Alternative Tecniques for Ceramic Kiln Firing

Ceramic pottery is not only functional it can be considered art as well. Working with clay, from the manipulation into a recognizable form to the finished product, is a satisfying experience. From throwing pots on a pottery wheel to hand building ceramic creations, anyone can create his own one-of-a-kind pieces.

Raku

Raku is a low-temperature, fast-firing technique. This technique uses a raku kiln but also uses a reduction process after the piece is fired. Preheat the kiln to 400 degrees F. and add the piece, watching though a peephole for the glaze to melt. When this occurs, immediately move the piece to a nearby, separate reduction chamber which is filled either with sawdust, shredded paper or dry leaves, and start a process of alternately cooling and smoking the piece until the desired surface effect, such as color patterns, glaze crackling or luster from metallic oxides, has been achieved.

Saggar

A saggar is a stackable metal or clay enclosure with a tight fitting lid placed inside a kiln used to protect the glazed surface of the pottery from ash and kiln fumes. Heat is deflected up one side of the wall and then down through the piece by suction. In her book, "Sawdust Firing," Karen Hessenberg says that often sawdust and minerals are packed around the clay piece within the saggar before firing to achieve warm, luminous colors.

Pit and Barrel

Both pit and barrel firing use wood as the combustible source. In pit firing, the clay piece is put into a pit, along with the wood that has been lit, and is left to smolder. In barrel firing, the clay piece is put into a barrel along with the wood and because the firing takes place above ground, air circulates around the piece and oxygen fuels the fire. The ash left after the fires in both pit and barrel firing is used as a reduction, and the piece slowly cools.

References

• Sawdust Firing; Karen Hessenberg; 1994
• Ceramics: A Potter's Handbook; Glenn C. Nelson; 1984
• Surface Design for Ceramics; Maureen Mills; 2008