68. How To Pitfire Pottery using Sea Weed as Colorant

In this video I will share my experience using local Sea Weed as a main colorant when you pitfire pottery.
Not all sear weed give the same results and by combining it with salts, sulfates and carbonates you can get some amazing results.
I will also talk about my new - super white Terra Sigillata and why it appear to work so much better.
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INDEX:
00:10 Welcome to Pitfire Day
01:28 White pots, Brown Clay and Bowls
01:56 Using a super white Terr Sigilata for Pitfire
02:43 Pitfire High Iron Stoneware
03:05 Addint White Terra Sigillata to Brown Iron Clay
03:17 Pitfire Bowls is not easy
04:42 Which Cumbustables to use in the Pitfire
05:01 Using Sea Weed in Pitfire
06:03 Using chicken (or other animal) shit in Pitfire
06:17 Wrapping up the pots in tin foil saggars
15:01 Wrapping the bowls in a new way
25:40 Packing the Pitfire Kiln the best way
27:16 Light the Pitfire Fire
29:46 The Next Morning - Fire Evaluation
30:25 Be carefull when you unload your pitfire kiln
30:45 Unloading the kiln - first look at the pitfired pots
42:46 Summary of this Pitfire
43:59 Photos of the finished and polished pots

[@gigi3242]

The Fire Gods happy danced all over your pots; they are so beautiful. I didn't realize you could pit fire in the winter, I thought the shock of getting cold so fast would break the pots. Thanks for the video, keep up the good mad scientist work. Be well

[@deMibPottery]

Thanks :-) Even in the winter by oil drum actually cool down pretty slowly. Just remember to put the lid on by the end of the fire. Do not open it before it has cooled down in it. By that time there will be no thermal chock when taking the pots out

[@jevpots]

@@deMibPottery yes, it's a problem anyway with firing in an oil drum. They cool really fast after the for has gone. Maybe this would explain the dunting cracks in your bowls - wide rim cools faster than the thicker narrower footing anyway.

[@deMibPottery]

They actually cool really slow. Even after 8-10 hours after they fire dies out and I put the lid on it is often too hot to touch the pots :-)

[@EmiEmi-is3ui]

I simply love your videos and bold experiments! This was amazing, thank you so much for sharing.

[@deMibPottery]

Thank you. That is very kind of you to say 🙏

[@richarddillard91]

The simplicity in the bowls is stunning… the cracking will always be a problem for the bowls in a pit fire from my understanding due to the inconsistency of the heat. Love your videos

[@deMibPottery]

I hace actually made a bunch of pitfired bawls that survived. It is possible :-)

[@alimay1011]

They turned out so well

[@deMibPottery]

Thanks :-)

[@Wareen.A]

It's my new experience. Thank you for video. ☺️☺️

[@deMibPottery]

Thanks. Glad to inspire :-)

[@afranda]

This is a great video, thank you!

[@deMibPottery]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@sharonpollack1119]

Beautiful work. Pit fires look really interesting. I have only done wood fired pottery with a group of local potters. Beautiful energy and unpredictable outcomes

[@deMibPottery]

Thanks 🙏

[@katloveceramics]

😂 laughing so hard…”chicken shit”!!! Love it! I love watching your videos!

[@deMibPottery]

Thanks :-)

[@emiliagrijalva2755]

I love it, i would love try at home 😸 Greetings from Ecuador

[@deMibPottery]

Go for it! :-)

[@darlink57]

Pretty Kitty!

[@deMibPottery]

She is indeed ❤️

[@nokia32107]

Tak for endnu en god film. Jeg har svært ved at høre hvad det er du siger omkring de 14 min inde, om et stof du ikke bruger i denne brænding, men ellers holder meget af at benytte? Hvad er det? :)

[@deMibPottery]

Tak :-) Ja, jeg havde desværre lidt problemer med vindstøj på denne video. Det skal jeg nok prøve at forhindre sker igen :-) De to kemikaler jeg bruger her er Kobberkarbonat og Kobbersulfat

[@ceecee415]

Looking forward to trying this with native plants and seaweed in Australia. What was the white glaze/wash on the pots please?

