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Pit firing with steel wool...


HAUKSBEE

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I got Sumi von Dassow's book on pit firing (Low Fire and Burnishing) and I'm near ready to do my first. Most of my pieces will be white earthenware. I'd like to try to get some of the effects shown in the pot below. The ingrediants are listed as wood shavings, steel wool, copper and salt. From the blue tones, I suspect some cobalt compound was also used, but my question here is, What produced the red/orange tones on the top? Copper? Steel wool? Both? Thanks.

post-1746-134971886433_thumb.jpg

post-1746-134971886433_thumb.jpg

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The image is a sagger fired piece by Charlie and Linda Riggs. Shoot them an email and ask. http://www.sandhillsnc.com/charlie-riggs-pottery.html My guess is the top orange is from strands of copper wire. The bluish on the bottom is likely from the other items included in the sagger reacting with the terra sig surface on the vessel . . . I don't believe they add any cobalt compounds.

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Linda and Charlie were with myself and Steve Branfman as presenters at Dan Finch's Workshop, Raku Masters back in 2004 or so. Linda and Charlie make those beautiful pieces in saggars fired in a raku kiln. The orange is from steel wool.They are very giving with their information. They fire to about 1600 F and hold for 20 minutes or so. pots are raised out of the combustibles inside the saggars which a sealed. They also put copper carbonate and salt mixed into the sawdust.The surface is burnished with terra sig prior to bisque. charlie has a great and simple terra sig recipe.

 

Marcia

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