Pottery Shorts: What Happens to Clay in a Firing?

[@michaeldausmann6066]

Great info. I'll just need some time to mullite it over.

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

Michael, now that's funny!

[@robhumphreys4642]

Awesome information. Very well presented.

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

Glad it was helpful!

[@credenza1]

Great information.

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

credenza, Thanks, please share with your friends and fellow potters!

[@stanislawsmykowski5850]

Great Video! I was courious what hapenns with a clay during firing and this is the best answer which I found. Greetings from Poland :D

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

Thank you for your encouragement! I hope you enjoy all the videos.

[@militant_daisies]

you know i always wanted to know how this worked. thanks for the enlightening video

[@blaidd5917]

This was probably the most interesting video if seen all week. Never would've guessed heating up dirt was this complex!

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

Phil did a great job of presenting the complex side of seemingly simple things in a way that made it understandable! Keep watching and enjoy the channel.

[@tokiidokiie]

Loving these videos, learning so much. Really appreciate the clarity of the information.

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

tokiidokiie, please share the channel with your friends and fellow potters! And thank you for the encouragement.

[@Sheepdog1314]

thank you so much -- I am a beginner, still struggling with EVERYTHING...can you make a video about primitive firing? Great information....

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

We have a plan to do a video on pit firing or sawdust firing in the near future. That's about the most primitive we get! I will look for someone who does primitive firing and see if they would like to talk on it.

[@lisalovelylpa]

So in general , it can be a very creative medium , if you are building a kiln for the first time , the message I get is take it slow and get as close to the desired temp as you can , and their could be a lot of variability in the end materials produced. Kinda exciting. As long as the whole thing does not blow up or melt and fall over lol Thanks again. I am trying to portion a few dollars for your patreon as your videos have been very helpful in my work.

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

Lisa Lovely LPA Thank you for any support you can give, but please don't feel obligated, we are happy that you are finding a benefit from the videos! Phil used to say that working with ceramics is like walking on the edge of a cliff, you can go for years without an issue, no falling, no problem. Then one day, while walking the same path, something gives way and down you go! It can be a chemical mined from a different area of the mine, a burst of heat, or a fault in the clay, and you don't know what happened. So yes, take it easy and slow, and take a lot of notes! Thanks for watching and please share the channel with your friends and fellow potters to help us grow our community!

[@pooiabeik3042]

Thank you so much for another amazing lesson! Really excellent indeed~

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

You are most welcome Pooia, thank you for watching and for your encouragement!

[@cblue22]

Why isn't the structural water as explosive as the absorbed/adsorbed water? If it breaks from the kaolin between 700-1200, wouldn't it expand the same as the H20 that turns to a gas at boilig point?

[@sallyweiner4180]

Chemistry is not my strong suite but I can understand this! Thank you for making it so clear

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

Sally, we are happy you found the lecture useful, please share the channel with your friends and fellow potters to help us grow our community.

[@boredwools2158]

omg it took me too long to realize why there were a pair of shorts in the thumbnail hahahaha!

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

Videos made on the fly!

[@jenniehenriksson3267]

I'm interested in what's happening when we refiring a piece. I've heard that it is a critical process that may be break a piece. Interesting to hear why. Thanks for many good videos. /Sweden

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

Jennie, Thank you for your question! I've forwarded the question to Phil and will post his response when I receive it. Thank you for making our channel international and please share the channel with your friends and fellow potters!

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

Hi Jennie, Thanks for your email and your question. Once a piece has been high-fired to stoneware temperatures and the clay has become dense and hard, it is no longer as thermally shock resistant as it was before firing, so rapid and especially uneven heating can cause uneven expansion and cracking. Also, if the dense, fired piece still contains a lot of quartz, or cristobalite formed in the high-firing, rapid heating through the silica inversion temperatures, and the resulting rapid expansion, can cause the piece to shatter. Earthenware pottery, which does not vitrify and become dense during the glaze firing, is not as temperature sensitive when refired. Phil

[@jenniehenriksson3267]

@@WashingtonStreetStudios Thank you Phil for your answer and once again Thank you for all the interesting and informative videos.

[@marianandtomyancey1313]

The videos cut off after about two items on the list. Is this on purpose,? Is there some where to see all the list items addressed?

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

Actually all the items are covered. Introduction runs until about 2:20 Drying starts around 2:20 Decomposition starts at 3:30ish Re-forming starts at 5:40ish Sintering starts around 7:00 and Crystallization or cooling starts at 8:00. I hope this helps, I really should add chapters!

[@Naturamorpho]

Great info, crystal clear explanations, as always. Here's a suggestion for a topic that might be of interest for the begginers and the pros just as much: pitcher and teapot spouts and their fluid dynamics! how to make pitchers and teapots that don't drip on your table when you are proudly pouring from your own hand-made piece of work 😆

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

Thanks for the suggestion, we'll add it to the list of future topics! And thank you for watching our videos and being part of our community!

[@freddiemoretti8456]

Thanks again! 1) I have been shutting the the peep hole in my wee test kiln(Paragon Q-11A) when the temp reaches 1750F + thinking that all the organic burn off should be done by then and I might be saving some heat build up. Am I mistaken, and would the burn off be the same for stoneware with or without grog? 2) Would it be any benefit to make a wee bung for the hole instead of using the swivel metal cap the kiln comes with? I have successfully watched all of the Washington Street videos and now have a much better understanding of just how much I don't know. The education has been very valuable and I look forward to more videos in the future. Cheers and be well...Freddie

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

Thank you Freddie! I've forwarded your questions to Phil and I will post his reply.

[@freddiemoretti8456]

@@WashingtonStreetStudios TA!

[@karikarievans4297]

After the clay is burnt and grind into powder what can the burn grind clay powder be use for

[@WashingtonStreetStudios]

Ground up fired clay can be used as grog. It can be added to clay to give it structural strength and some thermal shock resistance.