Wood-fired kiln built

Posted: July 22, 2013 11:00 a.m.

The wood-fuelled kiln can create temperatures of 1300 degrees Celsius. Photo: External Relations

A wood-fired kiln was recently completed in the Dr. Lloyd Barber Academic Green, just north of the Riddell Centre.

This is where ceramics students will fire their clay creations.

Most kilns in Saskatchewan are powered by either electricity or natural gas. Although there are a few privately-owned wood kilns in the province, the new kiln at the University of Regina is the only wood-fired kiln at an institution in Saskatchewan.

Keeping a wood-fired kiln means more than just flipping an “on” switch. Lots of firewood has to be brought in and cut. The kiln has to be watched ’round the clock, and wood has to be added regularly to keep the fire going. The firing process takes around 40 consecutive hours or more - so it means some late nights and early mornings for those watching the kiln.

The University’s kiln will only be fired two or three times a year. The first time was June 20 to 22. The kiln will likely be fired up again sometime in the fall.

As well as a new place for visual arts students to finalize their creations, it will be a place where they can gain first-hand experience of how pottery was created in the earliest days.