One of the reasons for building this furnace was to test some ideas for beadmaking. Could we build a multi-use furnace that would accommodate several (in this case, three) beadmakers, using the volcano approach of upward-firing working-holes in the roof?

We (mainly David) made the flat, one-inch-thick, disc-shaped roof from daub, and allowed it to dry and shrink to size. At the leather-hard stage, we cut four slots in it: three close to the inner edge of the upper wall for use as working holes, and one top hole. We drew the position of the holes on a plastic sheet stretched over the upper wall and traced them onto the roof using a fish knife.

We also created several small conical, oval 'vulcanettes', with slots in their walls, to fit over the slots in the roof and act as work stations. Finally, we made a cover for the top hole. The roof and the vulcanettes were fired in situ during Firing Two.

The vulcanettes can be seen in use in Vesuvius Firings Two and Three, both described on this page.

The roof was to be supported using two mullite tubes set into the top of the upper wall. These slots can be seen in the photos, and the tubes can be seen in the photos of Vesuvius Firings Two and Three on this page.

This collar was an attempt to move away from using bricks to close down the entrance to the stoke hole, and was formed from daub and using one of the Vesuvius gathering hole forms. The shape was drawn on on a plastic sheet, with allowances made for shrinkage.

The bracket at the top of the collar would allow the collar to fit over the tunnel, and the hole in the bracket was intended for a spike to hold the collar in place, In the event, this was unnecessary.

We fired the collar in Vesuvius during Firing Two, which automatically put it through a slow, controlled rise in temperature, reaching 1040°C in five and one half hours.

Although the collar worked during subsequent firings, it did crack. If we can mend it, we will try to insulate it using ceramic fibre blanket.

The collar can be seen in use in Firings Two and Three, both described on this page.