New to group/salt glaze question

Hi, I'm new to this group and enjoyed reading some of the past posts.

have been doing stoneware pottery in an electric kiln for about 5 year now. My husband cooks down maple syrup on a woodfired cooker and h has recently rebuilt it and lined it with fire brick so that we can tr firing some pottery in it. We'd like to try soda glazing as well an I'm looking for tips on the ingredients to introduce and when.

Thanks and potters are some of the most generous people I have ra across when it comes to sharing ideas.

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This is just a guess but I imagine that you will not get a high enough temperature to do a salt fire stoneware fire (I know nothing about how you cook down maple syrup). I can imagine doing some really nice pitfire type work. For that though I would worry about some of the chemicals you typically use contaminating the syrup.

Could you discribe some more what your 'cooker' is?

Hi, thanks for the response. I had attached a photo with the origina post but maybe it didn't come through. Here it is again with thi message. The cooker is built out of fire brick and when we use it as kiln we will cover the top with a lid built of firebrick.

We had thrown some pots in last year at the back of the box when w were doing maple syrup but you are right, it didn't get hot enough wit the thin metal pan on top due to heat going to the sap in the thin pan. We're hoping the firebrick lid will hold in all the heat from the fire

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Nice construction! How will you cover it? You might find woodkiln list interesting:

in Mashiko, Japan

Yeah, I missed seeing the link. Really nice 'stove'.

You should be aware that salts are going to eat away at your brick over time.

-- Maplewoods

Hi

I have read that firing salt glaze produces poisonous gasses. I don't think I would like to make maple syrup in the same "kiln" as I salt fire in.

Found at least one reference when I googled:

Salt firing releases chlorine gas, which is a good reason to take precautions when you are doing the firing. I have heard that many city zoning regulations specifically prohibit salt firings for this reason.

However, it is indeed a gas and should dissipate on the breeze. I can't see how it could hurt the maple syrup, which is presumably made at a much different time. All you'd get is a disinfected firebox!

Best regards,

Bob Masta dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom D A Q A R T A Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis

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