Beginner buying new kiln - advice please

Started by smudges dad, April 27, 2016, 02:29:58 PM

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Moira HFG

Have you considered Nunnyrose's ad on the forum? I think you could get a very good kiln for your money from her/him. This is the kiln: http://www.creativeglassshop.co.uk/product/31232/paragon-gl24-standard-glass-kiln.html

and there's a lot of float appropriate stuff too.
Please excuse me interfering, I was just struck by two posters who were wanting and selling pretty much the same thing!   :P

smudges dad

Thanks :), I'd looked at that but a 6.6kw kiln at 140kg is a little more than I could cope with at the moment.

smudges dad

Thanks for all the advice, there was a lot to consider, but in the end I decided on the Firebox8.  The reasons were that it reaches higher temperatures, it comes with kiln furniture and heating is on all 4 sides and is well within budget.  Although I'll be able to do some fusing, my main emphasis needs to be on casting and if I want to do more fusing later then I can get a more suitable kiln.

Thanks again to everyone, notably Fluffstar, Moira and especially Zeldazog for the advice.

Zeldazog

Glad we've helped.

One thing we've learned along the way on this forum is actually, there is no *one* kiln that truly is good for everything.  If it's great and economical for glass fusing, it's not suitable for garage annealing (annealing as you go) for lamp-workers.  Many glass fusing kilns aren't deep enough for anything but small drops.  Bigger kilns, great, but take an age to fill, and cost more to install, and of course run (although all kilns are surprisingly economical) and need bigger, more specialised space.

So, choosing the thing you want to do the most is a great idea, and that is a great starter kiln.  If and when you decide go bigger, deeper or whatever, kilns hold their price well, and you will find someone wanting to take it off your hands if you don't want to keep it.  I sold my Hot Start Pro on when I got a Hobbyfuser, at the time I shared a studio and didn't have space.  I often wished I'd kept it for busy times.  When I upgrade to the next size up, I will definitely have to sell the Hobbyfuser, I'll be a big boy territory and will then probably be in the market for a small kiln for samples and tests.

In an ideal world I would have several kilns to suit everything I might want to do, as I think I need *at least* three to fulfill all of my ideals!

Have fun, and don't forget to come back and share with us what you've made  ;D ;D

Moira HFG

Quote from: Zeldazog on May 02, 2016, 08:08:30 PM
Have fun, and don't forget to come back and share with us what you've made  ;D ;D

Definitely!  ;D

Zeldazog

Dont' know if you've ordered yet, and whether this is convenient, but it comes in your budget, that's just been posted here on the forum today

http://www.frit-happens.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=47128.msg700716#msg700716

smudges dad

I saw that and looked at it with a wry smile crossing my face.  However, the logistics of collecting stuff from Plymouth and getting it to Fort William would be nightmarish.  3 days travelling for two people and loading as well as van hire would outweigh any savings (assuming I won the eBay auction).

Zeldazog

Quote from: smudges dad on May 03, 2016, 08:34:56 PM
I saw that and looked at it with a wry smile crossing my face.  However, the logistics of collecting stuff from Plymouth and getting it to Fort William would be nightmarish.  3 days travelling for two people and loading as well as van hire would outweigh any savings (assuming I won the eBay auction).

Ah, yes, I didn't know where you were based.... that is quite a trek!