Successful Barrel Firing

Where Burned Up Meets Burned Out

By Paul Wandless

he smells and sounds of a crackling campfire are among my fondest childhood memories. My father taught my brother Dan and me how to gather and split wood, and start and maintain campfires. This may explain why barrel firing is one of my favorite methods of finishing work. For many artists, the process and experience of outdoor firing is just as fun and exciting as the results achieved. Barrel-fired work produces beautiful black and gray smoke patterns, and blushes of maroon, pink, earthy orange and yellow ochre from different chemical colorants introduced. Firing in a barrel is simple, but getting results you like can be elusive at times. Here are four basic tips Ive developed over the years: Prepare the work properly to take maximum advantage of the heat, smoke and fumes Use the right combustibles and chemicals for colorants when packing the barrel Have enough hot embers to burn all the combustibles Leave work in the barrel the proper length of time Another important factor is to have realistic expecta-

tions of the achievable results. Every firing process has certain parameters of what can be achieved. Many of the colors are subtle and it may take more than one firing to get the desired effects. And, while barrel firing creates strong contrasts between darks and lights with blushes and flashes of color, you wont get the cherry reds, true oranges and bright yellows of traditional glazes and slips. This isnt to say the colors arent lush or rich, only that its important to know whats achievable with this process. With enough experimenting and experience, a wide variety of vibrant colors can be achieved with contrast and intensity.

Green Stage
The clay body color and temperature to which you bisque fire determines whether or not youre going to get the most out of the conditions and atmosphere in the barrel. Porcelain, white or light-colored clay bodies work best to show the more subtle surface colors created from the smoke and chemical colorants. My clay body is more of a buff color, so I brush a thin coat of white slip (80% EPK and 20% Ferro Frit 3124) onto

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leather-hard work to ensure a light surface for the firing (figure 1). After bisque firing, I use white or light-colored AMACO Velvet Underglazes because of their fine particle size and the broad palette of colors. Use darker clay bodies and surfaces if you prefer deeper values and richer blacks. Another option is to burnish your work while still green. You can apply terra sigillata before burnishing or simply polish the clay surface itself.

Bisque Stage
Since this is a low-temperature, atmospheric firing, a soft bisque (Cone 010 to 06) is best to keep the clay body porous enough for smoke and fumes to penetrate the surface. This one step alone can dramatically change the results possible during firing. Bisque your clay body at a few different temperatures (for example, Cones 010, 08, 06) and see which works best with your clay for the results you want. After bisque firing, there are still more decorative techniques to experiment with to create interesting effects. My favorite is to wrap copper wire around the work, which leaves deep maroon to black lines where it touches the surface (figure 2). The wire gets brittle and breaks off after the firing. Another option is to apply a salt wash or ferric chloride to the bisqued piece. A salt wash introduces sodium, which aids in developing some yellow and ochre blushes. Soak cheesecloth in a salt solution and wrap it around the piece or brush salt onto the bisque in select areas. Applying a 50/50 solution of water and ferric chloride produces light orange to rust colors. I use a siphon blower to apply ferric chloride (figure 3). You can also barrel fire a piece of low-fire glazed work (figure 4) for some interesting results. Get a fake raku effect where smoke is forced into the cracks of a gloss or crackle glaze, or change the color of the glaze with fuming and direct contact with the colorants in the barrel. To get consistent results, do several tests and keep good notes on the glazes and chemicals you used.

1
For best effects, begin with a white body or brush white slip onto a tinted body.

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Piece with white slip and wrapped with copper wire.

Firing Tools
For a barrel, you can use a full-sized 55-gallon metal drum, a smaller metal can or even a drum cut in half. It all depends on the amount and size of work being fired. If using a full-sized drum, drill or punch inch diameter holes around the bottom, middle and top about a foot apart to increase the amount of oxygen and keep the embers burning (figure 5). Avoid chrome trashcans and thin-walled containers. The intense heat melts the chrome or paint off the sides, releasing pungent and sometimes dangerous fumes, and the thin walls get brittle over time. Arrange all combustibles and colorants within easy reach (figure 6). For colorants, use red iron oxide, copper carbonate, Miracle Gro (copper sulphate) and/or coarse salt (figure 7). Combustibles include wood (kindling, branches, scrap wood) sawdust, straw and newspaper. Warning: Do not burn any pressure-treated lumber or sawdust. Fumes are toxic.

