Digging soil with a hoe made from a tree with a 90 degree buttress root Making mud Palm leaves for fiber to stop mud cracking as it dries Forming the firebox 25 cm wide About 50 cm long Banks are added to support grate bars Grate bars made of clay (25 cm long) Dry it out Install grate bars Start the floor of the ware chamber leaving a 6.25 cm gap from the back for the entry flue Use wood to support the clay floor Plaster over the wood to form the floor Leave a gap for the entry flue Firebox com
plete Start the ware chamber Leave a 12.5 x 12.5 cm square hole for the exit flue Continue the walls upwards Bridge over the exit flue Form arched roof profile 12.5 cm high and 25 cm long Form the roof Ware chamber completed Cut a door into the side Make a door from clay to close the kiln during use, the hole in the door acts as a peep hole and a hold for a stick to lift it out Now build a chimney to increase the draft Chimney completed (about 1.5 m total height) Flame forms an arch as it moves
through the ware chamber Flames come in through the entry flue Up into the ware chamber And then back down through the exit flue (hence the name down draft) I enlarged the exit flue so it now behaves more like a cross draft hoping it will draw a stronger draft Digging clay for pots Preparing to levigate clay to remove impurities Add water Release clay water slip into lower pond Wood shavings stop twigs/leaves flowing into the pond The upper pond has gritty, impure clay The lower pond has smooth,
pure clay Scooping out the clay Crushing pot shreds for grog Mixing clay with grog (stops clay from cracking when fired) Forming a simple pot over an previously fired pot Stacking the kiln with pots Sealing the kiln with door Fire by friction Starting the fire under the grate Adding wood on top of the grate The wood catches fire and the kiln starts to draw a draft The pots can be viewed through the peep hole in the door In about an hour the pots are this hot The door is opened later when it is
cool The pots were fired well but the clay was poor quality. Next time clay from the river should be used
Comments
This is a down draft kiln, named after the fact that the flame goes up into the ware chamber before being drawn back down to the exit flue (hence down draft) before exiting the chimney. The idea is that only the coldest air leaves the chamber with the hottest staying up inside the kiln. So the kiln gets hotter than an updraft or cross draft kiln. Any questions feel free to ask.Thanks.
Very impressive with this technique
Another great video, congrats
I'm always weirdly impressed at how many perfectly straight sticks you're able to gather up for these projects.
Truly the guy that started a whole genre on YouTube and probably one of the best video makers to boot.
The technological advances you incorporate while remaining primitive are fantastic. The clay particle size separation particularly.
Is it just me or does this kiln look a whole lot more refined than what John used to make? My man here’s getting real crafty with mud and clay. Great video as always.
It's only after having seen these videos that I realize how absolutely vital the discovery and mastery of fire has been for the development of the human race. I'm in awe over the people who first came up with all this, they're truly underappreciated geniuses.
One thing that always amazes me about your kiln builds is how you consistently use firebars to elevate your firebox for better air drafting and to give the ash somewhere to drop to during firing. I've known professional potters who didn't think of that. As a steam locomotive aficionado, I wholeheartedly approve.
7:41 this is literally the most emotion that i've seen coming from you in the majority of your videos
No matter what I am doing, if i see a new upload from this channel I drop it all. I love the little zen moment I get from it, to bad it takes a while to make awesome content like this but its worth the wait everytime
Let's goooo! Don't forget to turn on CC, folks!
Ah, yes. The channel that showed me the nuance of making proper mud & how it can be used.
The man’s physique is getting more and more chiseled with each video I watch. These bigger projects he’s been doing are doing him good it seems. If I had land with a high concentration of clay in the soil, or a small creek running through it, I’d try this stuff out just for the exercise/health benefits.
I think it's really cool how there are so many different ways of making a kiln, and they all excel at their own things, with upsides and downsides, and that you are showcasing them all to us.
You've made so many different kiln designs over the years. I'd love a video comparing them and what they are each best for.
2 minutes after the upload and already almost 1k likes. This channel has a lot of loyal viewers and it deserves them.
I watch these vids right before I go to sleep. The nature sounds and satisfying builds are so relaxing.
Always a treat when he uploads. Just wish the videos were longer. Your videos are so peaceful & relaxing .
Doing primitive technology somewhere in the wilderness is definitely part of my bucket list