This Could Destroy My Kiln…

The bronze filings are completely gorgeous, I’ve been chasing a bloodspots-in-snow effect for ages and this looks like it would be perfect with a white crackle or satin matte overtop

I like the hammerscale one, but the spots seem a little bit too big. Hammerscale being so brittle, you could grind it a little bit before mixing to have smaller flakes.

It certainly wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but I actually love how bold and dramatic the effect of the bronze is, and it would definitely be interesting to see it in combination with different glazes

That is a good labeling system. B for the bashing it takes to make hammer scale, and S for the tin (Sn) based bronze. Very clever.

I experimented with brass key shavings and aluminum about 20 years ago. With the brass I got the red splotches in reduction, and verdigris in oxygen. If the concentrations of brass were too high, the splotches would flow together and had a gun metal grey finish. The mottled verdigris looked really good with a celadon glaze. The aluminum was a disaster, it dripped off the vase and ate into the kiln shelf about .5mm. IIRC, I used the brass on stoneware and the aluminum on earthenware.

I love them both, but the bronze is very interesting as I think with the right coloured glaze, maybe your white? Would really enhance that amazing red which potters always want to achieve 😊

The copper one did look like something growing in a Petri dish after the 1st fire 😂 But I liked it better after the 2nd firing. Very cool experiment!

A book: Clay and Glazes for the Potter, by Daniel Rhodes 1957. Machine turnings are called Swarf. If the bronze is "free turning/machining" it will have lead, up to 10% or so, same for brass. Copper is sticky. It can suck into a cutter without lead and break the fixture, blade or your piece before you can blink. I used slot cutter to cut 6 slits simultaneously into brass and all of it was easy at like 13% lead in brass. That's why the states have lead warnings on brass faucets and such. People think it's just in the solder, the warning doesn't say what or why, just that it has it. Since you're experimenting with metal, I'll throw you a bone b/c you said bone dry and it came to mind. Get yourself some silver nitrate solution and (in a bag so you can use a lot less) soak a piece of unglazed fired pottery in it, the lighter clay the better (I do this on bone and antler) and then dry. Keep solution in darkness (it degrades to oxide in light, which is what you want but later. Dim light is acceptable when using) repeat several times if desired, I do three at least. Put in full sunlight or a uvb sterilizing bulb (the ozone stinking, burn your eyes ones) and it will darken become metallic (some or all, depends on stuff, dunno). No heat required. It will take some buffing, clearcoat or wax, it is sort of dusty at first and maybe still be poisonous. My antler cane I just put olive oil on with a towel and it just disappears for a few coats then shines. You're not eating from these I gather, the slag would be alright, no harm in that in a pot. Anyway, since this reaction is with light, I don't know how poisonous it would be inside or if you could even soak it all out by diffusion in distilled water, but that silver N aint no jive turkey. It is bad. 10 kinds of bad. Blindness, flammable material ignitor, inhalation, reaction hazard, straight chronic disorders from ingesting. Traditionally used to blacken (brownin really or silvering) elephant tusk, bone, antler and horn. I did a piano key, it is jet blue-black, just beautiful. Back to metals proper; you can pick your alloy to just be above whatever cone you're using. With that kiln you can probably make most of them yourself. The temp curve in a pure tin/copper constitution diagram goes from about 740°'s c at 66% copper to 1080 at 100% copper. A little more tin perhaps? Phosphor bronze is for elevated temperature service. But misleading b/c most will have some to pull oxygen out but not enough for higher temp. You can buy the phosphor copper alloying grains online, it is meant to add to, not use alone but you can get it.

I swear the cinematography in these videos is better than many tv shows

I saw an interview where you spoke about metal smithing/sculpture providing a lot of inspiration for you. You went on to say that you could se yourself collaborating with your father (I believe) to make metal lids and stuff. I immediately think about how COOL the more-refined versions of these pots would look like contrasted with metal-work! Cool stuff Florian~ :)

i actually really love the bronze one, the pale green and purplish red look so pretty together.

I don't particularly care for either piece, but I do think applying the technique in particular ways (perhaps to the rim and then burnishing the metal back into the clay at the leather hard phase?) might really help this. "Using color to guide the eye" so to speak. Idk. I look forward to seeing what you choose for your art. Thanks for sharing!

I do somehow like the contrast of the red and green. It's just very unusual and different and thus is standing out. For a normal coffee mug, this might be a bit over the top, but I could think of that colour - even if it has the amount of bronze added, you used in your test bowl - maybe in a vase? Think about a bouquet of flowers with all kinds of greenish tones and red roses in a vase with green glaze and red sparkles all over.

I think your videos about the experiments you do, like this, are some of my favourites! I love seeing the meeting point between the unpredictability of new variables and the masterful, scientific precision you employ during your process. The bronze inclusion was so fascinating, if a bit unsettling, especially after that first firing—I haven’t played Elden Ring myself but my mind went right to videos I’ve seen of the Scarlet Rot from that game. I, as well as seemingly others, would love to see future experiments with these inclusions!

I actually really love the copper and steel bowls. The copper's red spots do look diseased, but I think a mix of purple and orange/yellow glazes would give an amazing thermal look.

I don't think I've ever been so early to a new Florian video! The shorts you'd uploaded a while ago had me super curious about the end result - thank you for the video! :D

Ball milling them to reduce the quantity of metal within a given spot could probably disperse the spots much more and might be a little more handsome. I would also love to see if the metals can be patinaed after the final fire to modify their color/ enhance contrast . Great vid!

I'm so glad they didn't destroy your kiln they look beautiful, can't wait to see more experiments with it!

The red is a really beautiful color

Wow. I'd love to see you making bonsai pots. Your concepts on form and colour combined with the amazing forms of bonsai could be dynamite!