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The author carefully spraying ferric chloride on pot (see warning).

WARNING
BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL NOT TO INHALE FERRIC CHLORIDE OR ALLOW ANY CONTACT WITH LIPS. WEAR RUBBER OR LATEX GLOVES AND APPLY IT OUTDOORS OR IN A SPRAY BOOTH. FERRIC CHLORIDE IS A CORROSIVE CHEMICAL USED AS A COPPER ETCHANT AND SHOULD BE HANDLED WITH PROPER CARE.

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4
Covered jar with Cone 05 crackle glaze fired over white slip. This jar is seen in figure 8, and finished on page 24.

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Use a 55-gallon drum or a heavy, metal trash can with lid. Make -inch holes 1 foot apart to aid combustion.

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Combustible examples: straw, sawdust, newspaper, wood. (Do not use any pressure-treated materials).

SOURCES OF COLOR

Copper carbonate, copper wire, Miracle Gro (Contains copper sulphate)

Flashings of deep red to maroon and shades of pink

Salt or salt wash, baking soda and seaweed

Introduces sodium and gives flashes of yellow and ochre

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Various colorants (L-R) red iron oxide, Miracle Gro, copper carbonate, salt.

Red iron oxide and ferric chloride

Flashes of earthtones from peach to rust

Packing
There are several ways to approach barrel firing and each has interesting results. You can use more sawdust for heavier smoke or more straw for a faster firing with less smokeIm somewhere in the middle. Use the following recommended approach, then experiment with different combinations of materials. Youll find each firing varies depending on the work, combustibles, colorants, weather conditions, heat achieved and length of firing. Trial and error is the best teacher, so keep good notes on the variables for each firing. Start with an empty container and make a 2- or 3-inch sawdust bed in the bottom mixed with a little straw. Next, generously sprinkle colorants on top of the sawdust bed then place your work on top (figure 8). Colorants beneath the work help to develop color on the underside from the direct contact, and will also fume up the sides. Pack the barrel in layers keeping in mind that as embers burn, your pieces may fall and shift. Be sure to space out the work a little to avoid unwanted contact from the shifting during firing. After all work is in place, put more sawdust, straw, and small twigs or kindling in and around the work (figure 9). Dont pack the combustible materials too densely. Its good to have air pockets to help keep the embers burning. A tightly packed barrel burns slower, smokes heavier and may choke out after a few hours and need to be relit. A looser pack burns a little faster and achieves a wider variety of colors. I like the faster burning barrel and the more subtle effects mixed with heavy smoke at the end from the smoldering sawdust bed. After completely covering the work with combustibles, sprinkle more colorants on top (figure 10).

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8
Sawdust bed with colorants added and work in place.

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First layer of combustibles added includes straw and wood.

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Sawdust added along with more colorants and other combustibles.

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Add a final layer of combustibles including an inch of sawdust.

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Set a fire with crumpled newspapers and dry wood.

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Allow the fire to burn and keep it stoked for 2030 minutes.

This gives the embers another layer of colorants to burn, and heat to create fumes that affect the tops of the works and fall down the sides as well. Add another inch of sawdust to complete the layering (figure 11). This completes one level of packing and I normally fire only this amount. Sometimes, if I have alot of work, I repeat the layering process and make another level of combustibles and colorants. I can usually make three levels in a 55-gallon drum, and stop layering combustibles about a foot below the rim of the container, filling that space with crumpled newspaper and small and large pieces of wood (figure 12).

Firing
Light the newspaper and let it burn away (figure 13). For safety, the fire must be contained inside the can, so dont stack any wood above the rim. As the wood burns, continue to add more so the fire stays strong for

about 20 to 30 minutes. This ensures reaching maximum heat and creating a good bed of embers to burn through all the combustibles. It will take about an hour for the fire to burn down to a bed of white-hot embers that will smolder and make their way to the bottom. Use a metal rod to prod the embers to be sure the fire below the surface hasnt stalled out (figure 14) since it is not uncommon to have to relight the fire if it goes out. It takes about 57 hours to burn to the bottom of a barrel with one level of combustible. By the end of the firing, only ashes and work should remaina sign of a good firing. Dont be surprised if some of the work cracked or broke from thermal shock. This is common with all alternative firing processes due to the quickness of heating and cooling.
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14
Carefully agitate the embers with a metal rod. This loosens packed materials and encourages complete combustion.

