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Put on a dust mask and coat the base of the kiln with sawdust. Load the kiln, starting with your pottery. Add newspaper and firewood to the kiln. Light the kiln and let the fire burn for at least 24 hours. Remove your pottery when all the sawdust has burned down.

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Coat the base with approximately 4 in (10 cm) – of sawdust. When you fire the kiln, the sawdust will give the pottery a polished finish. If your kiln includes multiple levels of shelving, go to the kiln’s opening and place approximately 4 in (10 cm) of sawdust on each level of shelving. Lay each piece on the bricks and space them evenly from each other and the walls. Make sure there is at least 1 in (2.5 cm) between each piece for best results. Individual pottery pieces should not touch each other. If you are unable to load the pottery without some pieces touching, place half of them at the kiln for an initial firing. Fire the rest later. Place 1 to 2 clumps of newspaper around the pottery. Fill the remaining gaps between the newspaper and the kilns walls with firewood. Make sure there are no gaps between the walls, firewood, newspaper, and pottery. As you grow more experienced with your kiln, experiment with different types of sawdust shavings, as well as where you place the sawdust, which will result in different finished effects. Crumple up and light a sheet of newspaper and place it in the kiln. The fire may burn up to 72 hours. It will also take as many as 12 hours or longer to cool down, so be very careful when examining your pottery.  When stoking the fire or otherwise approaching the kiln, use heat-resistant gloves and protective gear, such as goggles to protect your eyes from the smoke. As the fire consumes the sawdust, the upper half of the kiln will begin to cool. The slower the fire burns, the darker the pottery will be. To lighten the pottery, stoke the fire and add additional fuel – newspaper and wood – if the fire appears to be burning slowly. Clean the pottery with a soft cloth and then apply a layer of wax to make them shine. Your pottery may have glowing markings on it – a result of resin from the sawdust. These can be removed using a kitchen scourer. You can then paint your pieces with glazes. If you’d like your pieces to have a matte – or non-glossy finish, do not apply wax. Painting your pieces with oxide stains is the best approach to preserving your matte finish.