Clay pots waiting to be fired in a kiln
Pottery has been a part of human civilization for thousands of years. Some of the only remaining artifacts of long-lost civilizations are pottery shards and parts of ceramic items which were given their durability by being fired in a kiln. The most primitive of kilns is simply a pit with a fire built into it --- but this is still a tried and trusted way to fire clay pottery. Firebrick kilns are commonly made today and are easily constructed; for home-based firebrick kilns, a small-sized kiln is best.
Instructions
1. Scout an area for the kiln --- it should be at least 15 feet away from any building or combustible material or vegetation.
2. Dig a 3-foot square pit, 1 foot deep in the soil. The kiln can be any size, but a small kiln shouldn't be too much smaller than 3 feet, otherwise it can be difficult for the fire to reach required temperatures (a minimum of about 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit).
3. Level the bottom of the pit, then lay the base of the kiln as one layer of firebricks, tightly packed into the 3-foot square hole.
4. Lay firebricks along the edge of the kiln base in the typical interlocking brick pattern. Once the top of the pit has been reached (at 1 foot), continue layering the bricks along the wall, but leave a 1/4-inch gap between each brick for allowing oxygen into the kiln. Continue another 2 feet of wall, so that when finished, the kiln will be a 3-foot cube.
5. Cover the bottom of the kiln in 3 inches of sawdust. Place the heaviest and largest pieces of pottery in the bottom, covering them with sawdust. Place layers of pottery, covering each layer with more sawdust until the kiln is full to about 5 inches from the top.
6. Cover the top of the kiln in kindling (newspaper, small bits of wood), then set it alight with the matches. Make sure all the sawdust catches fire before setting the metal sheet over the top of the kiln as a lid.
7. Let the kiln burn for 12 hours, checking periodically to make sure the fire is still going, relighting when necessary. Sawdust burns for a long time, so restocking the fire with fuel won't be necessary.
