These are the primary air ports and they were open here to let the maximum amount of air into the firebox to combust the wood efficiently. Every once in a while toward the end of the firing it was important to manage the coals so they would not block these ports.


Here you can see Brian pulling some coals to balance out and level the coal bed.

The wood we got for the firing was difficult to get at first. This firing we were able to buy the wood at a lumberyard that was near by the school and people delivered it to us. The price was reasonable and it was good and dry. The kiln likes the mixture of big, thick, dense wood with thin wood at the end to get the instant btu’s.

The flames were really coming out of the kiln and the chimney was drawing a tremendous amount. It was great.



Josh and Todd took over stoking the firebox. We used all pine wood and it was very dry. The day was also dry and hot. It was a good time for the firing and we got good response from the kiln.

There was a lot of excitement about the Americans and the wood kiln so when it came time to fire there was a celebration. You can see Brian throwing in the first log with many other people looking watching in anticipation. It was a great time. We had a party and a lot of people came by the studio to see the kiln and talk with us.

Pots were glazed and moved toward the kiln ready to be loaded up. We had all been attending classes, figuring out JingDezhen, and getting use to the food, which made us a bit out of tempo, but now we were going to fire the wood kiln and it all seemed normal for the first time.

Pots were being made, foot rims were being wadded and cone packs were in construction. We would load for the first firing and we were all excited.

Some of the last minute touchups to the kiln were made and it was a layer of cement around the kiln for water protection. We made the cement and created the forms and finished off the base.

The metal work was done. The chimney was attached to the kiln to help prevent the wind from taking advantage. The buck stays were tightened and all we had to do left was insulate the roof. Pots were made and the first of the three firings was to begin. What a great experience.

This was the wood source that we found and we searched local lumberyards. The people at the mill would deliver the wood to us in small trucks and the whole process worked out well.

The arch was put in mortared up and there was a door. The kiln was really coming together quickly and we knew it was only going to be a matter of time until we needed wood to fire. The fuel source was the next hurdle.





The last arch to go up was the doorway. The gentleman that built the main arch form was employed once more and did a great job with the door form. He was great. He reused every board, straightened every nail and reused them together. It was great craftsmanship and resourcefulness.

Once the bricks were laid and some final adjustments were made the arch form was pulled out and it looked like you had a kiln. The hard part was over, now it was just time for the finishing touches and I think Brian started to relax a bit.



The capstones were large and sturdy which offered tremendous stability for the arch. The arch brick themselves were special ordered and placed long ways so there were 9 inches of insulation to work with. It really became a well-insulated and large arch.



Next it was the arch. The arch form was made after figuring out the span. This took a little time to figure out because getting the right brick configuration is key for an arch system. Bob Anderson is a fan of the sprung arch and that is what he really wanted on this kiln. Finding the brick took some time, but was worth it in the long run.

The steel in the this kiln was tank worthy and will do it’s job of holding the kiln together for years to come. The buck stays were bolted at the top and welded and bolted to the concrete. It was a really top-notch job.




It is time for the wielding and these gentlemen go a great job. They work along with the mason and Brian like professional wrestlers tagging one another to go into the ring to do their work. The other will just sit out of the way resting and appreciating the others handy work.

The transition between the stack and the chimney was the area designated for the damper that would be a compressed kaowool type product that you can get in Jingdezhen for cheap. It is the size of a normal kiln shelf and works well. There are two so we could adjust the damper on both sides. The weilding would come next to make the kiln stronger.

The stack was complete and it was a monster. We all knew the draw was going to be powerful, but we didn't know how powerful.

While the kiln was being laid up outside a welder was on hand to do the welds on the kiln. Too keep him busy he got working on the ware carts. He was a great welder.

There was a lot of activity going on from the Bob Anderson and the West Virginia University people in the new studio space and it was creating some attention from the community. People would constantly come into the space to look at the work and see the Americans. At times there were television crews and Bob would t reluctantly take care of the PR.

It was time for the chimney to be constructed along with the building of the kiln. The pad for the foundation of the chimney was widened to displace the surface area of the base. The pad that the kiln was built on was relatively thin so we had to make some adjustments as they surfaced.



The bag wall is a major component in the design of this kiln and can be seen here intergrated into the wall and rising with the kiln. The main door to the fire box can be seen as well.

There were a lot of bricks to be moved and Brian always kept the supply steady for the Mason.