28/5/2011
I joined Sue Mulroy for a firing in her wood kiln at Blackwell Farm Life Centre above the Derbyshire Dales. Sue built a fast fire kiln from Ray Finch’s design with help from an Arts Council Grant in 2006. A typical firing lasts around 14 hours.
We discussed methods of keeping smoke to a minimum. Sue had noticed that with care and observation it was possible to keep the kiln in reduction with no smoke from the chimney. The problem with her kiln however is that a lot of smoke escapes from the stoke holes every time wood is put on. This should not be the case with the Sasukenei, which has a vertical ‘bourry box’ fire chamber with a secondary air inlet in the roof. If we use well fitting doors, smoke loss at stoking could be prevented. Penny Withers
