[OffCenter]

Getting much better natural ash glazing using just pine for the anagama instead of pine and oak.

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[Nelly]

OffCenter, on 13 March 2012 - 01:41 PM, said:

Getting much better natural ash glazing using just pine for the anagama instead of pine and oak.

Dear Off Center,

Your picture of your cup is absolutely beautiful. I too love wood firing but am limited to electric.

I know this is likely not the spot to post this but a few years back in my hopefulness to find a glaze similar to the wood glaze look I found a recipe in ceramics monthly for fake wood ash electric firing.

While not perfect, it does work. And if you play with it you can definitely get different finishes from shiny to matt by adjusting the firing temperature and clay bodies. I used speckled clay and it worked beautifully.

If anyone wants this recipe let me know or simply look it up in ceramics monthly. It is worth a try if you are feeling that not having a wood fired look is problematic in your repertoire of electric glazing colors.

Nelly

[StefanAndersson]

Interesting, some questions:
How long was the firing? What color development did you get with the mixed woods?

Pine tends to give heavy reduction at lower temp but depending on kiln design it can force more oxidation to raise the temp in later stages. Do you have the same experience?

[OffCenter]

StefanAndersson, on 18 March 2012 - 03:44 AM, said:

Interesting, some questions:
How long was the firing? What color development did you get with the mixed woods?

Pine tends to give heavy reduction at lower temp but depending on kiln design it can force more oxidation to raise the temp in later stages. Do you have the same experience?

Five days. Where the glazing was heaviest: thick snot-gray where it is usually a nice honey-amber. The oak slowed temp rise down, so, yes.

Jim

[Jeri]

Nelly, on 13 March 2012 - 01:25 PM, said:

OffCenter, on 13 March 2012 - 01:41 PM, said:

Getting much better natural ash glazing using just pine for the anagama instead of pine and oak.

Dear Off Center,

Your picture of your cup is absolutely beautiful. I too love wood firing but am limited to electric.

I know this is likely not the spot to post this but a few years back in my hopefulness to find a glaze similar to the wood glaze look I found a recipe in ceramics monthly for fake wood ash electric firing.

While not perfect, it does work. And if you play with it you can definitely get different finishes from shiny to matt by adjusting the firing temperature and clay bodies. I used speckled clay and it worked beautifully.

If anyone wants this recipe let me know or simply look it up in ceramics monthly. It is worth a try if you are feeling that not having a wood fired look is problematic in your repertoire of electric glazing colors.

Nelly

I love the look of a wood firing, and I also am limited to electric (the community studio I use does soda firing two or three times a year).
I would love the recipe, do you happen to remember which issue, or the year you found the recipe? I can go online and search back issues I think. Could be my fist attempt at mixing my own glaze!

[Nelly]

Jeri, on 20 March 2012 - 01:35 PM, said:

Nelly, on 13 March 2012 - 01:25 PM, said:

OffCenter, on 13 March 2012 - 01:41 PM, said:

Getting much better natural ash glazing using just pine for the anagama instead of pine and oak.

Dear Off Center,

Your picture of your cup is absolutely beautiful. I too love wood firing but am limited to electric.

I know this is likely not the spot to post this but a few years back in my hopefulness to find a glaze similar to the wood glaze look I found a recipe in ceramics monthly for fake wood ash electric firing.

While not perfect, it does work. And if you play with it you can definitely get different finishes from shiny to matt by adjusting the firing temperature and clay bodies. I used speckled clay and it worked beautifully.

If anyone wants this recipe let me know or simply look it up in ceramics monthly. It is worth a try if you are feeling that not having a wood fired look is problematic in your repertoire of electric glazing colors.

Nelly

I love the look of a wood firing, and I also am limited to electric (the community studio I use does soda firing two or three times a year).
I would love the recipe, do you happen to remember which issue, or the year you found the recipe? I can go online and search back issues I think. Could be my fist attempt at mixing my own glaze!

Dear Jeri Lynn,

Here is the recipe. I actually phoned this man and spoke to him about his glaze. Know you have to play with it to find the best firing temperature and clay body but I totally love it. It gets me close to the wood firing look.

http://www.ceramicar...ctric_Busch.pdf

Nelly

[Jeri]

Nelly, on 20 March 2012 - 03:31 PM, said:

Jeri, on 20 March 2012 - 01:35 PM, said:

Nelly, on 13 March 2012 - 01:25 PM, said:

OffCenter, on 13 March 2012 - 01:41 PM, said:

Getting much better natural ash glazing using just pine for the anagama instead of pine and oak.

