Making a Pit Kiln to Fire Clay

Did you know that you don't need a massive, electric kiln to make your own pottery? You can build your own pit kiln right in your backyard! The only thing is that you will need to use low-fire clay, that is, clay that doesn't need extreme temperatures in order to harden. This is the old-fashioned way to create pottery.

To make your own pit kiln, you will need to first dig a hole. It will need to be about 2 feet wide at the top, narrowing to 1.5 feet at the bottom, and about two feet deep. Make sure that the pit kiln is not positioned under any trees or near roots that could possibly catch fire. Clear the area around your pit, leaving a circle of dirt at least three feet from the hole.

Fill the first 3" of the pit kiln with sawdust. This will be the fuel for your kiln. On top of this, you will need to put a rack, a round BBQ-style rack is fine, above the sawdust. Due to the narrowing of the pit, it should sit just above the fuel.

Now you can add in your pottery. Flatter pieces work best, things like tiles, ash trays, etc. These should be made from low-fire clay which will fire properly under low heat conditions. Make sure that the pieces are separated a bit on the rack. If you have enough pieces and another rack, you can add a second layer by putting four inches of sawdust on top of the first layer of pottery and setting the next rack on top of this layer.

Fill the pit with at least another foot of sawdust. Now it's time to set the whole thing on fire. Use a secondary fire starter, like pitch sticks or twisted paper to start the fire. Wait until they are burning very well, with plenty of flames. The sawdust needs to catch fire.

Once you have finished this step, you will need to put four flat rocks or bricks around the edge of the pit and lay a metal garbage can lid or piece of metal over top, the edges resting on the bricks so there is a bit of space underneath. This allows oxygen to flow in. Wait for the flames to die down (in about five minutes) and check to see if there is smoke coming out from under the lid. If not, you will need to repeat the fire starting business. Otherwise, let the kiln burn overnight.

The next day, once the fire has burned itself out, use a shovel to gently remove the burnt sawdust and take out the pieces of pottery. Be very careful, since they will still be hot. Use oven mitts or tongs to remove the pieces from the sawdust.

The pottery produced in this simple kiln will come out blackened and can be buffed. Try using the back of a spoon to rub the pieces and get them to be shiny black.