9. Lay two courses of shaped bricks to complete the outer walls, leaving the three ventilation channels
open on each side of the kiln.
Figure 4.13 The completed fireboxes
The firebox channels are now complete and so is the floor of the firing chamber where the pottery items will
sit during firing.
The kiln wall
1. The kiln wall must be supported above the firebox doors.
This can either be done using a metal frame, fired clay
bars, or specially made large bricks. To make the metal
frame, cut four pieces of reinforcing rod each 3 m long.
Bend two of them to a radius of 80 cm and the other two
to a radius of 90 cm.
Take one rod with the larger diameter and one with the
smaller diameter and using tie wire and binding wire,
construct a frame as shown in Figure 4.14.
Repeat this with the other two lengths of rod.
Figure 4.14 The complete metal frame
Alternatively potters can make ten fired ceramic plates measuring 25x15x2 cm3, to bridge the firebox
doors. Usually, only six plates are required, but to be on the safe side, you should make about four
extra in case of any breakages, since ceramic products are very fragile.
2. Lay the metal frames or pottery bars across the top of the firebox doors as shown in Figure 4.15.
Figure 4.15 Metal supports over the firebox doors
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