Vince Pitelka on thu 23 may 96
Clayton -
Your question concerning self-firing ceramics brings to mind research conducted
some years ago by the Khazue people of Southwestern Khazueland. Because of a
shortage of wood or fossil fuels for firing conventional kilns or bonfires, and
in light of a great abundance of animal dung (it hasn't rained in Southwestern
Khazueland in 163 years, and the dung just piles up), the Khazue experimented
with a mixture of 50% red surface clay, and 50% animal dung (emu, Komodo
dragon, and camel), moistened with saliva and camel bile. Although initial
ignition was generally promising, in almost all cases combustion ceased long
before minimal sintering temperatures necessary for self-firing were reached.
Additionally, the vapors released by the smoldering wares proved so noxious as
to empty entire villages during firing experiments. Marginally acceptable
results with a significant reduction in noxious vapors were achieved by placing
wares in a preheated brick enclosure before ignition, but this was deemed
counter-productive. Other experiments were far less successful, such as
replacing the water of plasticity with kerosene, adding a grog of crushed
match-heads, or adding five percent each potassium nitrate and saltpeter.
Results were disastrous, resulting in significant reductions in the population
of Southwestern Khazueland. By modifying the original premise of the
experiment, far more acceptable results were obtained by replacing the 50% dung
with 50% crushed seashells, placing the bone-dry wares in a brick enclosure,
packing dry straw around the wares, and igniting the straw.
Vince Pitelka - wkp0067@tntech.edu
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Michael Henderson on sat 25 may 96
At 10:14 AM 5/23/96 EDT, Vince Pitelka wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Clayton -
>
>Your question concerning self-firing ceramics brings to mind research conducted
>some years ago by the Khazue people of Southwestern Khazueland. Because of a
>shortage of wood or fossil fuels for firing conventional kilns or bonfires, and
>in light of a great abundance of animal dung (it hasn't rained in Southwestern
>Khazueland in 163 years, and the dung just piles up), the Khazue experimented
>with a mixture of 50% red surface clay, and 50% animal dung (emu, Komodo
>dragon, and camel), moistened with saliva and camel bile. Although initial
>ignition was generally promising, in almost all cases combustion ceased long
>before minimal sintering temperatures necessary for self-firing were reached.
>Additionally, the vapors released by the smoldering wares proved so noxious as
>to empty entire villages during firing experiments. Marginally acceptable
>results with a significant reduction in noxious vapors were achieved by placing
>wares in a preheated brick enclosure before ignition, but this was deemed
>counter-productive. Other experiments were far less successful, such as
>replacing the water of plasticity with kerosene, adding a grog of crushed
>match-heads, or adding five percent each potassium nitrate and saltpeter.
>Results were disastrous, resulting in significant reductions in the population
>of Southwestern Khazueland. By modifying the original premise of the
>experiment, far more acceptable results were obtained by replacing the 50% dung
>with 50% crushed seashells, placing the bone-dry wares in a brick enclosure,
>packing dry straw around the wares, and igniting the straw.
>
>Vince Pitelka - wkp0067@tntech.edu
>Appalachian Center for Crafts
>
>Vince,,,, we got an abundance of oyster shells here. Do youy think they
would work? Today was BEAUTIFUL... first day in about 2 weeks when it
didn't rain (I don't
mean didn't shower, I mean, didn't RAIN) KAT, denizen of the inland
Wilamette Valley is complaining as well as everbody else in Oregon. I fear
I will NEVER find dry dung. Could I bonfire 1/2 clay and 1/2 pulverized
oyster shells w/o dung for insultation? Anybody ever tried this? Nothing
on the state of my cage from the welders. Maybe it won't be this season...
:-( Peace to yiz all Emily
dannon@ns1.koyote.com on sat 25 may 96
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>At 10:14 AM 5/23/96 EDT, Vince Pitelka wrote:
>>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>>Clayton -
>>
>>Your question concerning self-firing ceramics brings to mind research
conducted
>>some years ago by the Khazue people of Southwestern Khazueland.
>>Results were disastrous, resulting in significant reductions in the population
>>of Southwestern Khazueland.
>>
>>Vince Pitelka - wkp0067@tntech.edu
>didn't rain (I don't
>mean didn't shower, I mean, didn't RAIN) Maybe it won't be this season...
>:-( Peace to yiz all Emily
>
>
Vince, Emily, et al,
Must have missed all this while I was out of town. As soon as my sides stop
hurting I intend to give some thought to why they (Khazue people) didn't
just forego
all the mixing, make their pots from the clay, pile all that resource of
dung on top, and light THAT, like my grandma could've taught 'em.........
And Emily, if I can figure this out, Texas and Arizona will trade some sun
days for some rain days......we're having the worst drought since the
l950's, the newspaper tells us. Well, they don't have to tell the drought
part, but the dates are known only to those here then and newspaper archives.
Meanwhile, there are crops and anagama firings to be saved, and fortunes to
be made here, if I can figure out a way to influence the jet stream in a
fortuitous way. I'm thinking, I'm thinking.
Dannon
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