raku kiln "the Phoenix "1977, Billings, Mt. wood fired and fast

we called this kiln the "Phoenix" because the neighborhood kids would destroy it regularly, but it would always rise again. The fire box faced the prevailing wind. It was located high above the city. By the end of the day, we could have a flame shooting out the top of the barrel after stoking with just a few pieces of split 2 x 4. Our fastest batch was 3 minutes to melted glaze but that was after a few hours of firing. Our wood supply came from a truss factory waste bin. The barrel was raised by 2 students working the pulleys. Another student pulled the pots, and others worked the combustion cans.

 

Marcia