How Do You Fire Pottery Without A Kiln?
Firing pottery without a kiln is possible but requires outdoor space and plenty of wood. Modern artisans can accomplish this time-consuming task by borrowing a technique used by ancient Native American tribes. Clay must be heated to a temperature of 1,000 degrees F to become hardened pottery. Tribes used open flames to heat clay to 1,400 degrees F to make earthenware for the creation of tools, storage and cooking items. Clay will break if heated to temperatures in excess of 2,400 degrees F. Create a fire ring in an open setting. Follow all local burning laws. Use fire safety equipment and have extinguishers on hand. Place bricks inside the fire ring to hold the clay items. Put clay on the bricks using fire-safe tongs. Cover pottery stack with a layer of animal manure. The animal waste insulates the heat around the clay. Add a layer of clay, straw or sand to the top of the manure layer. Poke a 3-inch opening in the top of the mound layer to vent the heat. Poke additional same-size holes