[@deMibPottery]

Thanks. It was probably the terra sigillata

[@sabengco]

Thanks for sharing your experience with pit firing. To what cone is the clay fired to when pit fired? Thanks for your response.

[@deMibPottery]

Thanks :-) You cannot really measure cones in a pitfire. I fire as hot as I can but the temp depends on wood, oxygen and type of fyre.

[@potteringaroundtheworld823]

The red is fantastic 👌🏼great work 👏🏼👏🏼😍 I guess, if you put the pots upside down, you’ll get a black inside

[@deMibPottery]

Thanks. Upside down tend to increase risk of cracks :-)

[@potteringaroundtheworld823]

@@deMibPottery Perhaps it is more difficult in the barrel. I burn in the pit, nothing has ever broken.

[@AlisonClarke-hv9iv]

I have found that putting an avocado stone inside the pot gives a good black effect.

[@deMibPottery]

All carbon when fumed do that - but some more that others :-)

[@darlink57]

So beautiful! I was wondering if I could use lake weeds or if it has to be from the salty sea? Or add sea salt to the lake weeds? Thank You!

[@deMibPottery]

I never tried but I think you should. If not good just refire :-)

[@molliewatkinson4907]

So the aluminum foil just disintegrates? Wow! Very cool

[@deMibPottery]

Yes, I think that happens around 700 C

[@nokia32107]

Og to andre spørgsmål; 1: Er dine emner forglødet forinden, eller har de været igennem en glasurbrændning (uden glasur)? Og i så fald, sker der flere uheld hvis man undlader forglødningen? 2: Hvad vokser du dine værker i efterfølgende? Tak for din tid! =)

[@deMibPottery]

1) Ja - kun almindelig forglødning. Der er nogle som forgløder ved lidt højere temperaturer, for at vitrificere leret, men så kan det også være lidt sværere at få nogle farver til at trænge ind. Ja, der er meget større risiko for skader hvis du skal håndtere uforglødet emner i en pitfire. Særligt hvis du stabler, som jeg 2) Jeg har en hel video om polering og forsegling her: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ol6app2vpbaMn9U Og en om fødevaresikker forsegling her: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3OWXmubnNOHh80

[@nokia32107]

@@deMibPottery tusind tak for hjælpen, dejligt at se alle dine film - der er virkelig meget god læring at hente, så mange tak for dem! =)

[@rosspadden4201]

Wish we were neighbours, we could compare notes! You've managed to get some beautiful colours n this firing, nice one. If I was to offer any advice, I have found bowl forms not to be as successful with this technique. I think a plate or charger provides a better canvas Mikkel, what do you think?

[@deMibPottery]

Thanks. I did have my fair share of challenges with bowls. Maybe succeeded and turned out amazing but too many had cracks. I am not sure hat you mean by " plate or charger provides a better canvas"?

[@Skipperau]

Mikkel, do you have a video on how you polish the pots?

[@deMibPottery]

Yes, there is one here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ol6app2vpbaMn9U

[@melissataylor6835]

Maybe try wrapping foil over rim and leave inside open to get black inside. Loooooove the colors!!

[@deMibPottery]

Thanks :-)

[@rsa365]

Have you ever tried adding clear glaze and then glaze firing them in an electric kiln after the pit firing? I am curious if the nice patterns and colors remain.

[@deMibPottery]

Yes, but it often burns away the nice pitfire colors. I have friends that do it with raku glazes at a lower temp with greater success

[@caroljordan2886]

Is it possible to write on the bottom of the pot and have it readable after firing?

[@deMibPottery]

Yes, you can use an underglaze pen

[@marzduo2585]

Hello, I stumbled upon this video and I would like to inquire how many firings the pre-prepared objects have undergone. Will firing these objects, which have been barrel-fired, again in an electric kiln cause the surface fire marks and smoke patterns to disappear? Thank you.

