Jon Pettyjohn on fri 12 jun 98
Hi everyone,
Wood firing, although not common here in the Philippines,
has been around for a while. Open firing is the traditional
method here but a few potters have experimented with various
wood kiln designs over the years with more or less success.
A group of us here are excited about the prospect of building
a small (about 3 M long) anagama to learn more about wood
kilns, but we have some questions about construction that we
can't seem to find answers for in the books.
First we're wondering how to lay the bricks in the "herring bone"
pattern that we've seen in photos. This design usually has a
distinct "tear drop" shape and I'm not sure we understand how the
curved sides can be laid so evenly to meet in the interlocking
pattern at the top. These whale back shaped kilns look really
beautiful but we don't have any experience with this type of
brick laying, we'd appreciate any advive.
It would also appear from the books we've seen, like Jack Troy's,
that the walls are made entirely from standard straight bricks and
are only 4.5 in. thick and covered with a layer of clay-ash
insulation. Would anyone know if this is correct?
Last we're wondering if there is an optimum arch shape for anagamas,
some appear to be catenary and others are sort of sprung, all
appear to be buttressed from the sides.
We'd love to hear from anyone who's had some experience building
this type of beast willing to share their knowledge with us.
thanks,
Jon Pettyjohn
Manila
jon@mozcom.com
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