This Could Destroy My Kiln…
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 มิ.ย. 2024
- This week’s film is an interesting one, or rather, it’s the kind I’m most excited about making. Alex Pole, a blacksmith, (links below), recently sent me two packets of metal scraps, by-products from his craft, to incorporate into my clay to fire and test. There’s hammer scale produced from hammering steel and bronze filings from trimming the material on a lathe. This video shows the entire process, from wedging it into clay, trimming it, glazing the experimental pieces and finally reduction firing them to 1290ºC.
What will they look like?
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Timecodes:
0:00 - Introduction and unboxing
0:40 - Mixing the metals, bronze and steel hammer scale into my clay
2:06 - Throwing two test bowls
3:53 - Trimming the bowls
6:42 - The trays I'll be firing these in, (safety nets)
8:08 - Loading the electric kiln for a bisque firing to 1000ºC
9:02 - Waxing the bowl's feet
9:30 - Glazing the bowls
10:23 - Tidying up the glazed surface
10:46 - Preparing the bowls for reduction firing
12:14 - Reduction firing my Rohde KG-340 to 1290ºC
13:40 - Unloading the gas kiln
14:01 - The fired bowls...
15:51 - Firing them a second time!
17:04 - The final, finished bowls.
17:58 - Polishing their feet
19:30 - Clean up
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I like the hammerscale one, but the spots seem a little bit too big. Hammerscale being so brittle, you could grind it a little bit before mixing to have smaller flakes.
I like the variations in spot size, like a dalmatian pattern.
The bronze filings are completely gorgeous, I’ve been chasing a bloodspots-in-snow effect for ages and this looks like it would be perfect with a white crackle or satin matte overtop
...very fine filings but in the enamel
I was thinking those red spots would be great against white. Glad to know someone is likely to find out!
You can simply use oxides of these metals. Powder is much more convenient
I see the vision
It certainly wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but I actually love how bold and dramatic the effect of the bronze is, and it would definitely be interesting to see it in combination with different glazes
i loved it too, soon as i saw it i loved the red and the sort of scabbing. probably not ideal for eating soup or something from lol, but a great decoration for a gothic theme or similar.
I experimented with brass key shavings and aluminum about 20 years ago. With the brass I got the red splotches in reduction, and verdigris in oxygen. If the concentrations of brass were too high, the splotches would flow together and had a gun metal grey finish. The mottled verdigris looked really good with a celadon glaze. The aluminum was a disaster, it dripped off the vase and ate into the kiln shelf about .5mm. IIRC, I used the brass on stoneware and the aluminum on earthenware.
Aluminum puts out toxic fumes when melted, not good.
That is a good labeling system. B for the bashing it takes to make hammer scale, and S for the tin (Sn) based bronze. Very clever.
I love them both, but the bronze is very interesting as I think with the right coloured glaze, maybe your white? Would really enhance that amazing red which potters always want to achieve 😊
A book: Clay and Glazes for the Potter, by Daniel Rhodes 1957. Machine turnings are called Swarf. If the bronze is "free turning/machining" it will have lead, up to 10% or so, same for brass. Copper is sticky. It can suck into a cutter without lead and break the fixture, blade or your piece before you can blink. I used slot cutter to cut 6 slits simultaneously into brass and all of it was easy at like 13% lead in brass.
That's why the states have lead warnings on brass faucets and such. People think it's just in the solder, the warning doesn't say what or why, just that it has it.
Since you're experimenting with metal, I'll throw you a bone b/c you said bone dry and it came to mind.
Get yourself some silver nitrate solution and (in a bag so you can use a lot less) soak a piece of unglazed fired pottery in it, the lighter clay the better (I do this on bone and antler) and then dry. Keep solution in darkness (it degrades to oxide in light, which is what you want but later. Dim light is acceptable when using) repeat several times if desired, I do three at least. Put in full sunlight or a uvb sterilizing bulb (the ozone stinking, burn your eyes ones) and it will darken become metallic (some or all, depends on stuff, dunno). No heat required. It will take some buffing, clearcoat or wax, it is sort of dusty at first and maybe still be poisonous. My antler cane I just put olive oil on with a towel and it just disappears for a few coats then shines.
