Stacking and lighting
Read this tip to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Firing and other Ceramics topics.
Stacking and lighting
Additional notes on Pit Firing
Preheat your work ( bisque or green ) around the edge of a fire until the pieces are too HOT to handle by hand.
Quickly stack the kiln over hot coals with at least of 4 to 6 inches of fuel, wood 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Juniper is best, then cat claw, pine is not bad -- never use oak. This wood should be very dry. If you have dung available, you can use that as it will give you a firing to around 1100o F. Dung burns hotter and longer than wood, but it was not used in prehistoric times.
The kiln should be covered with 2 to 4 inch diameter wood and dung to at least twelve inches thick. It will be smoking and flaming a bit at this point, the whole kiln must be stacked and fueled within 3 to 5 minutes, before it bursts into full flame.
NO fuel may be added after the initial stacking and ignition of the fuel, as it will take energy from the burning fire and reduce the temperature.
If you have straw bales available, put sheaths on as a final covering just as the kiln ignites fully, it will help keep in the heat and aid in a bit of soaking (being mostly silica, it forms a bit of a blanket over the kiln.)
This firing will be over in less than an hour. Mica is a good addition to the clay body as a good refractory. Saw dust as grog will aid in 'internal firing'. (Mimbres ceramics may well have had vegetable materials in it.)
| Guru Spotlight |
| Sheri Ann Richerson |
