Ahhh- slow down, enjoy the fire

Good video from a documentary about a potter From NZ

A couple of mine- may have posted one before

Nice sized anagama kiln there- not monstrous, but considerable

He's a sculptor, so- could be. I find that wood fire potters "down under" get pretty abstract- organic or sculptural forms, very nasty, crusty wood fire effects. Lots of them at www.sidestoke.com , where there's a map of Australia with clickable locations that take you to the potters' website. The lil lady and I talk about doing a touring vaca there one day.

Wow. Do you know what temps he is at? Do different types of kilns require different temps and firing times or is it all personal preference? He makes it looks so easy. I wonder how many years he has been doing that. Truly a man with every fiber of his being is in his craft. His property just smacks of what he does.

The opening image on your second video looks like it could be a framed picture in itself. The flames reflecting off the pieces make the picture.

The first video- it's probable that he doesn't get as hot as I do. They maintain a slightly lower temp for longer (I know people that fire 9 days or more). The idea is that the ash falls lightly and builds up on pieces. My kiln has a little of that, but most effect is from flame and ash rushing by, making a natural, and sometimes metallic looking, glaze.

The other vids are my kiln.

So, did I get this right? 7 days of firing, then 7 days of cooling?
What's the purpose of the raffia type material toward the end of the burn?
Absolutely amazing the amount of dedication involved. My hat's off to you and those who do this.
Do you mind if I send a link of these to my SIL? She'd love this.

Go for it. Different materials produce different ash- I throw all sorts of stuff in, and am not super picky (as long as it's not covered in sand).While firing, I do a little yard cleanup- much invasive Japanese bittersweet has met its fate in my kiln. I have 2 or 3 XMass trees going in this firing.

I would guess that material is high in silica.

Cool. My wife has started taking some pottery classes. I told her that I want to build a wood fired kiln for her.

Do people make smaller ones?

They do, but if she just started- she may want to go do a wood firing workshop first so that she knows what she's getting herself into!

Remember that it was me who's interested in the wood fired kiln. I think she is content with what they have to offer at the studio where she takes the class.