Dear Off Center,

Your picture of your cup is absolutely beautiful. I too love wood firing but am limited to electric.

I know this is likely not the spot to post this but a few years back in my hopefulness to find a glaze similar to the wood glaze look I found a recipe in ceramics monthly for fake wood ash electric firing.

While not perfect, it does work. And if you play with it you can definitely get different finishes from shiny to matt by adjusting the firing temperature and clay bodies. I used speckled clay and it worked beautifully.

If anyone wants this recipe let me know or simply look it up in ceramics monthly. It is worth a try if you are feeling that not having a wood fired look is problematic in your repertoire of electric glazing colors.

Nelly

I love the look of a wood firing, and I also am limited to electric (the community studio I use does soda firing two or three times a year).
I would love the recipe, do you happen to remember which issue, or the year you found the recipe? I can go online and search back issues I think. Could be my fist attempt at mixing my own glaze!

Dear Jeri Lynn,

Here is the recipe. I actually phoned this man and spoke to him about his glaze. Know you have to play with it to find the best firing temperature and clay body but I totally love it. It gets me close to the wood firing look.

http://www.ceramicar...ctric_Busch.pdf

Nelly

Nelly,

Thank you! I've saved it off, and been reading it, looking around in my little studio (which I still need to take pictures of for another topic) to see where I could find the space to work with trying to mix my own glazes, and well, I think I'm going to take over part of the garage from my husband! I'm also going to talk to the owner of the studio where I rent to see if he's willing to allow me to experiment there. After a mishap with a kiln they had not turning off and EVERYTHING pretty much melting I'm not sure if he's going to feel overly adventurous for a while. But, who knows, he might fool me! I can't wait to get started.

Jeri Lynne

[Nelly]

Jeri, on 23 March 2012 - 08:58 AM, said:

Nelly, on 20 March 2012 - 03:31 PM, said:

Jeri, on 20 March 2012 - 01:35 PM, said:

Nelly, on 13 March 2012 - 01:25 PM, said:

OffCenter, on 13 March 2012 - 01:41 PM, said:

Getting much better natural ash glazing using just pine for the anagama instead of pine and oak.

Dear Off Center,

Your picture of your cup is absolutely beautiful. I too love wood firing but am limited to electric.

I know this is likely not the spot to post this but a few years back in my hopefulness to find a glaze similar to the wood glaze look I found a recipe in ceramics monthly for fake wood ash electric firing.

While not perfect, it does work. And if you play with it you can definitely get different finishes from shiny to matt by adjusting the firing temperature and clay bodies. I used speckled clay and it worked beautifully.

If anyone wants this recipe let me know or simply look it up in ceramics monthly. It is worth a try if you are feeling that not having a wood fired look is problematic in your repertoire of electric glazing colors.

Nelly

I love the look of a wood firing, and I also am limited to electric (the community studio I use does soda firing two or three times a year).
I would love the recipe, do you happen to remember which issue, or the year you found the recipe? I can go online and search back issues I think. Could be my fist attempt at mixing my own glaze!

Dear Jeri Lynn,

Here is the recipe. I actually phoned this man and spoke to him about his glaze. Know you have to play with it to find the best firing temperature and clay body but I totally love it. It gets me close to the wood firing look.

http://www.ceramicar...ctric_Busch.pdf

Nelly

Nelly,

Thank you! I've saved it off, and been reading it, looking around in my little studio (which I still need to take pictures of for another topic) to see where I could find the space to work with trying to mix my own glazes, and well, I think I'm going to take over part of the garage from my husband! I'm also going to talk to the owner of the studio where I rent to see if he's willing to allow me to experiment there. After a mishap with a kiln they had not turning off and EVERYTHING pretty much melting I'm not sure if he's going to feel overly adventurous for a while. But, who knows, he might fool me! I can't wait to get started.

