Salt Firing Ceramics Definition

Salt glaze or salt glaze pottery is pottery usually stoneware with a glaze of glossy translucent and slightly orange peel like texture which was formed by throwing common salt into the kiln during the higher temperature part of the firing process.

Salt firing ceramics definition. The acid goes into the kiln atmosphere and is released from the chimney. In a salt firing the salt vaporizes and the sodium chloride splits into sodium and chlorine gas. Western style raku firing and oxidation reduction. East fork pottery was founded in 2010 by alexander matisse was joined by john vigeland in 2013.

Plate and pots are prepared with clay and left to dry when leather dry or after bisque firing they can be burnished or decorated with oxides and when bone dry they are put in the pit for firing. We make a full range of functional and sculptural ceramics and fire in a large wood burning kiln. When the chlorine is exposed to moisture it forms hydrochloric acid. Ceramics are tough and strong and similar in some ways to stone.

Once again a big thanks to rob hunter and his inspired ceramics in america 2014 top ten issue. Firing clay transforms it from its humble soft beginnings into a new durable substance. Each piece is filled and completely surrounded with a combustible material such as sawdust leaves salt wood shavings and small bits of wood. In salt firing and soda firing tips and techniques you will learn to go further bringing the form and surface of your work together into a signature style using a variety of carving tools in combination with carving techniques like sgraffito etching wire cutting relief carving and more.

This is done close to the end of the firing process when the. Sodium from the salt reacts with silica in the clay body to form a glassy coating of sodium silicate the glaze may be colourless or may be. Salt firing is a vapor glazing process where salt sodium chloride is introduced into kiln firebox at high temperature. The salt vaporizes and sodium vapor combines with silica in clay surface forming extremely hard sodium silicate glaze.

The result is a piece with an active complex surface. The methods he created were known as low temperature salt firing and he was known to teach his students not to fight the unexpected but to look for the opportunities it offers. The salt reacts to the surface clay and glazes in different ways leaving matte sheen and some runny glazed areas. When firing a salt kiln salt is put directly into the kiln through special ports over the flame.

If my hit parade were to be about looks alone i might have included the creative slip applications of english mocha ware or the bizarre twisted explorations of george orr or the brilliant cobalt blues of german westerwald salt fired stoneware or the wood fired stoneware of richard. The remaining sodium combines with alumina and silica in the clay to forming a glaze on the surface of.