Sunday, February 26, 2012

White Clay and the Kiln Shed!

A few weeks ago we started leveling the ground out at the farm for the kiln/machine shed. It took a little while, but was ready enough to start putting holes in the ground!
Grading the surface

Leveled out

Last weekend we drilled holes (thank goodness we didn't have to hand dig them) about 3.5 feet in the ground. We were going to go deeper, but the drill did not go down much further and the clay was a bit of a bear.
Drilling


Now, mind you, the clay was a bear to those at the site who were NOT potters. Because the most exciting thing (to me) of the day was hitting white clay at the bottom of the holes! My brother was laughing at me I was so giddy! I do not know yet whether it is a stoneware clay, but I suspect that if the Loy potters just east of me (or southeast) had stoneware in the 19th-century, then it could be! I am hopeful and very excited! 
Photo inside of a post hole with white clay in the upper-right corner of the hole

White clay!

My other half devised an attachment for the chainsaw in order to saw posts from cedar trees on our property.
Attachment

Sawing posts

Before the day was done last weekend, we put one post in the ground with three more holes dug out! It's a start!
First post in the ground!

2 comments:

Dennis Allen said...

Twas a genius who first hooked a post hole auger to a tractor!

Oliver Mueller said...

Yay clay!!! The chainsaw attachment is awesome!! Love the smell of fresh cedar and those posts will be around for a long long time..excellent!