Jeri Lynne

Dear Jerri Lynne,

When I made this recipe I followed the instructions closely. It makes a huge difference. I mixed the main color with the white as stated. I ended up with a few containers of glaze. As I said, play with it. When you do it on a speckled clay formula it works the best. It is also very durable and I have had no pin holing with this glaze. For me, it is a winner. Some may say you are cheating in not doing a wood fire but for me it was magic. I also added some small sprinkings of wood ash immediately after the glaze was applied (i.e., when it was drying). This also adds another effect. Good luck. And if you can't buy all the ingredients at once or don't want bags and bags of stuff hanging around, just get your clay dealer to whip up a batch and send it to you. This is what I have been doing with the tried and true recipes I use. Good luck.

Nelly

[LilyT]

OffCenter, on 13 March 2012 - 11:41 AM, said:

Getting much better natural ash glazing using just pine for the anagama instead of pine and oak.

Oh, my, that is so beautiful. I just have to keep coming back to look at it.
-Lily

[Marcia Selsor]

Beautiful glaze and clay body.
Thanks for sharing.
Marcia

[OffCenter]

Marcia Selsor, on 30 June 2012 - 08:28 AM, said:

Beautiful glaze and clay body.
Thanks for sharing.
Marcia

Thanks. Just in case anyone is interested, the clay body is Laguna's B-Mix Woodfire. The glaze inside and running off the lip is Nick's Fake Ash (Alberta Slip ... 44, Kaolin ... 25, Whiting ... 31).

We're getting better at firing Roger Jamison's anagama (near Macon, GA) so colors are better every firing but the B-Mix Woodfire is, by far, the nicest flashing clay body I've ever used. The following are from the most recent firing.

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[DBCurley]

Curious, has anyone tried firing with poplar? Reason I ask, is poplar tends to absorb local minerals and causes amazing coloration to the wood. You can get reds, purple, greens and sometimes a teal-ish color. It eventually subsides once the wood cures, but it made me curious if it would have any effect on a wood firing?

[LilyT]

OffCenter, on 30 June 2012 - 06:48 AM, said:

Marcia Selsor, on 30 June 2012 - 08:28 AM, said:

Beautiful glaze and clay body.
Thanks for sharing.
Marcia

Thanks. Just in case anyone is interested, the clay body is Laguna's B-Mix Woodfire. The glaze inside and running off the lip is Nick's Fake Ash (Alberta Slip ... 44, Kaolin ... 25, Whiting ... 31).

We're getting better at firing Roger Jamison's anagama (near Macon, GA) so colors are better every firing but the B-Mix Woodfire is, by far, the nicest flashing clay body I've ever used. The following are from the most recent firing.

Thank you so much for sharing the glaze recipe! I love the Laguna B-mix woodfire
clay, also. I've never fired a traditional anagama though I've participated in
wood fires of other types. Haven't been as good at getting the lovely flashing you
folks have. Your pieces are so lovely.

Would you mind telling us more about your firing? What woods do you use? Your pattern
of temperature rise and reduction state? What it is that you do that seems to improve the
firing? I'd love to hear about your experience.

warmest regards,
Lily

[OffCenter]

DBCurley, on 30 June 2012 - 10:21 AM, said:

Curious, has anyone tried firing with poplar? Reason I ask, is poplar tends to absorb local minerals and causes amazing coloration to the wood. You can get reds, purple, greens and sometimes a teal-ish color. It eventually subsides once the wood cures, but it made me curious if it would have any effect on a wood firing?

Good question. Usually the colors in any organic material used to fire pots has nothing, or very little, to do with with the color that material gives the pots but it seems to me that if the coloration of poplar is due to the absorbtion of minerals those minerals if concentrated enough would make a difference. But, how do you test for that?

Jim

[DBCurley]

OffCenter, on 01 July 2012 - 09:27 AM, said:

DBCurley, on 30 June 2012 - 10:21 AM, said:

Curious, has anyone tried firing with poplar? Reason I ask, is poplar tends to absorb local minerals and causes amazing coloration to the wood. You can get reds, purple, greens and sometimes a teal-ish color. It eventually subsides once the wood cures, but it made me curious if it would have any effect on a wood firing?

Good question. Usually the colors in any organic material used to fire pots has nothing, or very little, to do with with the color that material gives the pots but it seems to me that if the coloration of poplar is due to the absorbtion of minerals those minerals if concentrated enough would make a difference. But, how do you test for that?

