Using all my kiln building skills I set out in the autumn to build a base for a pizza kiln in the spring, this is how it went.

The former

The first bricks go on

Ceramic fibre is wrapped over the kiln and wire ready to slop over insulating cement

Door, showing the vermiculite and cement render

Brick red

All done, base is painted with lime wash

In full flow. Cone 05 down at the back .

How easy is it to turn on the light, just flick a switch and there it is beautiful low cost LED light thank you Mr Nakamura and Mr Swann.

Before then it was a right faff and the light wasn’t that brilliant it was oil, fat and spirits.

I made a replica Roman oil lamp using a small dish mould and covering it with a slab, making a spout and a hole for filling. I fired it to biscuit, then boiled it in milk, as the romans did. This seals off the pores and the olive oil doesn’t leak out. The wick is soaked in the oil before it is placed inside and topped up with olive oil. The Roman must have used millions of litres of olive oil to cook with and to light their way.

Happy new year to all our reader, I wish you all the best for 2024.

I have been busy figuring out how to make hollow dia s for my extruder, I’ve had the extruder for many years but definitely under used it. I thought it might be time to use it for making hollow forms, tubes and square tubes.

The hollow dias are made by cutting an inner and an outer and attaching both with a U bolt, which the clay passes and is mended by the time it gets to form whatever shape you have cut in the dia. My first shape was a cylinder which was cut using two sizes of hole saw, in plastic sheeting from builders upvc an odd bit of soffit board. My second was out of steel plate cut with special hole saws meant for steel.

The clay put into the extruder has to be kneaded as you would clay for throwing , a long slow pull of the handle without pausing produces the best cylinder. I then roll clay for the base, then throw a bottle top fitted for a cork or pourer. Both top and bottom are scored and fitted using clay slurry, then tidied up using a metal scraper.

The cylinders can be any size limited to kiln size, they make a good filler to fit odd spaces in the kiln. I have also made beakers.

The period after Christmas leading up to early spring can be very boring and dark, I hope you can find things to do to stave off the tedium.

Weald and Downland Advent Fair 25/26 November

Thank you to all my lovely visitors who came and saw me over the weekend and to those who bought pots. Your support keeps me going and able to carry on making. Thank you.

The calm long before the storm

I have fired my new wood kiln to stoneware and now I have fired to earthenware, a new set of worries come into play. I think that avoiding reducing the pots is nearly impossible, the wood goes into the firebox and always reduces before it burns properly and clear. It’s just the way it is, you can lessen the amount of reduction by putting smaller amounts on at a more frequent rate.

We started at 6.30 and finished with all the cones down at 3, quite a quick firing at 8 hours, there were no problems. It is frightening how fast you get through the wood/fuel. There were some pots for ; I hate to say the word ( christmas ) not to many as I have stopped making the smiling santa complete with red cloak.

I am already making stoneware for the next one .

It’s time for open studios, 22/23 and 29/30 July 10.30-5.

Pop in and see us at venue 17 , 7 Ancton Close, Middleton on sea po22 6nd.

We will have Gaye Clear with us exhibiting her paintings , pick up a guide and your weekend is sorted. Just follow the signs , we have other talented artists nearby ,

With Chichester open studios coming up 22/23 and 29/30 April and on the bank holiday Monday a raku firing.

The burner had been mucking about and was throwing out a very yellow flame usually this is a reduction flame . This is not good for fuel saving and was making the pots reduce from the very start, resulting in very dark pots. A new nozzle cured this .

I also found that the flame was directly going onto the pots , so without planning consent I built another storey on top, added a shelf .and hopefully all the problems will be over.

A few friends are coming around to give it a go later in March, i’l let you know how it goes. If you fancy a raku experience pop round on Mayday the first of May.