You're not eating from these I gather, the slag would be alright, no harm in that in a pot. Anyway, since this reaction is with light, I don't know how poisonous it would be inside or if you could even soak it all out by diffusion in distilled water, but that silver N aint no jive turkey. It is bad. 10 kinds of bad. Blindness, flammable material ignitor, inhalation, reaction hazard, straight chronic disorders from ingesting.
Traditionally used to blacken (brownin really or silvering) elephant tusk, bone, antler and horn. I did a piano key, it is jet blue-black, just beautiful.
Back to metals proper; you can pick your alloy to just be above whatever cone you're using. With that kiln you can probably make most of them yourself. The temp curve in a pure tin/copper constitution diagram goes from about 740°'s c at 66% copper to 1080 at 100% copper. A little more tin perhaps?
Phosphor bronze is for elevated temperature service. But misleading b/c most will have some to pull oxygen out but not enough for higher temp. You can buy the phosphor copper alloying grains online, it is meant to add to, not use alone but you can get it.
I didn't understand half of this, but I read it all with appreciation for your knowledge and willingness to share it.
The copper one did look like something growing in a Petri dish after the 1st fire 😂 But I liked it better after the 2nd firing. Very cool experiment!
I swear the cinematography in these videos is better than many tv shows
Because it is done by an artist. They have a different view on colors and positions in space concerning the harmonic concepts.
I saw an interview where you spoke about metal smithing/sculpture providing a lot of inspiration for you. You went on to say that you could se yourself collaborating with your father (I believe) to make metal lids and stuff.
I immediately think about how COOL the more-refined versions of these pots would look like contrasted with metal-work! Cool stuff Florian~ :)
I don't particularly care for either piece, but I do think applying the technique in particular ways (perhaps to the rim and then burnishing the metal back into the clay at the leather hard phase?) might really help this. "Using color to guide the eye" so to speak. Idk. I look forward to seeing what you choose for your art. Thanks for sharing!
I actually really love the copper and steel bowls. The copper's red spots do look diseased, but I think a mix of purple and orange/yellow glazes would give an amazing thermal look.
i actually really love the bronze one, the pale green and purplish red look so pretty together.
I think your videos about the experiments you do, like this, are some of my favourites! I love seeing the meeting point between the unpredictability of new variables and the masterful, scientific precision you employ during your process. The bronze inclusion was so fascinating, if a bit unsettling, especially after that first firing-I haven’t played Elden Ring myself but my mind went right to videos I’ve seen of the Scarlet Rot from that game. I, as well as seemingly others, would love to see future experiments with these inclusions!
I love them, especially the green glaze with the red spots since green and red are complementary colors to each other. I think it really brings out the beauty :)
I don't think I've ever been so early to a new Florian video! The shorts you'd uploaded a while ago had me super curious about the end result - thank you for the video! :D
The red is a really beautiful color
I'm so glad they didn't destroy your kiln they look beautiful, can't wait to see more experiments with it!
Wow. I'd love to see you making bonsai pots. Your concepts on form and colour combined with the amazing forms of bonsai could be dynamite!
I really like how the second firing brought out the brown patches in the scale bowl. The extra pop of color is a welcome addition.
I do somehow like the contrast of the red and green. It's just very unusual and different and thus is standing out. For a normal coffee mug, this might be a bit over the top, but I could think of that colour - even if it has the amount of bronze added, you used in your test bowl - maybe in a vase? Think about a bouquet of flowers with all kinds of greenish tones and red roses in a vase with green glaze and red sparkles all over.