[@deMibPottery]

All the pots I pitfire have been bisque fire first. I never glaze fire them after but some do with mixed results

[@marzduo2585]

Is the bisque firing you use at 800 degrees Celsius? Or can it go higher? Bisque-fired pieces feel more delicate in handling and storing, and I've tried this method once, but there was still some fine dust on the surface after cleaning.

[@marzduo2585]

Thank you for your response!

[@xm3364]

Try Kintsugi repair method to seal the crack line? Take a photo before wrapping up each pot may help to recall what was inside?

[@deMibPottery]

I did make a video on how I do kintsugi og cracked pitfired pots :-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKK6ooNplMtlr68 I do video, so I do not have to take photos to document further

[@xm3364]

@@deMibPottery Hahaha! Oh Yes! You had video and we watched! Cheers

[@rebeccahampton2608]

What do the Bananas do? And does the copper wire burn off?

[@deMibPottery]

Like all other organic materials banana peels create fumes when burned and leave colors on the pots. The copper wired do not completely burn away

[@live.always.free.apothecary]

was this the first firing of the pots or did you kiln fire them first?

[@deMibPottery]

All the pots I pitfire I bisque fire first

[@rickwise6259]

I've not had much luck getting blues with any cobalt material, but Google says that cobalt carbonate has a much lower melt temp (427f) than either cobalt oxide (3515f) or cobalt sulfate (1355f). Have you tried cobalt carbonate or anything else that gets you blue?

[@rickwise6259]

(Error -- make that 800f for cobalt carb.)

[@deMibPottery]

I have used cobalt carbonate too but it gives a much less interesting blue in pitfires. More dull. I prefer Cobalt Sulfate much. The meting points you mention do not seem right. Cobalt Oxide and Cobalt Carbonate is almost the same. Sulfate is different but need approx 950 C to be perfect, so when I need that I give it a second fire in my raku kiln.

[@cristinaolar570]

Tare the pots that you pack with all kinds of materials, fired already or raw and just painted with slip?

[@cristinaolar570]

Are

[@deMibPottery]

They have been bisque fired first

[@jevpots]

Interesting - some nice results. Would love to see a very controlled experiment. Eg a pot with only seaweed, others with only one thing at a time in the saggar. Eg banana skins, chicken shit, single chemical, etc to take try to work out which things were doing what in terms of colouration.

[@deMibPottery]

Thanks. It is very often in combination the most interesting things come out. So testing then seperately may be very different results from combined

[@jevpots]

@@deMibPottery It would be good to see the evidence for this

[@321ReadysSetG0]

We are doing this in our ceramic glaze department at our college - many things will be tested by themselves but in a gas raku kiln - aluminum sagar. If I remember - I'll let you know if we get any great results - life is full and I forget sometime

[@jevpots]

@@321ReadysSetG0 excellent. Look forward to hearing how it goes

[@Kit-o-matic3000]

How long did the fire burn for? Did you need to add more wood?

[@deMibPottery]

I typically keep the fire going for 2-4 hours - adding more wood, and then let it slowly die out. In the end I add the lid and let is ease out and natural cool until the next day

[@Kit-o-matic3000]

@@deMibPottery Thank you! I’m looking forward to learning more from your channel. 💖

[@malinwaldestal1813]

Hi, where can I find the movie regarding create black insides

[@deMibPottery]

Here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKKrm5t8eZqhd9U

[@malinwaldestal1813]

So fun to experience all the tests you do!! LOVE IT!! And wow what amazing colors you got on the pots. Now I have to run around all the beaches in Sweden to find the right seaweed😀

[@malinwaldestal1813]

@@deMibPottery thanks 🙏

[@emilieneubauerova4699]

😮😯😲💯👍👍👋💯

[@deMibPottery]

🙏

[@judiday5316]

Try firing your bowls with the opening(s) downward

[@deMibPottery]

I did that too :-)