Today I wanna talk about brick kilns. Yeah, those big ovens used to bake bricks. I got interested in this whole thing a while back and figured, why not try building one myself? So, that’s what I did.
First off, I had to figure out the size I needed. I mean, you can’t just start throwing bricks together without a plan, right? After some rough calculations and deciding on a nice flat spot in my backyard, I got to work.
The most basic kilns are just holes in the ground, but I wanted something a bit more, you know, structured. So, I started laying out bricks, leaving spaces for the heat to circulate. It’s like building with LEGOs, but way heavier and you gotta be more precise.
Building the walls was the next step. I used regular old bricks and some mortar to stick ’em together. Layer by layer, the kiln started taking shape. This was a bit of a workout, I gotta say. It was hard work, but seeing it come together was pretty darn satisfying.
- Stacked them bricks.
- Left spaces for the heat.
- Built it up layer by layer.
Once the walls were high enough, I had to think about how to cover the thing. This is where it gets interesting. I learned that folks use different methods. I opted for a simple arched roof. I used wood to support the arch while I built it.
Firing Up the Kiln
Now, for the fun part – firing it up! Traditionally, you’d put fuel like wood or coal underneath the bricks inside the kiln. They used to use wood, but it doesn’t get as hot as coal. I decided to go with wood since it was more accessible for me.
With the bricks stacked inside and the fuel in place, I lit it up. It’s a slow process. You gotta let the heat build up gradually. My grandpappy always said, “low and slow” is the way to go with bricks. And he was right.
I kept the fire going for a good long while, making sure the heat was evenly distributed. It was a bit like babysitting a very hot, very large oven. You can use natural gas or propane too. But I only used wood.
After a few days, I let the kiln cool down completely. This part takes patience, let me tell you. But once it was cool enough, I opened it up and… there they were, my very own homemade bricks! They weren’t perfect, but they were mine. And they were solid. It felt pretty good to have made something so useful from scratch.
This whole brick kiln project was a real learning experience. It’s not something you do every day, but it’s definitely something I’m glad I tried. Plus, now I have a newfound appreciation for those old-time brick makers. They were tough cookies, that’s for sure.
And I built my kiln for only about $120, not including some other tools. So it was easy to build.
So yeah, that’s my story about building a brick kiln. Hope you found it interesting!