I can’t wait to see the crimson glaze and the bronze!
btw, bronze is MUCH softer than silica, so any grog that is sand is going to feel, and BE much rougher.
Great to see the difference between the two firings ,thanks for the knowledge of knowing to give them another blast .The second was brilliant.
Brother, I really liked that copper one. The effect it had, maybe a different color glaze could work, but man I really like that a lot. I instantly was like, yup, time for some new dinnerware! lol
I love both of them, it’s fascinating to see as someone just beginning in ceramics. I love the look of iron speckle in pots and it was so interesting to see different metals create different effects.
I really love the dramatic black speckles of the hammerscale, and I'm eager to see what the red bronze speckles will look like with a different glaze. they really are lovely, and seeing more would be fun.
the pot with bronze gives me the heebie-jeebies
Love following your journey of testing out various metals in clay bodies. This is something I've been planning on doing myself with blacksmith scale collected from a local artisan. This though will be done at 04 and not reduction fired. But, this video gave me a good idea of what the materials are capable of and what to expect when throwing. Looking forward to seeing more of your work in the future!
I quite love the Bronze - as a concept and if the intention of the artist was to bring out these effects. I mean this in that it is a fantastic option for those that might want to explore the grotesque; if they wish to make the bright blood red or organic matter-like marks. It's the type of thing I expect out of statement pieces or very personal works sometimes. I fully understand the strangeness against your usual glaze in this way, and I'm also delighted for the future in potentially seeing it against a base and glaze that it works more in harmony with. I enjoy seeing these deviations and trials quite a lot!
I’ve been waiting for quite a while for a video like this. I love this kind of experementation!
Fantastic! I thoroughly enjoy your videos, please keep sending them. Very educational!
This was too cool! Love the results.
made it to the end! thank you for explaining each step and what your thought process is. all your videos are interesting and educational 😊
That's so cool! I definitely wasn't expecting them to look as they did after the second firing. You're doing some interesting stuff here, keep it up!
Lovely pieces, both of them, that second firing really did the trick I've never thought of putting bronze in the clay! Excellent video, as always!
Thank you for this video, and I made it to the end. I look forward to the next step in the trials. As an art teacher who now has ceramics too, many of your videos have been helpful and inspirational!
I love that you are experimenting and pushing the limits. They both look much better after the second firing, and I wonder if smaller pieces and maybe less of the metal overall would produce a more pleasant end result. It's hard not seeing them in person, as the camera doesn't always portray the nuances. Very cool experiment!
The bronze might look good with an umber or ochre color, some kind of earthy yellow brown
Great video. I love how organised and meticulous you are with your craft.
This was so very interesting! I was surprised at how much of the steel was visible after the glaze firing and then again when both pieces were so deferent after their last firing. I would love to see a version with the crimson!
I made a teapot in high school for my mother 20 years ago and that’s literally the only experience I’ve ever had making any kind of pottery, but lately I’ve taken an interest in doing so again and I gotta say, of all the videos I’ve been watching from all the different artists, yours are the most soothing, informative and mesmerizing. You sir, are an inspiration.
Ball milling them to reduce the quantity of metal within a given spot could probably disperse the spots much more and might be a little more handsome. I would also love to see if the metals can be patinaed after the final fire to modify their color/ enhance contrast . Great vid!
Love them both, especially the bronze, the colors complement each other soo well
Fascinating experiment! I liked the before and after the second firing differences.
Ball milled fire scale from a blacksmith shop was what I used to make the nicest blue celadon i've ever used. Just in a standard feldspathic clear base.
I applaud you for not being terrified of the metal cutting your hands, I'm paranoid just watching, I love your videos so much :D
Really interesting look! I dig it! I hope one day i can catch some of your items in stock
Thank you for this video, it brought a bit of peace to a difficult day. Fascinating to see how such small flakes can have such a dramatic effect on the glaze finish.
