How to Build a Clay Fire Kiln
A small clay fire kiln is surprisingly simple to make. All you need is a good quantity of bricks and a sturdy steel or iron sheet for a lid, and you can put together a personal pottery kiln capable of producing remarkably professional results. With a little practice, you'll soon be using your homemade kiln to fire your own pots and other clay creations.
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Instructions
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On a level, bare patch of ground a safe distance from buildings and trees, lay out a single layer of bricks to form a foundation about 2 to 3 feet square.
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Add a single row of bricks on top of the foundation layer. These rows should connect to form a complete perimeter with open space inside it. Leave gaps of approximately 1/4 inch between the bricks to let air flow into the kiln.
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Add multiple layers of perimeter bricks atop the first, again leaving 1/4-inch gaps between the bricks in each row. The idea is to create a hollow brick box, which will be the body of your kiln. The height of your kiln can vary based on your own preference, but somewhere between 2 and 3 feet is typical.
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Arrange some small rocks on the top layer of perimeter bricks to support the kiln lid while allowing air to flow through.
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Place a sheet of steel or iron atop the rocks to serve as a kiln lid. You will need to remove the lid to fill the kiln with pottery and fuel, but it should remain in place while the kiln is firing.
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Tips & Warnings
For best results, pour 1 to 2 inches of sawdust into the bottom of your kiln (or 3 to 4 inches for greenware), place clay items in the kiln and pour more sawdust over and around them until they are buried 1 to 2 inches deep. Repeat this process, creating new layers of items to fire, until your kiln is full. You can then place kindling or newspaper on top of the sawdust and light it to ignite the sawdust.
The sawdust should burn slowly for 12 hours or more, creating the sustained high temperatures necessary for a proper firing. You may want to allow the kiln to burn overnight and enlist the help of friends to take shifts keeping an eye on it.
Consult laws and zoning regulations for your area to confirm that it is legal to build and fire a clay kiln on your property.
Closely monitor your kiln at all times while it is hot and be ready with an extinguisher, fire bucket or other safety gear in case an emergency occurs.
