We unloaded the new wood fired pallet kiln today! It was better than I'd hoped for since it was just the first test firing. These plates turned out better than I've ever had them!
Overall, it was still dry and colder on the top, but with some tweaking, I'd say this kiln will be firing great to my standards in no time! The best part, and most worrisome part, was what the nails were going to do to the pots. There are 90 nails in each pallet. We burned around 115 pallets for this 20 hour firing. You do the math and think about how many nails that is. We thought they would melt and leave iron marks all over the pots. Not ONE single nail showed up on the pots. I think it's because the firebox is built so large to accommodate a whole pallet being stoked. The pots are so far up and away from where the pallets are being burned that all the nails stayed in the firebox!
In my book it can only get better from here! More pictures are here at this link:
13 comments:
Wow! I thought for sure you'll be getting some nails stuck in some pots! But great that this wasn't the case! Beautiful plates!
great to see the results...very interested in this beast of a wood kiln...eating whole pallets...awesome.
hey that looks incredible for the first firing!! well done.. i use pallet wood for my raku kiln and the nails stay put they just sit in the ash..:))
Astonishing results! The mugs (link) are amazing too. Congratulations!!
Joy! These are beautiful! So gald you're getting settled in. Have fun at Watershed. Cant wait to hear more about your adventures.
Very nice plates and a great idea on the stoking hole to match the pallet size.
Dave
Beautiful plates! Do you mind telling us what clay are you using? Any slips? And was there anything special in the wadding that produced that beautiful mark? So lovely!
Those are some sweet looking plates!
Beautiful!
First rate pots! I have always loved those warm, satiny surfaces that come out of a wood firing. It looks like your glazes did pretty well too.
Sweet looking plates! I may have to buy one of those!
The plates are looking sweet.Your carving looks great beside those fly ash patterns. Your talk about the nails made me remember how many bronze tips I have lost off of soda sprayers. Never once did they appear on the pots or in the kiln post firing. Wood kilns are magic that way.
thanks everyone for the comments!
carolanne- i'm using a light stoneware clay with a helmar flashing slip. the wadding was just regular wadding and then of course, seashells.
ben- you're right, I've lost those soda sprayer tips too! good to hear from you!
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