Hi Guys
Im looking into making my own pots as another side to my growing Bonsai obsession and have been watching some interesting clips on youtube about pit firing.Has anyone had any experience with this technique? Is it a good technique for bonsai pots? Funding for my new project is at nill, and im looking at other ways to produce some good pots with out having to buy a kiln.
Any ideas are welcome.
You can grow bonsai in anything but my experience is that porous pots dry out more and can cause problems. My little knowledge says that low firing temps give more porous product and higher temps is better so depends on what you mean by 'pit firing'. Tunnel kilns have been used for a long time and can give good high temp but slow burning pits will fire clay but at lower temps.
Don't be afraid to experiment.
Pit fired pots are no good for bonsai. They have been fired at too low a temperature and you will find that in a short time that they will disintegrate from the constant moisture of the potting mix. Tunnel kilns (anagama, noborigama etc., ) are a lot of hard work over several days to fire and you need to know what you are doing both in the building of them and the firing of them.
Penny.
I'd be looking to find a regular pottery class and find out what they charge for firing. Might be more cost effective than building your own. However, I don't know the Mount Gambier region / SA to recommend a place.
Bonsai was meant to keep me away from the computer.
Hello Jason,
If you wanted to try some small bit fired pots just for yourself it would give it a go. I have some raku fired pots that seem to be holding up even with the huge rainfall that seem to happen where I live, but if it freezes and thaws where you live then the pots prabobly would not hold together as the continual contraction and expansion is what caused the pots to break up. It is easy and cheap to fire in a pit ( just a hole in the ground, with lots of wood) or in a metal barrel, and lots of fun especially if a group do it.
There is a product called cement fondue that would would be good for non fired pots, but it is about $100 for a 25 kg bag. It is like cement but a bit harder. I have a small amount of it but havent tried it yet. Been to busy making pottery bonsai pots.
For making moulds it is best to use pottery plaster it is hardier that normal housing plaster.
Cement fondue and pottery plaster can be obtained from most pottery supply shops.
There is lots of informationarouoond the internet for making non fired pots, some with a combination of cement and spagnam( think I have spelt that wrong) moss that were very popular a while back
Hope this helps
and have been watching some interesting clips on youtube about pit firing.Has anyone had any experience with this technique? Is it a good technique for bonsai pots? Funding for my new project is at nill, and im looking at other ways to produce some good pots with out having to buy a kiln. 
Not for bonsai at the moment, as I've not yet figured out how to get a mould for it 
lol
