The Kiln I built designed and built my present kiln in the spring of 2001 with the help of Kirke Martin from the USA and Annett Krage Nielson from Denmark.

The Firing The kiln is wood fired and takes about 30 hours to reach a maximum temperature of 1320°C. It has a strong cross-draught, drawing the flames right through the kiln and depositing wood ash on exposed areas of the work. Most of the stoking is done through the firebox but at certain points in the firing, wood is also side-stoked into the main chamber, enabling more control of atmosphere and temperature.

Salt and Ash The texture and colour of the pots is created by the deposits of ash and salt melting on the surface of the clay. The wood ash combines with the sodium in the main chamber to produce a wood-ash and salted glaze surface. The unpredictability of firing with wood and salt ensures that every pot that emerges unscathed from the firing is different.

Atmospheres The kiln is  designed to allow the exploration of different atmospheres in the same firing. Alongside the main chamber, the oversized firebox is capable of holding pots. The pots in the firebox are kept separate from the salt vapours and are glazed only by the wood ash. This allows us to explore different aesthetics in the one firing. The smaller back chamber, between the main chamber and the chimney, acts as a small firing chamber as well as a collection chamber.

Kiln Dimensions Packing Space; Front chamber : 0.5 cubic metres, 17.5 cu.ft. Main Chamber : 1.75 cubic metres, 62.0 cu.ft. Back Chamber : 0.5 cubic metres, 17.5 cu.ft.