Re: What alloy did the buffalo hunters use
Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2021 3:00 pm
Bobw
Both wood and buffalo chips will get hot enough to fire pottery. Way more than enough to melt lead. Some primitive potters around the world even used just grass to fire pottery. Buffalo are more browsers than cattle are, sort of like the difference between mule deer and whitetails. Consequently buffalo chips are generally a little lighter and drier than cow chips.
For firing pottery with buffalo chips I dig a circular hole about a foot deep. Place some tinder such as grass, twigs, small branches, etc in center over pots. Make a dome of the chips and leave an opening to ignite the tinder in the middle. Once ignited the chips glow red like coal. They won't last as long as wood coals but get very hot. Coloration on fired ceramics is different than cow chips as well. You should be able to use a similar technique for melting lead on a smaller scale than pottery firing.
The pots fired with both chips and wood will glow orange hot as shown in these pics (hopefully)
Both wood and buffalo chips will get hot enough to fire pottery. Way more than enough to melt lead. Some primitive potters around the world even used just grass to fire pottery. Buffalo are more browsers than cattle are, sort of like the difference between mule deer and whitetails. Consequently buffalo chips are generally a little lighter and drier than cow chips.
For firing pottery with buffalo chips I dig a circular hole about a foot deep. Place some tinder such as grass, twigs, small branches, etc in center over pots. Make a dome of the chips and leave an opening to ignite the tinder in the middle. Once ignited the chips glow red like coal. They won't last as long as wood coals but get very hot. Coloration on fired ceramics is different than cow chips as well. You should be able to use a similar technique for melting lead on a smaller scale than pottery firing.
The pots fired with both chips and wood will glow orange hot as shown in these pics (hopefully)