Kiln Query

[sigivald]

So, I'm contemplating getting a kiln.

Rafni gave me some shiny Bullseye glass a while back, and I hear it needs needs needs to be annealed in the way the Moretti I've been using doesn't.

I wouldn't mind also being able to fuse silver and maybe do enameling.

Looking at the temperatures, it looks like a lot of kilns can anneal glass and do enameling and

Comments

[aelfgyfu]

Well, skutt has some pretty nice ones, and mine was about $500 when I got it. It is quite large, has a programmable controller, and will work for annealing glass and enameling. It is theoretically for fusing, but I use our as an annealer. It obviously is not really a bead kiln, being quite a bit larger. I think I have one of the smaller studio series: http://www.skutt.com/glass/products/studio.php

[fjorlief]

I'd be happy to talk with you about enameling kilns. I have some very specific ideas and predjudices, and the requirements for annealing glass are different than those for doing enameling. I know nothing about fusing silver, if you are referring to PMC

[sigivald]

By fusing silver, I meant joining silver rings or wires by contact, and getting them just-under-melting hot. No solder!

PMC is not (fortunately for me) among my current interests.

Those Skutts look pretty nice, but top-loading is kinda awkward for bead annealing...

But the Bullseye one has a side-load option for beads and a similar controller and temperature range, and thus should work for enameling and annealing. (Or even ceramics, if I ever went completely insane*.)

(* I say that because I don't get along with clay. Ceramics was the only art class I took in college I got a C in. Seriously. It's bad.)

Thanks for the input, guys!

[fjorlief]

Looking at the Caldera on the Bullseye site, it would be a little challenging to use for enameling. the bead annealing door is 7 1/2" wide but only 2 1/4" high, It would be possible to move enamel projects through such a shallow opening, but would require being very careful to not jostle the trivet holding the project... Do let me know how it ends up working out for you....

[jazzsociety]

Hot.

[sigivald]

I love you, man.

See you at Clinton.