Relatively new to cone 10 and have been wanting to do more experimenting. Thanks for the encouragement. Watched it all the way through
Really interested to see the crimson bowls with that beautiful reduction red copper. Thank you for generously sharing and inspiring!
Since you were dealing with oxides and scraps, I would suggest getting a cast iron mortar and pestle. This can be used to break up the metal bits into more uniform consistencies. Or if you have the patience, a ball mill can do the work for you, but in a much longer time period.
I really don't know how you manage. I usually have a pretty poor attention span, not quite to the level of needing some game playing next to every video to help me keep focus, but it's getting there. Somehow, however, you kept me locked in from minute 1 to the end. Amazing work and you've earned a very excited subscription!
such a cool experiment. I love that you do these where you add things to clay. Would you consider adding things like this via brushing on a thick slip? could be interesting since you can have the effect only on the outside or inside of the form!
I'm very curious to see what else you do with these inclusions, they add such a dramatic look. I'd love to see the bronze with the crimson glaze you mentioned.
I love your work, and the bowls were stunning. A Ramen bowl and matching Sake cup like that would be a thing to behold
The intense red the bronze produces is pretty cool. I hope you find a good use for it!
Classic blacksmith and potter getting together and trying stuff
I wonder how will the final result be affected if you grind a bit more both metals. iirc the metals you used in the video mentioned here were a lot smaller, almost sand-like
The bronze firing with the green crackle glaze could be marketed as zombie porcelain. Throw in a pinch of the forge/hammer scale and you've got pircelain reminiscent of the series "The Walking Dead." As for the forge scale, perhaps grinding it down a bit more and using a bit less would yield a better result.
Great experiment. The green glaze with the effect of the copper may not be the proper combination of color but the effect on that surface was beautiful. With the right color combination that will be spectacular.
These turned out very nice, i'm excited to see the results of the crimson pot with the bronze bits and a black and white one with the steel scale! I don't know if the bronze can be made finer but it could be cool to grind them both up to see how finer particles affect it. It could also be neat to mix both of them together in one pot, if that's not too much variation for one test.
This was a very nice, relaxing watch. Thank you for the video (:
This was a very interesting experiment. I definitely like the hammerscale bowl a bit more. It reminds me of some old vases my grandma used to have
Love these. Especially after the 2nd firings. Can't wait to see the red one you discussed too!
Both these pots are AMAZING. I think these are some of your best pots yet. Out of the two, I like the bronze one more because I like how the spots form two tones both dark red and black. I think you might want to try out smaller bronze bbs instead of turnings. You could put the bronze cuttings in a rock tumbler, to get them ground down a bit. Also, you could try brass, and copper to try and tune the color spots. This has to be one of my favorite videos of yours.
Fascinating video. I really admire your scientific approach to these methods. The extra work you put in will pay rewards to you in future. Best of luck and thanks.
I think the red bronze would like great with the much darker green glaze, almost christmas like.
Also I think for the bronze has just the right amount inclusions, I quite like larger splotches, but the steel hammerscale could be toned down a bit. Just my preferences though.
that's pretty cool. I like the flowing metal effect. You should try embedding a ring of iron wire around the top of one of your bowls before firing it and see what it does when it melts in the second firing.
your grey with that red would look great I think
I love how the red spots have merged together inside the bowl. What if you put even more brass so that there is more red? Can’t wait to see how you use them with other clay bodies and glazes.
That is sooo cool. Also wow, great video. Thank you for explaining so much in such detail 😮❤
The copper has a fantastic colour, especially after the second fire! I’ve been trying to figure out a good glaze colour to go with it that isn’t also just red though, and I’m coming up short. White would look like bloody bandages, I think black might look like burned flesh. Neutral tans are going to look even more like a rash or a disease.
This was super interesting to see, and I love the results! I agree that the red flecks were a bit disturbing after the first firing, but I really liked them after the second one. It's obviously difficult to judge colors on screen, but it seemed to me the tone of the red changed a bit after the second firing? Whatever the cause, I'm looking forward to seeing those crimson pots - though I think this red in your white glaze could also look really good. Also great to see you didn't ruin your kiln!
