What vacuum for a kiln then?

[Pat from Canvey]

I'm just surprised that there is a need to frequently hoover out the kiln. My big old ceramics kiln, albeit a front loader too,(internal measurements w. 30cm h. 30 cm depth 30 cm) very rarely needed hoovering even though I used both fiber paper and batwash depending on the project. I always lifted out the shelves keeping them horizontal before tipping into a black sack while holding on to the shelf. Dust and debris was trapped in the sack. The kiln has exposed heating elements on both sides and the floor and a dedicated 30 amp main.Keeping shelves horizontal was a knack I had to PPP because small pieces before fusing had a habit of moving when I walked from the lounge to the garage, (through two doors and down a back step)     

[Zeldazog]

I can't honestly say I hoover mine out lots Pat, although I do think some of it depends on whether you use thinfire or batt wash predominantly.  I find thinfire creates quite a bit of dust.

Also, with a top loader, especially a fire brick one (like my Hot Start, as opposed to ceramic fibre, like my new Bill) does tend to create dust and 'crumbs' - the action of opening and closing the lid cannot help but create a bit of extra dust - with a front loader, I'd expect most of that to simply fall on the floor in front of the kiln when you open the door.

And, whilst I know you do practice all sorts of glass techniques Pat, but I'd say it was more important to hoover out a fusing kiln than one used only for annealing.  When annealing, a speck of brick dust/thinfire residue isn't going to harm a bead, because it's already set - but with fusing, or casting, or other work that reaches higher temperatures in the kiln, then dust dropping on your glass when it's going up to 800 degrees is something you REALLY don't want happening....

[Krysia@No98]

Vacuum my kiln?? I don't even vacuum my house if I can help it! After all, what are children for??!!

He he he, I am of the same mind, however I do vacuum the inside of my kiln more then anything else 

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My tutor at college also vacuums the inside of the big glass kilns in between every firing.

[Flyingcheesetoastie]

It's simply another question of whether you want to spend an extra couple of minutes to prevent any contamination during a firing.  For me it falls into the same catagory as cleaning out my lost wax molds with boiling water, even after they've been steamed out, yes I could simply not bother, but the crucial firing I don't do that is the one that a tiny bit of wax remains and contaminated the entire cast.

[Pat from Canvey]

I can't see any crud on here, can you combed glass at 930-940 degrees centigrade, or
I got a roll of a thicker paper from Creative Crafts at Rochester. Might be Bullseye.I thought it was pricey at the time but it has proved to be worth it

[laurat]

So does the thicker paper mean it can be fired more than once?
or do you layer?
or a much more sensible option would be u brush it off?
I really don't think that I could leave the dust as it is a top opening kiln, when I open is blows about a bit.

[Flyingcheesetoastie]

I use 3mm Fibre Paper in Big Blue, which I don't hoover untill I'm ready to remove it completely and re-line him, as it would destroy it to hoover it.  The top loader and my bead-cube I hoover when needed, which can be after every firing or not, it's preety obvious when you need to do so and depending on what you are using!

However, I'm more than happy to do a personal inspection of people's kilns for a recommendation of hoovering requirements for my standard hourly rate plus travel expenses!