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Feel free to do it, the project is open for anyone to try! I would love for you to let me know if you do it, and send me some pictures or footage of your results. I have plans to make a video showing other people's spinoffs of Norberta! I have a couple of friends who did it already, but the more people showing their results, the better!

Thank you for your comment, I'm glad you liked my project. Unfortunately I don't have blue prints, or exact dimensions for this kiln, you will have to just count bricks in each linear direction to get a basic Idea. So long as the fire box and the ware chamber are both close to the same size, you'll be fine, no matter what dimensions, if not too far from what you see in the video. I have taken Norberta up to 1200°C, or cone 6, in a 14hrs firing. Use a thermocouple, or your firing time will be much longer and still you will not be so sure of what temperature you have reached... For bisque firing, you can work with the signs you get from the chimney, no need for a thermocouple. I still recommend you use one anyway, so you can be more economic with your firewood stock and quicker achieving the right temps.

I have taken it to around 1000°C in around 8hrs of firing. I suppose it could reach 1220°C or cone 6 , if you fire it for considerably longer, around 16- 24hrs. I have not tried yet because I don't have a helper to take turns with me tending for the kiln. I can't go on that long by myself, it is exhausting! But one of the viewers of my Portuguese language channel has built his version and he claims to have reached 1200 in around 10hrs too, so I believe his version has improvements. As for your question about the arch less design, you have answered it yourself: I'm cheap and lazy. I don't want to spend the money or the effort and the extra material (more bricks and the iron frame work) if there is a cheaper and almost as effective way. the firebox wouldn't benefit from an arch, and the ware chamber would maybe gain a little smoother flow from the curved surface... But flat works just as fine! Remember, this is basically a side draft design. Arches are better for down draft kilns, as they gently reverse the orientation of the draft from up to down. What would really amount to a great improvement to Norberta is making the chimney taller. And also designing some grate system to allow airflow from underneath and through the ambers.

😂I just couldn't help it!

I have taken it up to 1000°C. But, I'm sure it will go further, slightly above 1200°C or cone 6, if I elongate the chimney a little more. I haven't tried it yet only because it would take more than 18hs to do so, and it is not a task to perform alone. You will need someone else to take turns with. Thank you for your comment!

Agreed! Thank you for the heads up!

I would say it is possible, provided you have the right shape mold! And remember, once it is out of the mold, you can always add detail and do some minor shape changes

My pleasure, Doc!

I haven't tried it's limits but a friend, who watched the videos and built his own Norberta, fired glaze ware at 1250°C, in 12-14hs. He has sent me images and I'm asking anyone who builds their own version to do the same! So we can put together a video showing all of Norberta's spinoffs!

Thank you for your comment! If you do build your own Norberta, let us know, make a video or photos so I can put together a video about Norberta's spinoffs!

It works like a charm. I bisque fire it to 900°C in around 6-7 hs. Although I haven't taken it to glaze fire temps, one of my viewers has built his own Norberta and affirms he took her to 1200°C (around cone 5-6) in less than 10hs. Check out my video on how to operate it, called Bisque Firing a Firewood Kiln.

Thank you for your comment!

Thank you for your comment. I haven't pushed it to its limits yet, I have been only doing bisque fires with it (900° - 1000°C). But a friend who watched my video and built his own Norberta has reached 1200°C in 9 hs.

Thank you for your comment. I don't have the exact number. The 3D program gives me the number of bricks, but it counts half-bricks as one full piece, so it is not an exact number. My best guess is somewhere around 350 refractory bricks and 550 - 600 regular bricks. Plus the large concrete bricks for the raised bed.

If you build it, let me know! I'm gathering videos and images made by members of my audience who have built it, so I can make a video for the channel showing them, as well as any improvements that some of us may come up with!

The narration, translation and beautiful voice in this video are all merit to my talented friend, Jerry Wescott!

Thank you for your comment. No, it is not good for Raku pottery. You do not have easy access to the red hot pieces, because it is closed with laid down bricks. A drum / rock wool kiln is much more appropriate for Raku.

I hope it is useful to you! Thank you for your comment!

Thank you for watching and for your comment. That will vary with quite a few different factors, like season (hence weather), the place you keep it while it dries, and sometimes even the type of clay. My suggestion is that you never rush this part of the process, ideally you should let it dry over a week. Too fast drying can lead to warping and cracking. If it is a hot and dry season, wrap it in plastic to slow down the loss of water. It is a thick walled piece, so you must make sure it dries well all the way to the core before firing. When you hold it in your hand and it doesn't feel cool, then it is probably ok to go to the kiln.

