First Wood Firing in a New Kiln

Firing a new anagama kiln for the first time is an exciting milestone for any ceramicist. A wood-fired kiln demands patience, preparation, and respect for the process. The first firing is a journey unlike any other. The beginning of the candling is pictured above.

Before loading there is a tremendous amount of wood preparation that takes place. The pine is a free local resource that requires sweat equity, while the oak is purchased from a nearby ranch up the ridge. These are our primary sources of wood that produce the effects we are looking for. Carey (pictured above) split so much pine that logs seemed to float in and out of his hands. 

We made several cone packs with cone 7-13 (roughly 2260 degrees fahrenheit to 2460 fahrenheit) pictured above. They will bend at their target temperatures.

Loading the kiln requires careful consideration. The pieces are placed strategically, leaving adequate space for flame and ash to travel. The anagama's beauty lies in the natural ash glazing and flame marks it creates, so positioning matters. Pieces closer to the firebox will experience more intense heat and heavier ash deposits, while those deeper in the chamber will develop subtler surfaces. Oftentimes more glazes and slips are used towards the back of the kiln while pieces in the front are mostly unglazed. Cone packs were placed in different locations in the kiln to get as much information as possible. 

The back of the kiln pictured above. The checkerboard was loaded with pieces with slips and glazes on them. Note the foundation for the back stack ready to go. We used 13" fire bricks for the foundation.

The loading of the back stack is almost completed.. There is a front stack to load as well.

We start with the fire outside of the kiln to slowly bring up the temperature. This builds the kiln temperature up gradually over the first couple days—this is called a slow climb, campfire or candling phase. This gentle beginning allows any moisture in the greenware to escape and gives the kiln structure time to adjust to thermal stress. 

After gradually pushing the wood under the grate we see flames coming up through it. We begin regular wood feeding through the front stoke hole and end the candling phase.

Emma begins the front stoking.

Scott begins side stoking.

Eventually when the front gets got enough, we begin stoking through the sides as well as the front. This builds up coal beds in the side stoke area that produce ember effects on the pieces while releasing heat once we stop side stoking and burn them down. We repeat this cycle several times. Doing this produces different ember effects on the pieces that were chosen to be placed in this zone, often described as crusty.

Anagama kilns are labor-intensive; we will be tending the fire continuously, day and night, for 7+ days. The duration of the firing depends on your kiln's size, your target temperature, and the amount of melted fly ash you are interested in. Many wood firers fire for only a few days for more subtle finishes. The duration of the firing is a personal aesthetic choice. We work in shifts with other makers- this is as much a social event as a technical one. The sharing of information takes place as it has for generations.

It is common amongst wood firers to leave offerings such as flowers, fruit and sake. This sacred ritual is steeped in history, rooted in Zen Buddhism and Shinto animism. Flowers hold specific symbolic meaning centered on impermanence, devotion and reciprocity with the kiln deity.

We watch and listen to the kiln's behavior as it takes on a life of its own, observing the color of the interior glow, the sound of wood combusting and feeling the heat radiating from the kiln. These sensory cues tell you more about the health of your firing than a digital pyrometer. We keep detailed notes every few hours about wood consumption, timing, and observations. This information becomes invaluable for future firings. It can become a general template for repeating successful firings and results.

The moon peaking over the tall cypress trees, seemingly interested in the firing as the kiln gets hotter. The sound of waves can be heard in the distance..

The side stoke is getting full and hot, glowing through 2 layers of kaowool.

The coals under the grate need a leveling out from time to time. We are careful not to remove all of them as they are part of the engine that is the firebox.

Is it late night, or early morning.. who knows anymore? 

Two primary air bricks pulled out a touch as we begin the predawn final ramp up.

Tired after days of firing, it seems the kiln is beckoning one to wander in..

Did someone change the channel from wood firing to a sci fi movie? 

Predawn image of the kiln after a stoke. Note the 3 passive air bricks removed from the chimney.

We can estimate when we want to finish the firing many hours in advance and make adjustments to the primary air, the damper and/or the passive air. It is a choreography and a dance, an interaction between the makers, the pieces in the kiln, the fire and coal beds, the outside environmental atmosphere and the kiln itself. It is a flowing, meandering conversation. Towards the end of these long firings observing the interior of the kiln can be incredibly dynamic, exciting, beautiful, mesmerizing and hot!

An example of an ember buried vase in the side stoke.

Once we get to a point where we have observed clues about what we are looking for such as a sheen, melted ash streamers and a glimpse at the rare jewels on our pieces- we decide to do our last few stokes and complete the firing with a larger final stoke.

The kiln will cool for 6-7 days before unloading. 

We all did our best on our shared goal. The work is done and we can only wonder what gifts lay in the kiln. We rest for a day, if we can. We try and get caught up with all responsibility we may have left behind while we were focused on the kiln time and space continuum. Soon we will celebrate the pieces that emerge- beauty, flaws and all..