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If you need to leave the can during the firing, secure a lid to prevent sparks from escaping.

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You can add a patina to barrel-fired work by cleaning and polishing the pieces with wax. For supplies, youll need latex gloves, paste wax, sponge, nylon brush and a soft cloth. Four barrel-fired heads: (L-R), head sprayed with ferric chloride; head with white slip and copper wire; head with white underglaze and copper wire; head with deep yellow underglaze and ferric chloride. All heads were polished with paste wax.

If you have to leave the barrel unattended, it must be covered so sparks dont fly. Even if the flames have died down, a strong breeze could breathe new life into the fire. I use softbrick as spacers and as a weight for the lid (figure 15). This setup allows air to get in the barrel so you dont smother the embers and is the same setup used to smolder the barrel overnight.

Finishing and Cleaning up

When the barrel has cooled, remove the work and wash it off with water and a soft cloth. For hard-toremove ash and residue, use a soft nylon brush. Stay away from abrasive or metal brushes that could scrape the work. If you end up with a piece that didnt take the smoke and color well, fire it again in the next barrel. For safety, always douse the container with water to assure all embers are extinguished. The surface is typically a dry, matt finish if the work wasnt burnished, but it can be polished. Paste wax will

deepen many of the subtle colors. Apply a thin coat and let dry 35 minutes before polishing with a soft cloth (figure 16). I also use the soft nylon brush to polish the surface and get the wax out of any crevices. Theres no one way to barrel fire and get perfect results, but these barrel basics will ensure a level of success each firing. Experiment with other combustible materials and colorants and see the variety of finishes that can be achieved. Good luck and enjoy the fire.

Paul Wandless is a studio artist, workshop presenter, educator and author. His new book Image Transfer and Clay by Lark Books will be released October 2006 and he also co-authored Alternative Kilns and Firing Techniques: Raku, Saggar, Pit & Barrel with James Watkins released in 2004. For comments or more information, go to his website www.studio3artcompany.com.

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Printing and embossing on clay with linocuts

By Paul Andrew Wandless

lock or relief printing is a great transfer technique for any kind of image, text or design you want on your work. Whether simple or complex, nished linocuts can even be the nished works on their own (gure 1). When inked with underglaze or slips, you can use the blocks to print directly onto clay or push them into the surface for embossing. Linoleum or lino, as its commonly called, is exible and works on at and curved surfaces making it versatile to use. Clay, plaster, wood and rubber can also be used for block printing.

Block printing reverses the image so youll need to carve your designs backwards so they will print correctly on the clay. You can use tracing paper or carbon paper to reverse the original image onto your block before carving (gure 2). This is especially important if using text or numbers. Carve on a tabletop and use a bench hook or C-clamp to hold your lino in place. A bench hook can be picked up wherever you buy your carving tools for the lino. Traditional or standard lino/wood gouges (gure 3) are

Creating Your Linocut

Lino has a smooth gray or brown surface with a backing made of a coarse fabric called hessian that helps reduce cracking. Using a ne grit sand paper, remove any oils, scratches or imperfections on the surface before carving. This also makes for a more receptive surface to ink up with underglaze or slip. You can soften the surface of old or stiff sheets of lino by lightly ironing the surface or by holding a blow dryer or heat gun 612 inches from the back. Move the heat source in a circular pattern or from side to side and dont sit still on one area too long. You only need to do this for a few minutes and the lino will be soft as butter for carving.

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Pencil drawing on lino.

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Assorted linocuts.

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Gouges, lino block, bench hook and sandpaper.
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4
Half-carved lino on bench hook.

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Back: semimoist underglazes, GDC Velvet underglaze, acrylic transparent base printing medium, small container and mixing spoon. Front: clay slab, linocut with baren above it, rubber roller on sheet of Plexiglas.

6
Stirring the acrylic transparent base printing medium and underglaze to produce a ceramic ink of the proper consistency.

used for carving the surface and can be found in any craft or art store. Never carve with your hand in the path of the gouge and never hold the block on your lap when carving. Gouges are extremely sharp so be very careful when using them. Once the reversed image is drawn onto the lino, carve away all the areas you dont want to print with color. The remaining raised areas create the relief image that youll print or emboss on the clay. Often I use an image where the orientation is important (gure 4).

