Adhering sprinkled ash onto the vertical surface of an unglazed pot Wood fired kiln

[cambriapottery]

I would like to find a solution to applying dry ash to the surface of glazed and unglazed vertical surfaces of say a cup/mug. They  will be placed in a wood fired kiln. I thought maybe spraying a sticky mixture to the cup first and then dusting with the ash. Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[GEP]

You can spray the pot with laundry starch. Sprinkle ash before the starch dries. 

If the pot is being glazed, you can sprinkle the ash onto the wet glaze, right after dipping the pot in glaze. 

[neilestrick]

If they're going into a wood fired kiln, they'll get ash in the kiln. Why apply it before?

[GEP]

When I wood-fired with my students, of course we always hoped that the kiln would direct some fly ash onto our pots, but also knew it wasn’t under our control. For some pots, we would sprinkle some ash on in advance as “insurance.”

[CactusPots]

I do a lot of dry wood ash plus directly on wet glaze.  One reason to do it this way is you can add all kinds of goodness to the wood ash mix.  Cullet (ground glass), colorants, iron filings.  Once you get the feel for it, you can direct and maximize the ash effects.

[Babs]

You woodfiring Cactus pots?

[CactusPots]

Nope, it's just propane, really tight fiber down draft.  The wood ash mix is the same way I cook.   A little of this, a little of that.

[CactusPots]

Actually, I would appreciate suggestions on what else to put in my wood ash mix that might give interesting results.  I have tried lithium, but the price has gone up pretty sharply, so I will knock that off.  Anything that will melt and run at cone 10 is a possibility.  My latest thought is to fuse wood ash into lumps before applying.  I usually put my pots on soft brick pieces cut out to use instead of wadding.  If it runs off the pot,  I just do a little grinding.

[GEP]

4 hours ago, CactusPots said:

Actually, I would appreciate suggestions on what else to put in my wood ash mix that might give interesting results.  I have tried lithium, but the price has gone up pretty sharply, so I will knock that off.  Anything that will melt and run at cone 10 is a possibility.  My latest thought is to fuse wood ash into lumps before applying.  I usually put my pots on soft brick pieces cut out to use instead of wadding.  If it runs off the pot,  I just do a little grinding.

I once saw some very interesting wood fired pots, where the potter had taken a small jar of low-fire commercial glaze, poured it out into a thin layer, allowed it to dry, then broke it up into little shards. He stuck the shards here and there onto his cone 10 glazes, then wood-fired. Lots of gorgeous and varied rivulets of glaze. 

[fergusonjeff]

My methods come from Bede Clarke.  I use a ash/feldpar mixture (I think 50/50).  Usually sprinkle it on the wet glazed surface as GEP suggested.  If it is too dry then I just lightly spray with water.  Don't spray so much that the glaze start to run. 

I use a fairly fast-fire cross-draft wood kiln, so only the front pots get heavy ash.  I use the ash sprinkle to supplement and the feldspar helps the ash melt in a shorter firing.  I can also get nicely glazed post with little ash out of the back half.