Advice on different uses of a kiln

Started by Fired Silver, August 27, 2008, 12:47:09 PM

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Fired Silver

Hi everyone

I'm trying to plan some things out and have been mulling over my kiln situation.

At the moment, I have a Skutt Firebox kiln with a dodgy controller!!  Long story!  So I'm saving for a new kiln. I know which kiln I'm saving for, and want to do bigger fused pieces (as at the moment I'm limited to small jewellery pieces).

My question is am I ok firing my PMC work in the new glass fusing kiln?  I do it at the moment and hadn't really thought about it before, but am wondering whether I really should be or whether I should keep my new glass fusing kiln, just for fusing IYSWIM.  I don't want to shorten the life of my new kiln in anyway!!

If the answer to that it yes, then I'll have to think about what I'm going to fire my PMC in!!

Sorry if that doesn't make sense, I'm not very with it today!!

Rebecca

Lee - Kilncare

Makes perfect sense mate.

I guess it depends on the temperature of the pmc required.

Most fusing kilns tend to be designed for a long happy life at 700 - 800c.

Even though some have top temperatures of 950 ish C and they will do that temperature, obviously, wear on the kiln will be increased if done regular.

I have just been to one our FK kilns as I popped in for a coffee whilst at the IFG and to be honest, the wear on the kiln is more than I would have expected. I then found out that the kiln is sometimes being fired up to 1000C for ceramics and also Raku firing in it.
Weso, one of our engineers, has very recently been to a 5 year old FK in the North East that has been cleaned regular etc and only used for fusing and he says it is like it is only a couple of months old. Immacculate.

There are many other ways to answer this question. I suppose a great deal depends on what kilns you are thinking of. Some will be a little happier than others for differing applications.

Lee

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Fired Silver

You know which kiln I'm thinking of!!!

Although you can fire the PMC at lower temps (600 - 650), I fire most of my work at 900 for 2 hours! So it would get quite a bashing at that temp.

I know it seems daft to be thinking of 2 kilns, but I made such a mistake with my firebox that I don't want to waste any more money!!  If one kiln for fusing and one kiln for PMC is the better option then I'll have to consider it.  I just wanted feedback from you guys who know much more than me really!

Rebecca

Mary

According to my kiln manual, firing a lot of PMC can contaminate the kiln lining, so when you fuse glass it might affect the colour. Last time I mentioned this I was told that this was unlikely, but you might want to bear it in mind.

Fired Silver

Thanks Mary, that's what I was wondering really! PMC is my main business (I use that term loosely!!) at the moment and fusing is more of a hobby.  I'm trying to think more carefully about kiln choices this time, I rushed into it last time!

Rebecca

Lee - Kilncare

Do I???????????? Oh dear a fear slapped wrists are on the way!!!!

There many schools of thought with regards to cross contamination and there are people on here with much better experience of it than me.

I can tell you that salt water in a kiln will contaminate EVERYTHING so terminaly that it is "chuck the kiln in the bin time" as we have recently found out. Unfortunately it was 2850mm wide inside, so a very big bin was required :(.


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beadysam

What happens with salt water in a kiln then? ???

Bluebottle

Quote from: beadysam on August 27, 2008, 02:06:59 PM
What happens with salt water in a kiln then? ???


Is it the fish and seaweed that cause the problems ;) ??? ;) ???

Mike   ;D

GoodMonkey


Lee - Kilncare

Well we got in some bricks that were wet. Presuming it was just a warehouse problem, we suitably dried em and they went into a kiln that was a duplicate of a couple of others the customer had that was almost 3 metres wide.

For weeks neither us nor the customer could understand why the glass was bubbling and the kiln appeared to be uneven.

Upon inspection I noticed the slightest, odd look to a ceramic part in the kiln.

Alarm bells rung, I contacted the brick supplier who informed me the bricks were actually wet in the hold of the ship!!!!!!!!!!!! The salt had contaminated everything in the kiln, the insulation, the element tubes even the frame and each time it was fired it was been drawn back out into the chamber and attackin the glass.
It would never clear either, just destroy all in decided to!

So don't take your kiln for a dip in the solent :)

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Zeldazog

Having seen the effect of salt glazed pottery, I can quite understand why it would cause a reaction on the glass....I can remember talking to the college technician as I assumed it was an additive to the glaze

She explained that a handful of salt is chucked into the kiln - but she did say it can ruin the kiln in the process!