One Side of the Arch, One Day with My Dad

Today my dad and I worked on one side of Ana Our Wood kiln and did a dry stack to be sure all the bricks were there. On my next day off I need to lay in the other side. There might be changes to even what we have now. One of my biggest fears is the arch caving once we lower the form. Once I have the second side almost in, the big plan is to number the bricks in some way so I know how they go back in. I plan to dip the bricks in a slurry of china clay and sand.

Not all of the bricks are the same thickness, as many of the straight bricks got mixed up. I did my best not to break the arch brick when taking the kiln down, and with one side stacked and the other side in progress, it seems I should have enough brick to complete the arch. Then I will be able to work on the chimney stack. With both sides of the arch dry stacked, I then plan to take the arch apart again and lay them out in the yard, then restack them all with slurry. All of that needs to be done once the nights are warmer. Since it is still early spring, we are still getting frost.

My dad had a fun time helping me put up the kiln. I do hope he does not get sore tomorrow. Dad, at age 73, and I, at 51, worked slowly and did not exert ourselves too much. We took breaks and took time to chat and enjoy each other’s company. A few times, bricks fell, though we knew to communicate well and to stay out of the line of fire. I do suppose if there were more people there safety would be more of an issue to worry about. Still, it would be quite easy to throw out your back doing the same thing many times over with bricks.

The weather was nice and cool to work in. One mistake I made last year, I think, was trying to do the build in the summer. The sun was very hot and those who helped had to be sure they took time to hydrate themselves. With the arch half done, it has given me more confidence that the kiln will be completed and maybe test-fired this year. I had hoped for Ana Our Wood Kiln to be done sooner, though we had to work through the many challenges that, as a first-time builder, I ran into. I also had to practice better project management. I am very glad things are being pieced together and that the kiln is finally taking shape, brick by brick.

If I were living yesterday a second time: I’ll remember that these moments with him matter more than I realize in the moment, and documenting them is worth the thirty seconds it takes.

Things I am grateful for: My dad who spent the day helping me stack bricks. The fact that he still can at his age. Cool spring weather instead of summer heat.

Days remaining if I live to 86: 12,726

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