Making the mud dome
1. Fill spaces between the stoves in the top layer with pieces of broken pottery. Spread a layer of dried
grass or straw about 2-5 cm thick evenly over the top of the dome.
5.3 Making the dome
2. Mix equal quantities of earth, cow dung and sieved ash (two buckets of each) and add just enough
water so that the mixture can be spread, but does not drip. Spread a thin, even layer of this mixture
over the grass to form a sealed mud dome.
Figure 5.4 Mudding the dome
Firing
During firing, the temperature should ideally rise slowly for two to three hours and then be maintained at a
steady level for a further six hours. The following instructions should help you to achieve this:
1. If it is windy, light the fire in the fireboxes from the same side as that from which the wind is coming.
Light the fire in three (the two at the ends and the centre one) fireboxes, leaving the others unlit.
These act as 'chimneys" for the other fireboxes.
Use small pieces of fuelwood to light the fires.
2. Once the three fireboxes are lit, feel the outside of the mud dome to find the cool areas. To draw heat
towards these areas, make small holes in the mud dome with your finger or a stick. You can fill these
holes later with more mixture if they draw too much heat.
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