Last Spring before burn season ended, I had a workshop to make pots for pit firing. However it dried out before I could get my assistant to dig a hole, so I settled on sawdust firing in a barrel. The end result is pretty much the same and the fire is contained. We used our regular burn barrel with about 6 inch of ashes in the bottom and slits in the side for air to keep the fire going. Hope to do this again sometime, either in a pit or barrel. NRD

The pots were packed with sawdust inside and out with more put on the top to six inches or so from the top. We soaked the top with charcoal lighter and put twists of newspaper on top . Lit the newspaper and it started the lighter fluid. This got the sawdust smoldering. Put on the screen cover and left it overnight.

The sawdust is burned away and the pots have all settled to the bottom. Letting them sit until cool before removing from the barrel avoids some nasty burns. [The big pot with twisted top is mine and not pictured below.]