Michael Davie on fri 24 sep 04
Hey there- I'm not the potter, my wife is, but we're probably going to
build a wood kiln pretty soon. I'm an arborist, and pretty much obsessed
with trees, and I'm very interested in finding any differences in
different wood ash deposits in firing. I know that people make the
distinction between, say, oak and pine. But has anyone tried breaking it
down farther into different species in a genus? With pines, for instance-
around here (WNC) we have white, pitch, Virginia, shortleaf, and table
mountain pines. While all the woods are somewhat similar, they are each
very distinctive in the resins and oils, moisture content, color of wood,
etc. There are at least six different species of oaks native here, and
five hickories. Black locust, hemlocks, ash, maple? You get the point.
Like I said, I'm wondering if anyone has experimented with different
species, and what they may have found. Thanks in advance for any
information.
Gary Navarre on sat 25 sep 04
Hay mike, Crew,
We got ourselves an arborist, cool! What you speak of is what I've
wanted to investigate for some time, 40 tears to be exact, but hadn't
been in a position to research the question. Now I'm in da U.P. forest
and love it, all kind of trees and plants to choose. One tool besides
the kiln and its flying ash is the Koie cooker I presented some months
ago. I'm going to redo it in Fotki but if you look in the archives my
Yahoo!Photos albums are there, geeze I forgot which address works, I was
still learning. The cooker allows one to turn any plant into ash with
minimal loss of ash. In the album I used Red Pine brush from some slash
I was cleaning up. In my last kiln there was a definite difference
between Apple ash and Pine ash. The Apple was less transparent and had a
pleasing satin finish.
I guess I'm kinda a tree guy, too. I like to climb, have since I was a
kid. In my last kiln I climbed the pines we had, trimming the dead limbs
for kiln fuel. Made a beautyfull canape out back and cleaned up the
woods. What I need is a link to where I can get a good harness and gaffs
and some instruction on roping and rigging trees. We have some hangers
above my new kiln site and I wanna get them out without dropping a lot
of other trees. I'd like to do peoples pines in their yards for a fee
and keep the wood but they get nervous seeing me free climb. I haven't
even begun to think about the insurance. Insurance or no it pays to know
what I'm doin first. The ground don't have a conscience ya know. I've
also gotten into non-timber forest products, a major economic endeavor
here in the U.P. Brush and wreath season soon, doncha know. I'm even
selling pine cones. God I love it in the woods. Glad it put me here.
I plan to do my part of that research up here when the kiln is ready but
realistically won't get results till next year. Let us see what you come
up with. A good starting glaze is:
Bouverie Slip-glaze
40% Feldspar
40% Ash
20% Ball(or Pike) clay
^7-10, "Colour, quality, and temperature depend upon ash employed and
body." (Leach)
Good luck, and stay in there!
G. in Da U.P.
Navarre Pottery
Norway, Michigan, USA
http://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/
---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: wood firing- wood species
From: "Michael Davie"
Date: Fri, September 24, 2004 11:00 am
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey there- I'm not the potter, my wife is, but we're probably going to
build a wood kiln pretty soon. I'm an arborist, and pretty much obsessed
with trees, and I'm very interested in finding any differences in
different wood ash deposits in firing. I know that people make the
distinction between, say, oak and pine. But has anyone tried breaking it
down farther into different species in a genus? With pines, for instance-
around here (WNC) we have white, pitch, Virginia, shortleaf, and table
mountain pines. While all the woods are somewhat similar, they are each
very distinctive in the resins and oils, moisture content, color of wood,
etc. There are at least six different species of oaks native here, and
five hickories. Black locust, hemlocks, ash, maple? You get the point.
Like I said, I'm wondering if anyone has experimented with different
species, and what they may have found. Thanks in advance for any
information.
Lee Love on sun 26 sep 04
Michael Davie wrote:
>Like I said, I'm wondering if anyone has experimented with different
>species, and what they may have found. Thanks in advance for any
>information.
>
>
Michael,
Many wood firers use different types of wood during a single
firing to get different effects and colors. Matsuzaki Ken uses pine,
chestnut and charcoal during a 7 day firing.
I can change the color of the ash on my pots and also the color
of the unglazed clay body, dependent upon the wood I use. The chip
board cut offs I use leaves a clear ash and a red and light color
body. When I stoke sugi and henoki (two kinds of cedar), I get
greener ash and a darker body, with less red. I'd like to try bark
covered sugi cutoffs and also red pine. The wood I am using now is
free (the chipboard only costs for delivery.) The sugi and henoki is
construction castoffs that the construction company that owns our quad
of 4 houses and stores scaffolding and forms in our courtyard. It has
no bark.
--
Leein Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://www.livejournal.com/users/togeika/ WEB LOG
http://public.fotki.com/togeika/ Photos!
Wes Rolley on sun 26 sep 04
Gary, Michael, and all ash lovers.
There is a basic chart of ash types by trees in Phil Rogers book, Ash Glazes, 1st Ed...probably in the new one also. It shows some general tendencies of ash by types of tree. There are signifcant differences in silica content, which is made up for by fluxing oxides. Fruit woods tend to be higher in P2O5, and even that may vary by the part of the tree that is being burned, trunk vs. the small branches and twigs. He also notes the considerable differnces between Chinese oak and English oak.
I know that I have been very lucky to have a neighbor with a wood burning fireplace that burns our local oak wood (California Live Oak, Canyon Live Oak) almost exclusively. Along with redart it makes a very good basic glaze with which I have had a lot of fun, testing variations and additions...^8 - ^10.
My next experiments should be with olive, as I am forever cutting back our 6 trees.
Wesley C. Rolley
17211 Quail Court
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
(408)778-3024
"Why should we not be able to do what others have done before us? The answer must be that art is created not by human wisdom or intellect, but by human character as it is shaped by the times." Kitaoji Rosanjin.
Wesley C. Rolley
17211 Quail Court
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
(408)778-3024
"Why should we not be able to do what others have done before us? The answer must be that art is created not by human wisdom or intellect, but by human character as it is shaped by the times." Kitaoji Rosanjin.
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