can you make your own kiln?

[dunkster]

not in a position to buy a proper  on the market kiln at several hundred pounds, so i was wondering if a home made one could be a possibility.
thinking about using the propane bottle and torch set up i have already and constructing some type of steel box with special heat bricks inside for insulation. then a temperature guage from somewhere.
is it possible? has anyone else tried this? cant keep having my beads crack all the time.

[Dragonfire Glass]

you'd be better off sendng them to someone to anneal them for you - unless they are cracking for another reason?

[dunkster]

is that dear? and can annealing repair slight hairline cracks in the bead?

[dinah46]

Annealing will not repair cracks, you need to cool the bead slowly in vermiculite.

For information on building your own kiln then www.warmglass.com is a good source of information and links where people have built their own kilns but I think generally this is not to save money but to obtain a custom kiln of a size etc that suits better than an off the shelf variety.

[Steampunkglass]

Sadly not, it might reduce the chance of them cracking further, but chances are they will still turn into a full crack eventually. Its frustrating when it's a great bead, but bead making certainly taught me to be more 'Zen' about things I made, pop them into the reject jar and forget them and move on to make some more. I did make a little 'hot box' lined with lots of ceramic wool and a slit in the front, but I didn't heat it and that worked fine for most of them, just popped them in whilst warm after wafting in the top of the flame to help anneal them a little there. I am really not sure about the safety of using a torch to make a kiln though, personally it's not something I'd want to risk doing and also you need quite a narrow temperature control and not sure if a propane torch will give you that, also there would be issues with gas exchange as carbon monoxide would build up inside and oxygen might drop too.

[dunkster]

Annealing will not repair cracks, you need to cool the bead slowly in vermiculite.

For information on building your own kiln then www.warmglass.com is a good source of information and links where people have built their own kilns but I think generally this is not to save money but to obtain a custom kiln of a size etc that suits better than an off the shelf variety.

thats a great help thanks. currently i am using a fibre blanket purchased from tuffnell glass but i am unconvinced thats its very effective. i have recently been told of vermiculite so i will try to get some.

[Mary]

It can be done, if you're handy enough.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273306&highlight=stovepipe
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126999
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162187
http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90195&highlight=build+controller

[TiaraHelen]

is that dear?

Loads of people on FHF will batch anneal for nothing, just put them in with their own.  Best to find someone who lives nearby to save postage (and make a glassy friend!).  Where are you based?

And vermiculite in a slow cooker seems to be the best if you haven't got a kiln...

[fionaess]

[/quote]

thats a great help thanks. currently i am using a fibre blanket purchased from tuffnell glass but i am unconvinced thats its very effective. i have recently been told of vermiculite so i will try to get some.
[/quote]

Fibre blankets are very effective... I rarely get cracked beads unless I peek..  Try covering the outside of your blanket with a layer of aluminium foil - very good at keeping the heat in.  I've found that if I have a stray cold bead lurking in my blanket, having put 3 or 4 other hot beads under it, my cold bead will be hot again

[Billie]

My FIL made one for my SIL from a old bread machine so yes, it can definitely be done...