Kiln builder
Design a kiln brick by brick. Four shapes, 3D model, honest brick counts with cutting optimization, and SVG export.
By Dennis Allende
The Form of Clay
Free pottery calculators and practical writing on materials, technique, and the physics behind the craft.
Tools
All tools →
Energy calculator
How much energy does your kiln need? Insulation, heat loss, R-values, and fuel equivalents for electric, gas, or wood.
Element calculator
Size the heating wire for a studio-built electric kiln. Wire diameter, coil geometry, surface load, and a feasibility check against Kanthal's limits.
From the blog
All posts →Why clay is plastic, and why that is the same thing as why it shrinks
Plasticity and shrinkage are one property seen twice: flat particles gliding on water films, then closing up as the water leaves. What that means for warping, cracked handles, and building oversized.
Why glazes craze, and why a perfect fit is the wrong goal
Crazing, shivering, and the quiet compression a good glaze lives under: what the cracks are telling you, and why a perfect fit is the wrong goal.
Designing a kiln brick by brick
How to use the kiln builder, and the masonry it models: running bond, sprung arches, catenaries, and round walls, with the counting that traces every brick back to the saw.