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clay test kiln

updated mon 6 mar 06

 

zevio on sat 4 mar 06


I recently found some natural clay deposits near my house. I don't have any
equipment or money, much less an electric kiln to bisque in, so I was
thinking about maybe making a small test kiln out of the clay itself, to ge=
t
started. Anyone have exerience making small kilns out of greenware?
I assume that it would have to resemble a pitfire or woodfire process.

Bonnie Staffel on sun 5 mar 06


Dear Zevio,

Perhaps you have an old barbeque grille with a cover or a Webber Grille.
You could do a quick "pit" fire in there to put your untested clay in. Be
sure the clay is dry and perhaps prewarmed. Make sure you have a very hot
fire going and after removing the clay, check with some water to make sure
there are no lime deposits in the clay to create pop-outs. Pop-outs occur
when the lime expands from the moisture with a great deal of pressure,
cracking or lifting bisqued clay from the surface.

Bonnie Staffel

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