How to make Sri Lanka’s anagi II stove
Practical Action
70. Cut the piece off the pallet with a string. 71. Place the pallet and piece on a shelf.
Allow to stiffen overnight.
Assembly Procedure
The assembly procedure takes about 50 minutes to complete. Most unskilled labour can be
trained to do it. The use of templates and moulds provides correct dimensions. The
assemblers can complete 6 to 8 stoves in one day, and are paid piece rate as are the potters.
If a trainee assembler has trouble learning how to make the stove correctly after one week of
training, then she or he is probably not well suited to the job. The main skills to learn are how
to use the templates for correct placement, and how to make good joints.
To make a good joint, the clay pieces being joined should have equal or near-equal moisture
content. If one is too dry, cracking is likely. With every joint, the following procedure should
be applied. Score (scratch the surface) on both sides to be joined, and then apply a thin layer
of slip (liquid clay). Press pieces 'together firmly, 'with hands on both' sides. Only then
should the joint be smoothed with the fingertips.
A common problem that beginners have is leaving the joints at either end of the tunnel too
thick. This constricts the tunnel. The exit and entrance to the tunnel should be as wide of an
oval as the centre of the tunnel is.
The plaster moulds should be replaced every 6 months, as they wear down in use and will no
longer provide the correct dimensions.
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