Printing & Embossing

To print the linocut youll need a clean, smooth surface, a brayer (small hand roller) and an underglaze or slip that is thick and sticky (gure 5). Having the proper consistency to this ceramic ink is key to the success of the image being transferred cleanly. Commercial underglaze is usually too thin right out of the container, so pour what you need into a small plastic container and let it sit out overnight. Once its the thickness of yogurt,

add clear acrylic printing medium to give it the body and stickiness needed for printing (gure 6). Shoot for a consistency of honey for the best printing results. An easy option is to purchase a semimoist commercial underglaze thats ready to use right out of the tube and formulated specically for printing purposes. I use AMACO semimoist underglaze in the -ounce tubes for small blocks or single prints, but for larger blocks or multiple prints I thicken the AMACO Velvet, GDC or LUG colors in whatever custom amounts I need. With some practice, though, the underglazes can be applied without being thickened or adding any printing medium. Artist Kathy King prints her linocuts on clay using AMACO LUG Black right out of the bottle with great success and good image clarity. Once you develop a touch for working with a thinner consistency its just as effective as using the semimoist colors. Before printing, make sure everything is laid out and ready to go. Prepare extra slabs so you can do all your printing at once and not have to stop and roll out more

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7
Mixing color to make sure consistency is even.

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Rolling color onto the roller.

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Rolling color on the linocut making sure all areas are covered with color.

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Colored lino with a little shine (indicates the ink is wet and will transfer well).

11
Placing inked-up block face down.

12
Rubbing the block with your hands or a baren.

if youre unhappy with some prints youre getting. For good printing results, the surface of the clay slabs can be somewhat damp, but not sticky or even in the early stages of leather hard. Put enough ceramic ink for one print on the Plexiglas and mix it with a stick or a spoon to ensure its even

(gure 7). Move the roller back and forth over the color until you have an even coat on the roller (gure 8). Apply an even coat on the linocut making sure all areas are covered with color (gure 9). The ceramic ink should appear wet on the surface of the block when properly covered (gure 10).
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Turn the block face down onto the clay slab (gure 11) and gently rub the back of it in a circular motion with your hand or a baren (gure 12) to help transfer the color. Dont wait too long to print the block after its been inked or the color will start to dry and wont transfer as cleanly. Peel the block off slowly from the clay and see how it came out (gure 13). The rst print will help you answer three questions. Was the ceramic ink mixed to the right consistency, was enough ceramic ink used on the block for good color results and was there enough pressure used for a clean transfer. Many times this rst print isnt usable and is considered a test print for this important information (gure 14). Make the necessary adjustments after see- Revealing the print. ing the test print, if any, and then continue printing the rest of your slabs.

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After the Print

Once printed, the clay slabs can be used for whatever handbuilding purposes you want or can even be the nished piece if you like. You can also print on a clay

What a Relief
A linocut can also be used as if it were a large stamp to emboss a soft clay surface (see photo below). Many artists make custom relief tiles in this fashion. The areas that would normally receive the ceramic ink are now embossed into the clay. Place your linocut face down on a soft piece of clay and rub the back in a circular motion. Dont press so hard that the lino gets stuck. Peel back and the embossing is complete. You can also add color in the embossed image to make the design appear as a color inlay. Bisque re the embossing, then apply glaze, underglaze, or stain in the embossed areas with a brush or other applicator and let it dry. Use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe the color off the high areas leaving color only the embossed area.

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Top left: Linocut. Top right: In this print, there was uneven pressure and the ceramic ink was too dry when printed. Bottom left: Shows results of good pressure and color. Bottom right: Shows results of bad pressure on edges; also, ceramic ink was still not wet enough when printed.

piece thats already built but still in the green stage. This is where your own creativity comes into play based on your work and how best to incorporate the lino image. Thoroughly clean all tools used for the printing process with water. You may not be a printmaker when you start this process, but you will be an ofcial Clay Printer once youve block printed on clay. You just need a curiosity of material and an image you want to repeat.

Paul Andrew Wandless is a studio artist, workshop presenter, educator and author. His new book, Image Transfer and Clay, will be published in October by Lark Books. He can be e-mailed at paul@studio3artcompany.com or see www.studio3artcompany.com.

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