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Pottery firing experiment

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Jodocus:
I dug up some clay last week. Did not clean or sieve it, although it containes plenty of little rocks and organic matter. Just pinch potted some stuff from it as it was.

Then I knocked up a little oven from the loessy earth in our garden. That was a matter of two hours. I fired the oven to dry the inside, repaired the cracks the next morning. I was a little worried as it was pouring rain, but it held up.

I loaded the pottery yesterday, and set it going.

Jodocus:
Today in the morning, I opened it up. I was ready to wipe up the shards, but then I smiled  ;D Wanna see?

half eye:
now that is a class act right there, beautifull.
rich

NeolithicMan:
I tried harvesting clay right out of the ground and make a few little dishes and they all turned to dust when I tried to cook them by an open fire. Ill will have to try this little oven style when it gets warm enough to dig some more clay. do you build a fire inside the oven with charcoal then add the clay items? any info is appreciated, thanks

 

Jodocus:
Thanks Rich, good to know you like it. It was a very nice experience overall, the entire process. The clay felt real soothing and full of possibilities after I had battered unforgiving, sharp flint for a while. And playing around with fire is always just good, basic fun.

NeolithicMan. I just put the stuff in as in the pic, closed the oven and built a fire right at the entrance. I started small. As the oven got hot, it startet to suck in more air, the fire went hotter. I gently pushed the coals back into the chamber, but gently. 

I tried the open fire before, with similar results as yours.

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