Jim

See, that's the thing. I have no real idea how you could test it in any sort of controlled environment. I've literally cut down poplar that was growing within 4 feet of one another. One had beautiful purple and reds and the other had no coloration at all. It's weird stuff...and sadly, I don't have access to lumber like that anymore since I changed jobs. :/

[gumbo lily]

Thnak you for sharing that is lovely

[OffCenter]

LilyT, on 30 June 2012 - 11:52 PM, said:

OffCenter, on 30 June 2012 - 06:48 AM, said:

Marcia Selsor, on 30 June 2012 - 08:28 AM, said:

Beautiful glaze and clay body.
Thanks for sharing.
Marcia

Thanks. Just in case anyone is interested, the clay body is Laguna's B-Mix Woodfire. The glaze inside and running off the lip is Nick's Fake Ash (Alberta Slip ... 44, Kaolin ... 25, Whiting ... 31).

We're getting better at firing Roger Jamison's anagama (near Macon, GA) so colors are better every firing but the B-Mix Woodfire is, by far, the nicest flashing clay body I've ever used. The following are from the most recent firing.

Thank you so much for sharing the glaze recipe! I love the Laguna B-mix woodfire
clay, also. I've never fired a traditional anagama though I've participated in
wood fires of other types. Haven't been as good at getting the lovely flashing you
folks have. Your pieces are so lovely.

Would you mind telling us more about your firing? What woods do you use? Your pattern
of temperature rise and reduction state? What it is that you do that seems to improve the
firing? I'd love to hear about your experience.

warmest regards,
Lily

Basically it is simply a matter of holding a huge tunnel kiln at around cone 10 for several days before finishing off at around cone 13 so that ash can form glaze on the pots. So, what we deal with is trying not to over fire the front while bringing the rear up to the same temp as front, etc. Really very simple but lots of work and lots of things to consider (Is the ash bed deep enough? where and how much to stoke?, etc.). Most the firing the kiln is in light reduction. We use pine because that seems to give better color and a nicer glaze than pine and hardwood. Someone is stoking it every few minutes non-stop for 5 or so days, sometimes the main firebox and all the side ports at the about the same time so we have 2 stokers on each 6 hour shift.

I'm sure there are other people here with lots more experience with wood firing than I have who could chime in here and maybe the following isn't really new but a potter firing an anagama 50 or so miles from us fires his kiln alone by simply bringing the kiln up to around cone 10 stoking it for 12 or so hours then going to bed and letting the kiln cool down to whatever temp it cools to while he is sleeping then he gets up and does another 12 (or whatever) hour shift, etc. His pots are beautiful.

Jim

[JBaymore]

OffCenter, on 02 July 2012 - 10:17 AM, said:

I'm sure there are other people here with lots more experience with wood firing than I have who could chime in here and maybe the following isn't really new but a potter firing an anagama 50 or so miles from us fires his kiln alone by simply bringing the kiln up to around cone 10 stoking it for 12 or so hours then going to bed and letting the kiln cool down to whatever temp it cools to while he is sleeping then he gets up and does another 12 (or whatever) hour shift, etc. His pots are beautiful.

That technique is used by some people in Japan also. I results in improved "layering" of the shizenyu (natural ash glaze). Many times they switch woods on the various "cycles" of heat up and cool down. I was first introduced to the concept also for firing noborigama when Hamada Shinsaku and Hamada Tomoo shared that idea with me.

A friend of mine in Japan tried firing anagama with all hiba (a type of Japanese cedar). It produced a pretty bright yellow shizenyu on the dark iron-rich clay. But he told me that the wood produces almost no flyash.... so they consumed more than double the amount of wood from normal to get the necessary buildup.

best,

......................john

[OffCenter]

JBaymore, on 02 July 2012 - 10:33 AM, said:

OffCenter, on 02 July 2012 - 10:17 AM, said:

I'm sure there are other people here with lots more experience with wood firing than I have who could chime in here and maybe the following isn't really new but a potter firing an anagama 50 or so miles from us fires his kiln alone by simply bringing the kiln up to around cone 10 stoking it for 12 or so hours then going to bed and letting the kiln cool down to whatever temp it cools to while he is sleeping then he gets up and does another 12 (or whatever) hour shift, etc. His pots are beautiful.

That technique is used by some people in Japan also. I results in improved "layering" of the shizenyu (natural ash glaze). Many times they switch woods on the various "cycles" of heat up and cool down. I was first introduced to the concept also for firing noborigama when Hamada Shinsaku and Hamada Tomoo shared that idea with me.

