New products update

Some of my terracotta style tiles laid out in a simulated wall arrangement. The color variations are partly due to kiln location and temp variations of the firing.

Small star paver bricks arranged on the floor to visualize a possible layout. These are early test pavers and the finish is rougher than I will allow in final product.

Im excited over my newest paver. The larger star pattern is more interesting with the three dimensional detail. Im gonna be making alot of these!

Firing temps and brickmaking

The finished color and hardness of a clay brick has alot to do with the highest temp achieved and length of time held there before cool down. There doesn't seem to be as much effect on outcome if the ramp up time to peak temperatre is varied shorter or longer. Obviously the type of clay will have a profound influence on the finished product as well. But here I will focus on firing temp of a single type of clay.

Below are tiles and bricks of the exact same source of clay, prepaired the same way before firing.

They are identical except for the one brick on the lower left. The three of the same color were fired to 1900 deg F over an 8 hr period in my electric kiln. The darker brick made at the same time as the others, was fired to 2000 deg F over 9.5 hrs in the same kiln. All settings on the kiln were identical.

The surface of the darker brick is closer to that of a paver or clinker. It has a reflective quality to it that the others do not. All the bricks and tiles are fired fully and have a strong 'ring' when tapped together. The darker brick has a higher ptched ring to it.

If I were to ever try to make pavers or outdoor tile, they would be fired much like the darker brick. I believe the water proof qualities should be higher.

Notice the small paw prints on the one tile. My kittens were having fun after I made up the tiles.

My electric kiln works great!

I have used my electric kiln today for the first time. Everything went smoothly. About 8 hrs to make 2000'F. The clays have much more reds to them, save the one creek clay brick I fired. That one may need to go to a higher temp. My first experience with electric kilns. This one has a humm or buzz sound when the elements are being electrified. Guess thats normal. Pulls about 12 amps when one coil is on, 24 amps when they both are up and running at 240v AC.

Whats easy about this, comming from wood firing, no wood stoking!!!! Dont get me wrong, I like the connection with the earth and wood firing. But sometimes its nice to just plug it in and let it buzz for 8 hrs with less effort. Lets see how good I feel when I get my electric bill! lol

I am next gonna fire a bunch of clay tiles for a house project. I will let you know how it goes.

More clay tiles fired. Keeping away from reduction in wood firing.

I fired some more homemade clay tiles a few weeks ago in my wood kiln. Just hadn't gotten around to posting anything about it till this morning. Pretty uneventfull firing and results were ok.

As you can see the colors vary depending on where they were in the kiln and the paths the flames took. I was hoping for a bit more reds from the clay in the tiles. No salt glazing here. Looking more for a dark terra cotta red. The attempt was to keep away from strong reduction so as not to darken them and pull to much oxygen out of the iron oxides. It kinda worked, but I think it will require a trade in order to get more deep reds. By keeping reduction in the kiln down I also cripple some of my peak temperature by stoking less fuel. So in order to get enough 'heat work' done to the clay I must lengthen the firing time in the neutral and oxidizing enviroment I create inside the kiln.

You can compare the tiles to 'real' red brick directly behind them.

Making some more clay tiles.

Im still always on the lookout for common objects that can be used to make cool patterns on my tiles.

This old water valve handle was a throw away item now reborn as a clay tile stamp.