How much ash is too much ash

[Darcy Kane]

I am experimenting with sieved (not washed) wood stove ash. I am attempting to get a little rim action in my glazes. Someone suggested that I dip my just glazed rims into sieved ash and the damp glaze would cause the ash to cling. Well cling it did and now I am wondering how much is too much! My instincts told me to knock some off, which I have done, but before I fire I wonder if anyone has tried this before and how much ash is too much.

 

I have put all the dipped pots on one shelf so if I have any "run off" it will only trash one shelf. There is just something unappealing about grinding shelves in 90+ temps.

[TJR]

Hey, Dharsi;

Good on you for trying something new. If you are not sure if your ash will run or not, place your pots on broken kin shelves. You could also make some clay wadding-50% alumina hydrate,50% kaolin, and get the foot rings up off the shelves.

Lots of potters dust their pots with wood ash by sieving the ash above them in an arty way.

Sometimes, too much of a good thing can be too much of a good thing.I wouldn't be putting ash into open bowls unless it was sieved at 80 mesh or more.Don't forget to use a dust mask. Ash is caustic.

Check out Simon Leach on youtube. He uses this method on his GP bowls.

TJR. Send us some pictures!

[Darcy Kane]

Well I am thrilled to say that my shelves survived unscathed. Come to find out, a light dusting of ash is enough in my case. Here is one of the little pots that I subjected to the ash test.

[Darcy Kane]

opps forgot the file

[Darcy Kane]

If at first you don't succeed...

[Darcy Kane]

And in this picture, the glaze is the same on both but the one on the right was dipped in ash.

[kathi]

Dharsi,

At what cone do you fire? Oxidation or reduction? I am really interested in playing with ash as well.

[Darcy Kane]

Dharsi,

At what cone do you fire? Oxidation or reduction? I am really interested in playing with ash as well.

 

 

This is cone 10 oxidation but I keep saying that when I use up my glazes I am going to switch to cone 6. I didn't have any run off the pot, but it came close a couple of times.

[kathi]

Dharsi,

At what cone do you fire? Oxidation or reduction? I am really interested in playing with ash as well.

 

 

This is cone 10 oxidation but I keep saying that when I use up my glazes I am going to switch to cone 6. I didn't have any run off the pot, but it came close a couple of times.

 

 

Interesting.....Does ash have any effect on the integrity of the kiln or elements?

[Dinah]

The ^10 oxidation will have some affect on the integrity of the elements in jig time! Ash won't be a bother to elements, but if there's a lead glaze in anybody's repertoire at lower temps, it certainly will. Fact.

 

You'll prolong the life of your kiln and also be able to replicate your glazes at ^6. Takes a bit of tweaking, but it's well worth it. I've been there.