The plot behind this kiln rests with Peter Lange, the other ASP Centre Director. He took it literally when a wood kiln was proposed to be built. After buying a couple of rail-way sleepers Peter, Mike and I set about constructing a very simply, if somewhat rustic, kiln. The walls and roof were all about 20cm thick pine, with the walls having the end grain pointing in. The floor was insulating firebrick and common brick.
A teapot of mine and a vase of Peter's were to be fired, even salt fired if we could get it hot enough. Cones 6 (1220 degrees) and 10 (1300 degrees) were also placed inside. The kiln was lit with a big gas burner and caution was thrown to the wind as a race between the kiln reaching temperature or burning down began. We hoped that the embers would help insulate the kiln and slow down the rate the wood would burn. Cone 6 went down in a remarkably hasty half hour.
During this time we were also experimenting with chemical to change the colour of the flame; things like strontium chloride and various copper salts provided an interesting range of colours, all somewhat overwhelmed by the yellow of the burning kiln.
Once the cone 6 went down we started salting, We also had to start replacing the door, a weak point of our design, we ended up burning through three before the firing ended. Once cone 10 had fallen and enough salt thrown in we pulled out the pots as they were in danger of the imminent collapse of the kiln roof. We also needed to hose off the embers as we realised the wooden table this whole shebang was on would also soon start to burn.
One of the more remarkable artefacts to emerge from this kiln was not the pots (average), but the amazing burnt and charred wood itself.