The Kiln

A pottery kiln, simply described, is a chamber which is fed with heat, until the temperature achieved is sufficient to harden and tighten the clay objects contained within, and finally to melt any glaze material which has been applied to the ware.

Most present day pottery kilns are made of brick and/or ceramic insulation fibre. Kilns can be fueled by gas (delivered through burners), electricity (passing through heat coils which line the kiln interior), or combustible plant material, most commonly wood (which is tossed into the chamber).

My propane fired kiln is cube shaped, constructed of heat resistant brick. It's not particularly impressive in appearance, but its clever design makes it easy to load and operate. I have fired it more than two hundred times since I built it in 1984.

The way the ware is set in the kiln prior to burner ignition, how the glazes which cover the ware are formulated and applied, and the management of fuel combustion as the temperature rises are some of the factors which determine the quality of the finished ware.

No automatic firing controllers are used, making for an ever-present element of unpredictability, which keeps things interesting. Past experience and intuition determine how and when I make adjustments to the kiln as the firing progresses over eighteen hours time.

No two firings are exactly identical. There is always some surprise (happy or otherwise) waiting to be seen when I open the kiln door.