@@improbabilitydrive6005 thankyou so much for taking the time to reply 🙏 I will post some photos of my work once done 🤞🫶

I am collecting video footage or still images from people who build their own version of Norberta to make a video showing those spinoffs! If you are interested and kind enough, you can send me some image of your version, building, operating, anything you could share with us about your Norberta, and authorize the use for video in my channel! My contact for the YT channels is naturamorpho@gmail.com

Thank you for your comment. Once you load al the pieces that will be fired, you lay a layer of refractory bricks and a second one of common bricks. But you must use only dirt mud between the bricks. So it is really easy to open after firing, and you can actually use the same material many times over. There is a video in this channel called "Bisque Firing a Firewood Kiln" that shows this and other aspects of operating Norberta.

@@improbabilitydrive6005 Thanks so much! We got everything together over months, as we can afford, and now we are READY to start building. So excited 😁👍

So long as you operate within the temperature ranges that your bricks can deal with, you should be fine. Norberta has been fired many, many times now and it is all right. I haven't pushed it beyond 1100°C, because I haven't built that little arch on the door to the chamber which I show in the 3D animation. My bricks are almost flying onto thin air at that point. Yet, the firebox ceiling which is supported from all four sides is almost intact even after all the wood burning it has been through.

That is a clever observation! I have tried to use 1/4 bleach solution, and I fill the syringe with much less solution so I can drop much smaller amounts into the flask. I never tried rinsing, my space inside the glovebox is too tight for complex manipulation. How do you doit? I have had success this way, but I understand rinsing might be very beneficial.

Yes, definitely!

What cone does Norberta fire to ??

thank you for your feedback.

Not really! I hope I can do it soon. Right now I don't have someone who will take turns with me stoking the fire overnight! But I will surely make the video next time I do it.

Thank you!

It is a little hard to say, I bought the material more than 6 years ago, in Brazil, and prices may be highly variable in different countries!

Forgive me for that brick I threw on your head!😆😄

only for the fuel!

I think so. In fact, I believe you couldn't get rid of fly ash if you wanted to, with this cross-draft design! I have used it more often for bisque, though.

@@improbabilitydrive6005 cool, thank you!

Yes, in fact I started with a proof of concept that was a scaled down version, for firing a couple of small bowls, if so many! I built it with refractory bricks inside my regular brick barbecue grill... It bisque fired the test pieces very well, and then I had to hire someone to go fix the barbecue grill... It didn't resist the high temperature and began to crumble!... lol! BUT (there is always one), it didn't take much shorter to fire than Norberta does now, which is why I settled with this latest size for her!

@@improbabilitydrive6005 I see. Thank you kindly, good sir

I am only familiar with pottery kilns, and I don't know the needs and techniques for working with glass. I think a cross-draft wood burning model like this might be a little messy for glass, with a great deal of flying ashes in the environment. And I also believe you will need a better open/close system than a door made of a simple layer of bricks so you can handle your glass after it is hot, if you want to work with the molten glass. I haven't yet gotten it to its highest possible temperatures, But I have reached around 1900°F within 12 hours of firing it.

Not really, my actual version of Norberta does not have that arch. But I think it is a weak spot in the supporting structure of the ware chamber's roof which the arch will handle well.

My archless version is showing serious signs of aging and roof bricks are getting a bit lose in their places. I haven't had the courage to ramp it up above 1200°C because of that!

@@improbabilitydrive6005 thanks!

It is not a design that is good for pizza... Pizza ovens are generally made to deal with lower temperatures than ceramics, never more than 500°C. Also, this design is not concerned with keeping the bulk of the smoke away from the material inside, like pizza or any other kind of food. Pizza ovens are usually round, igloo like, so the smoke rises and flows away via the chimney without changing the taste of the food.

I bought the material as I upgraded Norberta, along the years, so I don't have an exact count... But I can try and estimate the number of bricks... From the 3D file... the problem is that the 3D file can't tell half bricks apart from whole ones... so it is just an estimate. According to 3DS Max, Norberta has 350 refractory bricks and 550 regular ones. But as I said, it is a little less than that, since half bricks are counted as one...

@@improbabilitydrive6005 thanks. That gives me something to work from.

Agreed! Next Norberta iteration will have those!