WHY DO YOU NEED TO CURE A CHIMINEA?

Curing is important for iron chimineas because it helps bond the paint to the iron surface, which will prevent rust in the future.

For clay chimineas (both ceramic and terracotta), curing the material strengthens the clay molecules, so they bond together tighter, which reduces the chance of cracks or breakage.

MATERIALS NEEDED TO CURE A CHIMINEA

Thankfully, only these few materials are necessary to perform curing on both iron or clay chimineas:

• Sand
• Kindling wood
• Newspaper
• Matches or lighter
  

You will need enough sand to line the interior of the base to around four inches deep. The amount will vary according to the shape and depth of the bowl inside your specific chiminea.

Your fire will sit on this sand base, so make it of a comfortable height for prepping and lighting fire making materials.

STEP BY STEP: HOW TO CURING A CHIMINEA

Follow these steps to ensure your chiminea curing process is sufficient for longterm use:

Step 1. In an empty base, place one or two balls of newspaper (or any type of paper) inside, and light them. Add in one or two more paper balls at a time until you build a small fire.

Do not overdo it; keep the flames small. Once you reach this level, allow the fire to burn out entirely and the chiminea to cool. Clean out any remnants of the fire.

Step 2. Add sand inside the interior of the base. This layer of sand will remain inside the chiminea during all subsequent uses.

Step 3. You now need to build another fire, this time using paper and small bits of kindling. This fire needs to burn a bit larger than the first fire.

Once the fire reaches the right height, allow it to burn out and cool down completely.

Step 4.
Repeat this fire-building and cool down process two or three more times with each subsequent fire more substantial than the one before.

Heating up and cooling down the chiminea material in this way will enable it to tolerate the high levels of prolonged heat that will occur during regular use as an outdoor fireplace.

Source: https://heatandhearth.com/how-to-cure-a-chiminea/

Sparkle Stone Outdoor Clay Chiminea Fire Pit Overall Size - Sun Face Patio Fire Handcrafted Chimenea, Wood-Burning Backyard Fireplace Stove with Cover Lid, Rustic Ceramic Chimney