As promised, I've been back to the drawing board.



I've done some deep research into fire-cement. Wonderful product names - heat-proof screed, fire cement, fire clay, fire brick, castable refractory and my favourite, mouldable fire brick.

There is a whole wonderful world of refractory materials out there. Most are used for large industrial projects like building smelters, so there aren't many suppliers for small scale installations.

There seem to be two kinds of people who use these in a domestic setting - potters who want to build their own kilns, and people who want to make their own steel items such as swords (hold on - I need a new kitchen knife!)

I've found the tandooriq which looks extremely cool, but is over my budget. I've spoken to Clay Ovens - the suppliers of clay liners used by Piers. They were incredibly helpful and friendly, but I feel a need to carve my own path.

The design in the drawing above is based on a combination of a diy pottery kiln and a tandoor. It should be a bit lighter and efficient than the concrete in an oil drum.