5 Common Mistakes in Outdoor Pottery Firings

Learn how to prevent the most common problems with outdoor pottery firings.

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Andy Ward PO Box 43601 Tucson, AZ 85733

0:00 Over Firing
1:21 Under Firing
3:15 Under Oxidizing
4:31 Thermal Shock
5:43 Not Properly Pre-Heated
6:52 Items That Prevent Problems

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[markgibsons_SWpottery]

Great video, sir! The only thing I have been missing all of these years is my temper ratio, and black paint! I am glad I found those two very important keys to success watching your channel. You are the bridge to success in my case! I am Native American, and I still can't get the native people to share these secrets. I hope everyone here learns what they need, in order to make great pots! Thank you, Andy!

[ChadZuberAdventures]

Excellent explanation. I've dealt with a lot of those problems.

[montaramike]

Been watching your great vids for a few months now. They motivated me to go out in my Tucson back yard and try and collect some clay. Using levigation I ended up with a nice quantity. I made a small flat dish as a test and fired it in my BBQ. IT came out great and I am so happy and want to thank you for the inspiration and all the great information you share.

[germanus]

I know Arizona is rather dry. And not everyone gets to see clays in distinct dry layers. Any chance we can eventually see how to identify wild clays in more wet climates and flat areas? I'd love to work with clay more when i return to Minnesota, but currently all my knowledge is based on where i grew up in AZ.

[jsmythib]

I think the height of my pottery has been my most recent issue(about 15inches). As the fire dies down and the coals keep the bottom hot, the top cools in the air causing stress. As a fix I have been (90%) covering my pit fire once the top 25% of the pot is showing, just to reduce the temperature gradient through the piece. I have the piece raised on 1 firebrick. Im having good luck, and the faint lower fire clouds have me hooked :)

[JakeLHyde]

Just discovering your channel. So much information! Brilliant. Looking forward to absorbing some of your knowledge

[TalRohan]

the infrared pyrometer is the one I use for blacksmithing and particularly for heat treating different steels so I can account for it being a good one
Thanks for sharing the to do and not to do list

[lissajeannot]

Thank you so much for such valuable tips!

[davidmsmith]

I did a couple firing this year with an infra thermometer. It just says "HIGH" when it gets to 1000 degrees but that still gives me a reasonable idea of where I need to be for this. Thanks for more videos!

[Fabyaleixo]

I have some issues with pre-heating mine because where I live is full of trees and moisture, Im going to try the oven method and see how it goes

[petrapetrakoliou]

Thank you for these tips. I made a cooking pot with its lid; does it matter if I fire it with the lid on top of it or separately?

[MJA-qpos]

Hi Andy, great video full of all the things to take into consideration when firing in the wild.
I have been having less firing success lately. Mainly cracks running from the rim down. What i find interesting and somewhat troubling is why?
My clay has high shrinkage and a bit to sticky when wet enough to work with, so i started adding about 20% temper in the form of diatomaceous earth. The addition has definately helped control the shrinkage and made the clay more workable yet it seems to have made the clay more susceptible to shock. With no temper I can take pieces that are glowing red strait from the fire and drop them into cold water without breaking but the ones with temper aren't making it through firing. Any idea as to why? I'm using river flood plain clay and I figure there is enough silt in it to act like temper and that adding more has made the clay weaker? Not sure... But I keep trying anyways.
Thanks again for all the great videos. A year ago I couldn't form anything and now I can make bowls and pots. I know practice is important but it's knowing what to practice that has helped me

[Dovid]

Excellent tips. A sixth tip might be to say never form a vessel from dry clay that was mixed with water the very same day, but rather allow the prepared clay (clay and water) to cure for 3 or 4 days before forming the vessel.

[БРале]

Hello Andy. Thank you very much for your videos. You made me fall in love with pottery!🤗
I have just made and fired my first pottery but it seems like it is underfired. Can I fire it again?

[ivan]

Does temper shocked clay count as temper for future projects?

[rosalindriley]

Hi Andy, when you say you can pre-heat your pots in the oven "on low", what do you mean by "low" in terms of temperature, please? Thanks for the videos!

[БРале]

Hi Andy, can I make scratches on pot, with my finger nails, if it is fired enough? Is that a sign that it is underfired? I can do it on my pots. Those are not deep scratches but small white lines.

[adrianjabascal]

Thank you Andy! These are great tips! Tony Soares just puts charcoal brickettes right up against his pottery before lighting them in his urban kiln. I suppose those heat up slow enough that thermal shock is less of a concern? In his application cover shards would not be needed, correct?

I'm really just trying to figure out an urban kiln for our school. We've dug up and processed wild clay.

[UnisVersNature]

Hello Andy!

Very nice vidéo! Good job!
Will the thickness of a pottery and or the size are of great importance?
I have noticed that the big pieces are more fragile.
What's your feeling?

[lesterjennings]

Also damp wood can transfer moisture to your stuff. I'm very guilty of under firing gets me alot, damp climate very hard to realy dry the wood.