Primitive Technology: Termite clay kiln & pottery

Making a grate from the usual clay I use It's a bit less than 50 cm in diameter and about 5 cm thick Making holes in the grate to let the flames through Getting clay from a termite mound. Termites mouths are too small to include sticks and stones in their structures, so the clay doesn't need processing. Putting the clay in the pit left behind after building the tiled hut Crushing the clay Slaking the clay with water Treading the clay to break up lumps Dead palm fronds for tempering the clay Treading in the palm fiber Digging the kiln fire box Fitting the grate Making the front wall of the firebox Digging firebox entry Fire to stiffen clay Building walls of the ware chamber Enlargeing firebox entry Adding grate bars to firebox. These are important as they increase heat production several times. Another termite nest built on red clay soil It's a source of clay that keeps replenishing thanks to the worker termites Crushing Slaking Treading The clay has no stick or rocks in it due to the termites being too small to carry them into the nest Crushing up an old kiln grate to make grog for the new clay Mixing grog into the new clay. Grog prevent clay from cracking as it dries. Making an urn Adding coils Scratching the last layer. I have to let the layers so far dry so it doesn't slump. When I come back new wet coils will easily stick to the drier last layer due to the rough surface. Urn, pot, and 5 tiles made of termite clay. Blower housing and 2 tiles made of normal clay. In kiln ready to fire Covering with flat tiles (previously fired) Making fire Fire sticks are easier to make and maintain than pump drills and I'm so fast with them now I use them instead Transfer punk to tinder pile (crushed candle nut leaves) Blow coal into flames Add kindling Making fire under firebox grate to set sticks on grate alight Adding sticks above grate bars from now on 10 minutes in 1 hour in 2 hours in. I over stacked the firebox and the kiln cooled down a bit as the air supply was choked. So I let it burn down a bit and only put in a few sticks at a time 2 hours 30 minutes in. The kiln started heating up again. 3 hours in. The pots are glowing a low orange (845 c or 1550 f degrees) The next day after it cooled down A broken tile. First pot ok The urn spalled but is ok The forge blower housing is now fired Spalling was probably due to the urn not being totally dry Watering cassava patch Forge blower housing is well fired and water resistant now. It goes in the shed. Broken tiles go into a pit to be ground into grog later Spare tiles for the shed

Channel: Primitive Technology

Views: 22,314,763

Rating: 4.9082842 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: uZGFTmK6Yk4

Length: 11min 27sec (687 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 24 2017

Reddit Comments

[u/dampus2000]

The monthly "watching some dude build some shit in the jungle" time. It's so relaxing.

[u/kkibe]

Did this motherfucker just dig a 4 x 5 feet hole?

[u/CallMeJono]

Here's his patreon page if you want to donate to him. You donate to him per video and not per month. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2945881

[u/foile13]

Not a single word in any of his videos and still 3,9 MILLIONS subscribers. Just shows how mesmerizing it is to watch someone be super good at what they do

[u/flamingponypro]

Dangit I thought it said thermite. Was gonna say, he's making some fast progress!

[u/BlazeKnocker]

That was quick as fuck damn.

[u/SierraDeltaNovember]

I honestly pray that he continues his videos like this. No talking, no music, just him building shit with nature noises in the background

[u/glacialgeology]

People are going to come back in like 300 years and be amazed at how there was a small village that did not embrace modern life at the time. Little will they know it was all for the entertainment of modern life.

[u/[deleted]]

Every video he posts just makes me sit and look around my office thinking - "What the fuck am I doing with my life, I could be making clay pits right now".