The Kilns

The Manabigama II

About the Manabigama II

What Makes the Manabigama Kiln So Different?

Manabigama II Samples

Manabigama Wood Fire Workshop Participants Loading, Firing, and Unloading

The Manabigama I Prototype

The 3-Chamber Kiln

The manabigama II

This new model is a bit larger and built precisely to the architectural drawings that are for sale.

Kiln design and construction was done cooperatively by Stan Burgess, Bill van Gilder (Gapland, Maryland), and John Thies (Thurmont, Maryland).

Note: Architectural kiln drawings by Stan Burgess (Baltimore, Maryland).

about the Manabigama II

The kiln was designed during winter 2007/2008 by John Thies, Bill van Gilder, and Stan Burgess. In Japanese, "Mana"  translates as "learning." "Bi" translates as "beautiful" and "gama" means "kiln;" hence, "A beautiful learning kiln." Although  a 12-hour firing is preferable, a Manabigama kiln can be fired in as little as eight hours, making it an ideal kiln to use as a workshop focus. The kiln consumes less than one cord of common, mixed hardwoods per firing. A Manabigama firing yields heavy ash effects in the front half of the chamber, typical of much longer anagama  kiln firings. The ware chamber yields softer flashed effects in the back half of the chamber.  This part of the kiln is used for glazed wares - especially those with shino-type glazes. An average Manabigama firing schedule is as follows: Day 1:  Load the kiln Day 2:  Fire the kiln Day 3:  Cool the kiln Day 4:  Unload the kiln

Stoking the Manabigama II - Click for larger view First firing ready to be unloaded - Click for larger view

what makes the manabigama kiln so different?

• It is a suitably sized  kiln, allowing for a reasonable quick making and firing cycle.
• It is an ideal option for universities, craft schools, art centers, or private studios.
• The kiln can be completely constructed within three to five days, by 2 - 15 people.
• The kiln chamber is large enough to yield an ample amount of wood-fired pieces per firing and hence, is useful fro group workshops and/or individual studio potters.
• The kiln is capable of yielding typically longer firing results (i.e., saturated natural ash deposits, intense flame flashing, heavy-to-light reduction effects) within a minimal 8-to 9-hour firing.
• It's an excellent instructional wood kiln for teaching hands-on, introductory wood firing programs.
• The Manabigama is a sensible addition to the school or private kiln yard with existing large wood-fire kilns that often take weeks to fill, load, fire, cool, and unload.  A Manabigama kiln can be loaded in an afternoon, fired to cone 12 over eight to twelve hours, and unloaded within a total of four days.  This time frame allows students to learn quickly about wood-firing, without the sometimes overly intense labor needed to operate larger wood firing kilns.
• The Manabigama kiln is a perfectly-sized wood-fire kiln for batch-testing clay bodies, slips, and glazes.
• Fuel consumption for a short firing will total less than one cord of common stove wood, typically purchased locally with ease.
• The kiln can also be fired as long firing (more than 12 hours) if desired.
• Optional soda and salt ports are located at the mid-point of the kiln chamber.
• The kiln design incorporates a double passive damper system, allowing for top temperature "soaking" of the ware.
• The entire kiln can be loaded, fired, cooled, and unloaded comfortably by a single person, if necessary.
• The Manabigama kiln is designed to accommodate four stacks, or "bungs," of 12' x 24" kiln shelves.
• The Manabigama has proven to be a wood kiln that is actually fun to fire!

 

Manabigama II Samples

 

Finished pot from the new Manabigama II - Click for larger view	Finished pot from the new Manabigama II - Click for larger view
Finished pot from the new Manabigama II - Click for larger view	Finished pot from the new Manabigama II - Click for larger view
Finished pot from the new Manabigama II - Click for larger view	Finished pot from the new Manabigama II - Click for larger view
Finished pot from the new Manabigama II - Click for larger view	Finished pot from the new Manabigama II - Click for larger view
Finished pot from the new Manabigama II - Click for larger view	Finished pot from the new Manabigama II - Click for larger view
Finished pot from the new Manabigama II - Click for larger view	Finished pot from the new Manabigama II - Click for larger view

 

Manabigama wood fire workshop participants loading, firing, and unloading

 

Loading the Manabigama  - Click for larger view

Loading the Manabigama - Click for larger view

Loading the Manabigama  - Click for larger view	Loading the Manabigama - Click for larger view

Loading the Manabigama  - Click for larger view	Loading the Manabigama - Click for larger view

Loading the Manabigama  - Click for larger view	Loading the Manabigama - Click for larger view

Loading the Manabigama  - Click for larger view	Loading the Manabigama - Click for larger view

Loading the Manabigama  - Click for larger view	Loading the Manabigama - Click for larger view

Loading the Manabigama  - Click for larger view	Loading the Manabigama - Click for larger view

Loading the Manabigama  - Click for larger view	Loading the Manabigama - Click for larger view

Firing the Manabigama  - Click for larger view	Firing the Manabigama - Click for larger view

Firing the Manabigama  - Click for larger view

Unloading the Manabigama  - Click for larger view	Unloading the Manabigama - Click for larger view

Unloading the Manabigama  - Click for larger view	Unloading the Manabigama - Click for larger view

Unloading the Manabigama  - Click for larger view	Unloading the Manabigama - Click for larger view

Unloading the Manabigama  - Click for larger view

The Manabigama I Prototype

 

The new kiln named Manabigama is a traditional design with a few simple modifications.  The chamber is approximately 24 cubic feet of stacking space.  This kiln is presently being used for teaching wood firing   - see Workshops for additional details.	John Stokes the Manabigama Wood Kiln - Click here for a larger view
Monocacy Pottery Manabigama Wood Kiln - Click for larger view	Kiln loaded and ready to fire - Click for larger view

 

 

3-Chamber Wood Kiln

 

I have been building and firing wood kilns for over 30 years now. Most all of the kilns I have worked with and built have been direct designs taken from the chamber kilns used historically around the world. The kiln shown here is a three chamber kiln in the traditional Noborigama style (meaning climbing chamber kiln). The kiln is three hundred cubic foot cross draft, and is fired seven times a year for my personal work and also for group rental workshops. Two of the chambers are used for glaze work and one used for salt glazing.	Monocacy Pottery 3-Chamber Wood Kiln - Click here for a larger view
John stokes the 3-Chamber Kiln - Click here for a larger view	John stokes the 3-Chamber Kiln - Click here for a larger view
3-Chamber Kiln firing at cone 12 - Click here for a larger view