?
It creates very nice smoke that colors the pots
porcelain clay are very fine so it's not very great for terra sigillata.
I mostly work in stoneware and my TS is adjusted for that