Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “Primitive Technology: Pot Made of Wood Ash – New Clay Alternative”.
Firing bricks, Unloading, kiln White wood ash left over from firing. Kiln ( must be from a high temperature, well oxygenated fire ), Sifting charcoal out of ash, Adding water to white wood, ash, Mixing water and ash (. Nothing else added ) Forming the rim of the pot, Adding new layers Build up into a dome wait for layers to stiffen slightly before adding new layers. Adding last layer Turn over the next day Use a snail shell to polish the pot (. This is called burnishing ). The finished pot made of 100 % wood ash Leave pot in the sun for 3 to 7 days to dry (. I left it for 7 to make sure it sets properly ).
The pot has now set due to the lime in the wood ash time to test it. The pot is put in water to prove it won’t dissolve. 24 hours later the pot is taken out still intact.
The pot is left for another 24 hours with water in it After a day about half of the water seeped out, but it still had some in it Collecting bark to make more ash Burning the bark in the kiln Getting the new ash. This time mixing sand into the ash Water. The mix warms up when water is added, indicating the chemical reaction that causes the ash to start set Forming a brick Here’s one I made earlier. It also passes the water test The next day, Brick and pot, Brick pot, hammer and storage pellets of ash .