Author Topic: Pottery at Pete's (Read 15842 times)

Zuma · « **on:** July 05, 2016, 02:40:10 pm »

Any ideas from those going to Pete's welcomed.

Tom W gave me some mussel shells from the James River
along with some awesome clay from the river bank.
The clay was dry. I re-hydrated the clay crushed and
roasted the shells. I also crushed some soapstone for
grog too. I plan to bring it all to House Mt Friday night.
Zuma

Zuma · « **Reply #1 on:** July 05, 2016, 02:43:26 pm »

grog prep

Trapper Rob · « **Reply #2 on:** July 05, 2016, 09:41:10 pm »

Dang Don is there anything you don't do.

Zuma · « **Reply #3 on:** July 05, 2016, 11:12:23 pm »

Quote from: Trapper Rob on July 05, 2016, 09:41:10 pm

Dang Don is there anything you don't do.

Oh! sure--- make money

Zuma

bjrogg · « **Reply #4 on:** July 06, 2016, 06:38:03 am »

You peaked my interest Zuma. I really don't know much about pottery. I'm guessing you make your pot from clay first then press "grog" into clay surface? You should try making $ bet you'd be good at it lol. Bjrogg

nclonghunter · « **Reply #5 on:** July 06, 2016, 10:16:42 am »

Hey Zuma, probably wont get there until Saturday morning. Tom is bringing some items he made and I have one drying from his clay also. Hope to do a pit firing Saturday evening or Sunday with what folks bring. If Keith is okay with it.
I cooked and crushed some shell and added it to some local clay early this year. Fired the pots and they came out looking great. After about a month or so I noticed some cracking and noticed the shell was getting soft and appeared to be expanding. The pot eventually fell apart from the shell expanding. I believe it started pulling in moisture. I also believe I did not crush the shell enough. It may need to be close to sand in size. The pot that cracked is now pounded and crushed into grog and may add it to the clay this weekend. I will also bring the other one for you to look at. It is still intact but has pieces popping off. Again, worst in wet humid weather. Maybe if you cooked in it regularly it may not happen but I do not know.

One thing I read is after you cook the shells, wash them before crushing. Not sure why unless it is to remove ash and dirt from the surface.

See ya soon!

DC · « **Reply #6 on:** July 06, 2016, 11:58:30 am »

I question the use of shells as grog. I think that when you fire it the shell(limestone) would reduce to lime which would just be waiting to suck up water and fall apart. I may be wrong. That's always a possibility.

nclonghunter · « **Reply #7 on:** July 06, 2016, 12:07:07 pm »

DC, I have read that what you think is correct but you must get to temps above what a common ground fire pit reaches. I think if temps get too high it can also change the chemical make-up of shell and it becomes poisonous if used as a cooking pot. Has been a while since I read that.

Also there is a lot of pottery shards along the Ohio River that contain shell particles which were used by Native Americans. So, I am certain it is a viable product if used correctly.

Zuma · « **Reply #8 on:** July 06, 2016, 12:36:06 pm »

BJ, I have had pretty good success with abo
pottery. I do use a small electric kill most times.
Some pic.
Lyman, When I first made some pots from raw clay
I had the same thing going on. I didn't have any shell
in the clay. I am pretty sure the popping is caused by
small limestone particles that absorb the moisture.
These are good questions for Keith.
I never built a pot with coils, just morsels like the Iroquois.
Zuma

nclonghunter · « **Reply #9 on:** July 06, 2016, 02:51:08 pm »

Those pots look great and that croc looks like it is laughing....

Zuma · « **Reply #10 on:** July 06, 2016, 03:02:49 pm »

Might be from something that was smoked in him??

I roasted the shells Tom gave me in an iron skillet.
I still have a headache.

I'm thinkin pretty toxic?
Zuma

Tom W · « **Reply #11 on:** July 06, 2016, 03:08:00 pm »

Lyman, That gator IS laughing, Don just fed him some of those pretty red potato's he dug.

bjrogg · « **Reply #12 on:** July 06, 2016, 03:14:05 pm »

That's cool Zuma might have to learn more about the clay ABO. What is grog? Is it mixed
In clay to bind it? Some kind of glaze? Whatever you gave that croc I'd like some he look very happy. Lol Bjrogg

nclonghunter · « **Reply #13 on:** July 06, 2016, 07:38:49 pm »

Zuma, those shells are toxic when cooked...I build a small fire outside and dump mine in the fire. Let it cool and dig them out. Wash good and then pound the crap out of them.

Grog is fired pottery that breaks or you drop it and it breaks. Just pound it to small pieces like sand and add to pottery. Since it is already tempered it will help bind the fresh clay and help to stabilize the shrinking while drying and firing. It simply reduces the shrinkage allowing a more even dry and less cracks. You can also add shell, sand, quartz and other material than can be reduced to sand size and is stable during heating.
Sand size is just a reference since you will have varying sizes in the mix.

bjrogg · « **Reply #14 on:** July 06, 2016, 07:42:44 pm »

Thanks NC very interesting may have to try it sometime

Primitive Archer