I love them both, the second firing really made all the difference with the bronze. I am a bit concerned though if they would be food safe with the metal inside the the vessel, though I don’t know if crackle is food grade in the first place.
You’re very well spoken. Your narrative skills are wonderful.
The red of the copper is so beautiful! With another color for the glaze I bet it's going to be so beautiful.
I actually really like the hammerscale, it gives the bowl a Dalmatian look :)
Adore both pots how they are. The juxtaposition of the smooth glossy glaze and the metallic splotches with crackled galled finish.
Always love seeing your experiments! Would love to see more of what the bronze can do.
Really looking forward to the crimson pots.
I quite enjoy the red with your signature green crackle! I'd love to see what this does on a half glaze half bare piece where the glaze can REALLY flow downward in little rivers of color. Your channel is going to be a huge inspiration when I am able to get into ceramics classes ❤
I think we can agree that we all want to see more experiments! True that the red speckles look a bit biohazardy but I wonder how the bronze would look with your white glaze
Thanks for sharing! In college, i added salt to clay as an experiment. While somewhat uncontrollable, the result was pretty wild...creating a boiling, dark, pumice-like surface.
Im with you on the red spots with the green glaze. A red glaze with red spots would be dope tho. Or maybe a white glaze with red spots.
6:43 Babe wake up, the new Florian Gadsby ashtrays just dropped
Haha!
I made it to the end. Both styles are interesting but the red is more difficult to appreciate because of how vivid it is, you're right. The second firing definitely brought out more of the metallic aspects which helped bake it look less like a skin disease.
Very very cool. Loved the red and black spots. Maybe over intense green (like flowers in a field) or yellow background these would be awesome. A tulip-yellow with red spots, for example? I machine brass mostly and store my chips (aka shavings) - if you want I will be happy to send you baggies of the shavings. That would be my pleasure.
Like them both!! The bronze would probably would be really good with the white glaze the you use. I think I like the first firing a bit more but I so like the slag one better after the second firing.
I did not think I was that interested in pottery. But I do love hearing skilled artisans talk about their craft and showing of their experiments. And it was a very well made video!
This was very interesting to watch! Thanks!!
I did make it to the end and I subbed! Fascinating, can't wait to see more.
Im partial to the bronze one! I like the combination of maroon spots with the greenish blue copper spots. I think itd be lovely with a white or a black glaze
I did make it to the end, your craftsmanship is phenomenal! Love it
Thank you! 🙏🏻
Looks super amazing! Can't wait to see that copper with a red clay and glaze
For the bronze, I think a dark cerulean blue would work well. Something that is a bit complementary color-wise but closer to the same tone will blend it visually and when up close add that interest
I love how both bowls came out but particularly the bronze. It reminds me of this sort of red lichen on seaside rocks that we get in certain areas around here (specifically Deception Pass, Washington State).
If you dissolve the metals in acid, and then neutralize the acid to cause the metal to precipitate out into extremely fine powder, you can wash the powder and dry the metal to combine it with powdered clays to create a homogenous mixture. This will imbue the wares with the desired enchantments without causing disease.
Both stunning works
I think the bronze would look great with either a white or black glaze. If the blotches of copper are able to spread out enough during firing, I think that you can achieve a sort of cherry blossom effect with a white glaze. As, for the black glaze, I just think it'll look cool lol, but i think that combination could benefit from a larger copper content in the stoneware.
oh, the colour variation in the hammerscale once it had been fired to temperature is amazing. Definitely too much for a 'real' bowl but as a proof of concept it's great. Can't wait to see how it looks both with a lesser amount of the scale and fired at temperature. That bronze will be exciting to see with a more, uh, flattering glaze too. But a great showcase of the effect.