Kilns

Barrel Pit Kiln

Gifted by Ian Whittaker to the Innisfail ceramics community after the first Form & Fire in 2025, this is an unlined 55-gallon steel drum with air intake holes drilled in the sides near the bottom (to allow air into the fire) and an ash grate.

With this simple kiln you can wood-fire clay creations to 700-800 degrees celcius, creating unglazed ceramics decorated with unpredictable muted colours from the fire, smoke, and surrounding materials.

This kiln is portable and only needs timber scraps, leaves, paper, etc as fuel. Please get in touch if you would like to use this kiln.

Barrel Raku Kiln

Built by Ian Whittaker, Dianne Thompson, and myself in preparation for Form & Fire 2026, this is a 55-gallon steel drum cut to size, lined with insulation fibre, and includes a gas input port and a lid with flue/chimney.

With this kiln you can gas-fire large/tall clay creations up to 1000 degrees celcius, creating glazed ceramics that are removed when red hot and placed into reduction chambers (metal containers) to create metallic and crackle effects.

This kiln is portable and needs a full gas bottle as fuel for two firings. Please get in touch if you would like to use this kiln.

Butter Dish Raku Kiln

Built by participants of Form & Fire 2026, this kiln was made to a custom shape using wire mesh, lined with foil and insulation fibre, and includes a gas input port and flue.

With this kiln you can gas-fire clay creations up to 1000 degrees celcius, creating glazed ceramics that are removed when red hot and placed into reduction chambers (metal containers) to create metallic and crackle effects.

This kiln is portable and needs a full gas bottle as fuel for two firings. Please get in touch if you would like to use this kiln.

Electric Kiln

This kiln measures 30x30x40cm inside and is regularly fired to 1000c or cone 06 for bisque firing and/or low-fire glaze, and 1220c or cone 6 for mid-fire glaze.

With this kiln I fire clay creations that we make at clay group and art pieces made at school workshops. With this kiln you can create sculptural or functional ceramics.

While this kiln is not portable like the others, it is available if you are looking to rent kiln shelf space.

Wood-Fired Rocket Kiln (WIP)

This kiln (still a work in progress) is born from a desire to reach high-fire temperatures of 1285c or cone 10 using resources available to me, i.e. bricks, clay and timber.

Reading up about wood-fired kilns, I came across Lisa Orr's Wood Fired Rocket Kiln Project. Lisa Orr is a ceramicist and permaculturist who was introduced to rocket stoves at a permaculture workshop. Rocket stoves are very efficient at generating smokeless heat using very little wood as fuel. Lisa uses the shells of old kilns, that no longer work, and fuels them using kindling in a J tube built from insulating bricks. A tall insulated chimney creates the pull/draft required to reach high temperatures.

Temperatures of 1285c or cone 10 in 3-4 hours have been reported by ceramicists using their self-built wood-fired rocket kilns.

Lisa has published freely available open-source design plans and runs Rocket Kiln workshops around the world. Rocket kilns are affordable, use very little fuel and make high-fire ceramics accessible.

Pictured here is just the J tube of what will be a small rocket kiln fueled by palm fronds and twigs picked up from the yard. Watch this space!!

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