# Barrel Firing: Pit Firing's More Controlled Cousin

Unit: Alternative Firing Methods
Topic: Pit Firing and Barrel Firing
URL: https://claybook.studio/learn/barrel-firing-pit-firing-s-more-controlled-cousin/

# A Metal Drum as a Kiln

Barrel firing uses a steel barrel (the kind originally designed for oil or chemicals) as a contained firing chamber. The process and surface effects are very similar to pit firing, but the enclosed barrel gives slightly more control over the atmosphere and is easier to set up in urban and suburban environments where digging a pit may not be practical.

## Setting Up a Barrel Firing

*   Use a 200-litre steel drum with the lid removed or a series of holes punched around the base for airflow.
*   Layer combustibles in the bottom: newspaper, wood shavings, straw.
*   Place pieces in the barrel, packing organic colourants against them.
*   Add layers of combustibles between each layer of pots.
*   Top with larger pieces of wood or charcoal.
*   Light from the bottom and allow to burn.

## Colourants to Experiment With

*   **Copper carbonate or wire**: Greens, turquoise, pink
*   **Ferric oxide wash**: Reds and blacks
*   **Banana peels**: Warm amber and black from the potassium
*   **Seaweed or kelp**: Orange and brown
*   **Table salt**: White halos and bright highlights
*   **Steel wool**: Orange-rust tones from oxidising iron

## Managing Expectations

Pit and barrel firing are inherently unpredictable. No two firings produce the same results, and no two pieces from the same firing look alike. This unpredictability is the point: it is the fire making decisions, not the potter. The best approach is to prepare thoughtfully, pack colourants with intention, and then let go.

## Go Deeper

The philosophy of embracing unpredictability in barrel and pit firing resonates with the Japanese aesthetic of [wabi-sabi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi), which finds beauty in imperfection and the marks of natural process. The use of copper, iron, and salt as colourants in these firings connects to the same chemistry that drives colour development in [raku ware](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raku_ware) and other atmospheric firing techniques.

## Barrel Firing Troubleshooting

**Effects are too faint**
Increase local contact between colourants and clay, and add a bit more fuel around each piece.

**Everything is over-blackened**
You likely had too much reduction and smoke retention. Increase airflow or shorten smothering time.

**Uneven maturity**
Stacking may be too dense. Improve spacing so heat can circulate through the full barrel height.

## Pro Tip

Standardise your loading map with numbered shelf levels or rings. Repeatability comes from consistent placement, not from trying to predict the fire.

## Check your understanding

### Question 1: What colour effect does copper wire or copper carbonate typically produce in a barrel firing?

- [ ] A. Deep blacks and greys from carbon absorption
- [x] B. Greens, turquoise, and pinks
- [ ] C. White halos and bright highlights
- [ ] D. Orange-rust tones similar to iron oxide

Tip: Copper produces greens, turquoise, and pinks when used as a colourant in barrel or pit firing. The exact result depends on where it is placed and the local atmosphere during firing.

### Question 2: Why is the unpredictability of barrel and pit firing considered a strength rather than a weakness?

- [ ] A. Unpredictability is always a flaw: experienced potters eliminate it by controlling every variable
- [x] B. Every piece records a unique, unrepeatable event: the fire creates what the potter cannot fully control or repeat
- [ ] C. Unpredictability is only acceptable for decorative work, not functional ware
- [ ] D. The unpredictability is managed entirely by using precise amounts of colourants

Tip: No two firings and no two pieces ever look the same. The fire makes aesthetic decisions the potter cannot fully plan or repeat. This means every barrel or pit-fired piece is a one-of-a-kind object that records a unique, unrepeatable moment of fire and clay.

### Question 3: Your barrel results are mostly faint with little colour variation. What is the best first adjustment?

- [ ] A. Shorten firing time to preserve volatile colour effects
- [x] B. Increase close-contact colourants and fuel around each piece
- [ ] C. Eliminate all reduction by opening the barrel completely
- [ ] D. Quench earlier so marks do not burn off

Tip: Faint results usually mean weak local interaction between colourants, fuel, and clay. Increasing colourant contact and fuel density around pieces is the most direct first correction.