A friend of mine in Japan tried firing anagama with all hiba (a type of Japanese cedar). It produced a pretty bright yellow shizenyu on the dark iron-rich clay. But he told me that the wood produces almost no flyash.... so they consumed more than double the amount of wood from normal to get the necessary buildup.

best,

......................john

Interesting! Thanks for the info. Now, to bombard you with questions: How often do you fire your noborigama? How many days? How many people? What wood? Do you sometimes fire a pot several times?

Thanks,
Jim

[LilyT]

OffCenter, on 02 July 2012 - 07:17 AM, said:

LilyT, on 30 June 2012 - 11:52 PM, said:

OffCenter, on 30 June 2012 - 06:48 AM, said:

Marcia Selsor, on 30 June 2012 - 08:28 AM, said:

Beautiful glaze and clay body.
Thanks for sharing.
Marcia

Thanks. Just in case anyone is interested, the clay body is Laguna's B-Mix Woodfire. The glaze inside and running off the lip is Nick's Fake Ash (Alberta Slip ... 44, Kaolin ... 25, Whiting ... 31).

We're getting better at firing Roger Jamison's anagama (near Macon, GA) so colors are better every firing but the B-Mix Woodfire is, by far, the nicest flashing clay body I've ever used. The following are from the most recent firing.

Thank you so much for sharing the glaze recipe! I love the Laguna B-mix woodfire
clay, also. I've never fired a traditional anagama though I've participated in
wood fires of other types. Haven't been as good at getting the lovely flashing you
folks have. Your pieces are so lovely.

Would you mind telling us more about your firing? What woods do you use? Your pattern
of temperature rise and reduction state? What it is that you do that seems to improve the
firing? I'd love to hear about your experience.

warmest regards,
Lily

Basically it is simply a matter of holding a huge tunnel kiln at around cone 10 for several days before finishing off at around cone 13 so that ash can form glaze on the pots. So, what we deal with is trying not to over fire the front while bringing the rear up to the same temp as front, etc. Really very simple but lots of work and lots of things to consider (Is the ash bed deep enough? where and how much to stoke?, etc.). Most the firing the kiln is in light reduction. We use pine because that seems to give better color and a nicer glaze than pine and hardwood. Someone is stoking it every few minutes non-stop for 5 or so days, sometimes the main firebox and all the side ports at the about the same time so we have 2 stokers on each 6 hour shift.

I'm sure there are other people here with lots more experience with wood firing than I have who could chime in here and maybe the following isn't really new but a potter firing an anagama 50 or so miles from us fires his kiln alone by simply bringing the kiln up to around cone 10 stoking it for 12 or so hours then going to bed and letting the kiln cool down to whatever temp it cools to while he is sleeping then he gets up and does another 12 (or whatever) hour shift, etc. His pots are beautiful.

Jim

Hi, Jim,




Thank you for sharing these interesting details and ideas! Sorry to have not seen your

post earlier - I can't seem to get the list to email me notifications any more… must have

crossed one of the web gods somewhere. That's interesting that you hold at cone 10 for

several days before finishing off at cone 13. The wood fires I've participated in are in

one of the "Laid-back firing" kilns that goes to temp in 20 hours and finishes at cone 10-11;

although the throat and areas near the firebox reach cone 13. We get the flashing

at the cone 9-11 areas (less in the cone 13 because the ash is so heavy there that almost all

the surfaces are completely covered). We usually fire with a mix of pine and hardwoods,

whatever is available as scrap from various sources.




Your firings sound busy and exciting. We've fired with different people leading the

firings and with some folks it's really relaxed and with some it's stoke-stoke-stoke every

couple minutes - can't say either is cross the board superior, there's so many variables

to consider. We fire in neutral to light reduction until near the end, then finish in oxidation

before closing up for cooldown.




Could you explain the concept our your firing goals with the ash bed? We actually have

to avoid too deep an ash bed because it chokes the oxygen flow until it burns down enough,

maybe the design of this kiln?




I LOVE the idea of firing while convenient and letting it cool down to sleep then continuing!

Why not??? Many pieces go through wood firings in our kiln more than once, so this

temperature rise and fall shouldn't be intrinsically bad for the pots. Well, the outside of the

kiln will get hotter, but not in comparison to a 5 day firing. I should love to try this. Do

you know if the kiln is closed with an ember bed still burning during the sleep part of the

firing?




When you say his pots are beautiful, I am ready to be impressed.




-Lily