Pit firing is an ancient method still used by many cultures, including Nativie Americans, and certainly creates a unique look. The pottery that comes out of the pit is usually not funcitonal for food. The colors can be awesome... or truely ugly. Many pieces are broken during the firing as the wood burns and settles. Having no expert on hand, we fumbled our way through and learned a lot. The first firing failed due to several factors (we think). First the hole was too deep and we burried it too much, then it rained... we had tarps, but some melted from the heat, and the water table came up (along the river you know) and water began to fill the pit. The next weekend we dug them all up, and started over. These pictures are from our first run at it. When we arrived to unearth our treasures (after the second firing) people were there aleady and had wedged each pottery treasure into a depression in the sandhill. It looked for all the world like an archeological dig. I didn't take any pictures that day. If the others who were there have some they want to loan for scanning I would be glad to put them on the web site. |
First Step, dig a hole. Then throw around some chemicals like copper carb, salt etc. This hole turned out to be a little too big actually. It does not have to be this deep.
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Here are piles of materials that will be needed... sawdust, firewood, salt, newspapers, and other chemicals. The small trash can in the back will be used by one of the potters to put thier work in.
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Here's Chris, Harriet and Emily happily wadding up newspapers which will be used to assist the firewood in getting a good burn going.
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People start placing their bisque-fired pottery into the pit. It is a good idea to wear a mask so you odn't breathe in the chemicals that have been sprinkled around the pit.
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Here's a closeup of the pottery in the pit, placed and ready. Kind of looks like a scene at the dump, huh? Many people wrapped their's in newspaper. Saw dust has been sprinkled around the pots liberally. Some people used the Chore Boy scrubbies that are copper, stretching them out and wrapping around the pot. the copper webbing made interesting effects. |
Well-split firewood and been added on top of the pots, paper and sawdust. Everyone brought a box or bag of firewood.
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Yes, this our favorite part, huh guys? We love to squirt that lighter fluid, on the barbque, on the trash piles... well, pretty much on anything huh?
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Once the wood is burning, we let it get going good. The idea is that the fire continues to burn after it is covered over, but smokes (like in the cans of paper in a Raku firing) to create that reduciton effect and the cool colors.
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Last, we filled the hole back in, carefully, with a bulldozer. :-) However, this is where we screwed up the first time, we think, because we put the fire out, or the rain put the fire out. Anyway, you are supposed to cover it, but it is still supposed to burn. It worked the second time we tried it.
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