Scribbing kiln footprint (about 85 cm by 25 cm)
Crushing up pieces of old furnace
Water
Mixing mud
Layer 1
Digging out pit for fire box
Layer 2
Layer 3
Layer 4
Layer 5
Making top of side walls curved to form an arched profile (from front to back)
Bridging the gap with sticks
Adding mud roof. The curved profile helps prevent roof collapse
Building the chimney to create the draft effect
Digging a side door to access the pottery
Adding to chimney
Making grate bars from clay
Adding side shelves to hold grate bars
Installing grate bars. These hold the fuel off the ground so air can come up through the fuel bed, increasing combustion efficiency several times.
Making fire with firesticks
Fire started at entrance of firebox
Crossdraft effect working
Chimney draws hot air through kiln
Adding to chimney as fire helps dry it
Creek bank
Digging clay
Clay into pit
Slake with water
Crushing old pottery as grog (prevents clay from cracking during firing)
At hut
Wood ash to stop clay sticking to rock
Lump of clay
Form an "ash tray" as the base of pot
Add coils of clay to increase height
Some time was left between adding layers so that the pot stiffened as it was being built. This prevents slumping.
Adding a spout
Putting pot in kiln
Closing up kiln door
Sealing door shut with mud
Starting fire in ash pit of loaded firebox so that the wood on the grate bars catches fire
Flames travel right to the back of the kiln almost immediately
You can just see the edge of the pot through the top of the chimney
In about 30 minutes flames reach the top of the chimney
About an hour in
Pot is glowing orange hot at about 1 hour 20 minutes
Opening kiln about 4 hours later
Taking out pot carefully
Fired pot
Water test
Holds water and pours it satisfactorily
Making a new kiln, and so the cycle repeats.
Crossdraft kiln