Pictures from the Millenium Firing

Claresholm, Alberta Canada joined potters from all over the world by firing a primitive/sawdust firing through the millenniums. We had over 200 pieces of pottery, so we had to use two kilns to hold it all. We fired in a large brick kiln and an old unwired 7cu.ft. electric that has been converted to a raku kiln. We filled the kilns with sawdust and pottery, layering it with pots, sawdust, vermiculate, red salt, blue salt, and copper carbonate, on December 30, 1999. At noon, on Dec 31,1999, we poured a thin line of kerosene on the top layer of sawdust, around the outside edge. We lit the kerosene, and slowly walked an 4x8ft sheet of galvanized metal across the top of the large kiln, and propped it up with stilts, until the fire got a really good burn going.

This took about an hour, and we watched it like a hawk for sparks and fire hazard. When we were sure we had a really good burn into the sawdust, we lifted out the stilts, dropping the metal onto the top row of bricks, covered the metal with several layers of fiberfax, and then placed a row of bricks around the the top outside row of the kiln, holding the metal sheet, down firmly.

We then covered the last row of bricks with sheets of plywood to protect the fiberfax from snow.  I think the success of this firing, was aided by the fact, that we put stilts, laid flat, on the floor and put kiln shelves across the stilts, before we started adding the sawdust and pots.  I think this created an open air space under the shelves, which helped with the airflow into the kiln from the bottom, through the burner ports and flue.  I put a sheet of metal over the top of the flue, and burner ports, leaving about 1/2 inch crack for air flow.  This system, worked wonderfully well.  We had a really hot burn.

The outside of the bricks were too hot to touch throughout the night and all the next day.  The heat gave alot of deep red flashings, as well as some green and yellow and of course blue and black.  Most of the work had been bisqued and brushed with a bluestone wash and we had some great finished work.

Ex-potters, current potters, children, and folks who had never had their hands in clay before participated in the pottery that was fired.  Ages ranging from 1 1/2 years to into the 60's participated.  The unloading was great fun, even though the weather turned cold.  Everyone helped and we had all the work unloaded and washed in a few hours.  There was a great variety of work, including 3 large masks, several smaller masks, 2 breast plates, many handbuilt pieces, boxes made from hollow extruded shapes, and pots wheel thrown, some burnished, some not.  The pieces were all washed with clear water, dried and waxed with liquid Future Floor wax to seal in the colors and markings.