Kiln Building
I began building kilns shortly after graduating from Texas State University. I was given a pile of bricks by a friend who was moving away and built an extremely small soda kiln, fired with a single burner. This project taught me many things about kiln design and firing, particularly because it was so small that I could fill it quickly and fire frequently.
Shown here is my micro soda kiln, fired with one burner with a stacking space of 18”x14”x25”
While attending Utah State University as a Post-Bacc student I had the privilege of taking a kiln building class with Todd Hayes where we tore down a kiln at the end of a twenty plus year lifespan and rebuilt a fresh kiln in its place. This style of klin, typically called a ‘cat arch’ kiln, is designed based upon the Catenary Arch, an architectural structure that directs virtually all gravitational forces into compression, requiring less additional horizontal support, creating an extremely strong arch. This class was incredible and I learned many of the foundations of proper kiln building, not just design, through hands on experience and thoughtful guidance.
In the winter of 2025 I was hired by the local ceramics supply store, Roadrunner Ceramics, to finish building a salt kiln that had sat nearing completion for almost two years. I built the arch, finished the walls and readied the kiln for many years of firings.
The spring of 2026 provided me with the opportunity for my most ambitious kiln build yet. While attending graduate school at the University of Texas at San Antonio, my mentor Ovidio Giberga offered me the support and materials necessary to build a Train Kiln for university. Most of my woodfiring experience is with this style of kiln, having spent a year at Utah State University, the birthplace of the Train Kiln. It was thrilling to be able to bring that legacy to UTSA and provide students with the opportunity to fire such a well designed kiln. John Neely created the Train Kiln to achieve high wood ash deposits without the week long firings demanded by an Anagama style kiln. The efficiency and control that the design allows have made it one of the most popular woodkiln designs in the world, and a perfect fit for a university setting.
If you have interest in having a kiln built by me please reach out via email and we can make an appointment to talk more.
Sawyerhewittpottery@gmail.com