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Spiral Ridge Pottery is located in Shannondale Springs,
West Virginia, less than an hour from Reston. Fulfilling a
long-time dream of Marianne's we built a gas-fired salt kiln
there in the summer of 2002. Here are some photos of the process.
See My
Work for examples of pots fired in this kiln!
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| The floor is constructed from cinder blocks and firebrick and is set on a thick cement slab. |
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The walls are built one course at a time from high-alumina firebrick on the inside and
soft insulating brick on the outside. The slated form in front will support the kiln's arched
roof while it is being built. |
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Marianne and her assistant, Gamble
McKown, celebrating at the beginning of the first
firing of
the new kiln in October, 2002 |
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Here in the fall of 2005, Marianne uses a piece of angle iron to add salt to the kiln.
The salt volatilizes and the sodium in the salt chemically combines with the silica in the
clay to form a glaze on the pots. |
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