Kiln Question from a beginner

[NBN GLASS]

Help is truely needed in this area...I'm ready to begin my lifetime adventure of Lampworking with Boro...I've got EVERYTHING in the workshop ready to go, ventilation system, torch, fuels, hoses, tools, glass, frits, etc. BUT no kiln, I'm very very confused and need help. I do know that for right now (atleast for the next 5 years) all I want from the kiln is to anneal, I also want it to be digitally controlled.

Any great starter ideas for "my new kiln".

Sitting in vein regarding this problem!!

Any help and suggestions would be so greatly appreciated, need to purchase this kiln a.s.a.p!!!

Brenda the Beginner

[Phoenix]

The chili pepper kilns are great for lots of beads and nothing but beads for the price. I have an AIM 84 that I love as well- it's smaller mandrel space and larger internal for fusing etc. It sounds like cp might be your best- at least worth looking at- Paula at Tin City sells them as well as others (Tink maybe?)

[NBN GLASS]

Funny you mentioned Tin City and Chili Pepper. I went to take a few classes there very recently...and I looked at the Chili Peppers that Paula used, she has 2 for her studio workings. Thanks for mentioning them and thanks for such a speedy reply!!
Brenda

[Cosmo]

I just started carrying them as well (haven't finished the online store - if you need one, PM or e-mail me). I have one now, and I love it. The first time I saw one in person was in Asheville when I took a class with Brent. It worked great, and since I travel to teach classes, it makes a lot more sense for me than a brick kiln. So, now I have two brick kilns that just sit here because I'm using my Chili Pepper all the time.

[Emily]

Max temp for the Chili Peppers is 1200. Annealing temperature for boro is 1050, but some people like to take the temperature higher to strike certain colors. I'm guessing that Chad and Brent haven't found this to be an issue. Chad? Brent? Bueller? Anybody?

If you don't think you're going to be traveling with your kiln, so the portability of the Chili Pepper isn't so important, you might want to go with a kiln that has a higher max operating temp so you do have the option to kiln strike colors at higher temps. The Chili Pepper will also limit you to doing beads and very small ornaments. If you don't need the portability, you might want to consider a front-opening kiln that will give you the space to do some vessels and ornaments, too.

What torch do you have?

[NBN GLASS]

Hi Emily
I will not be traveling with the kiln and I "think" that right now I will be just annealing. Besides the Chili Pepper I've looked at the Paragon Blue Birds also, all I do is just keep getting more and more confused. The torch I bought is a Nortel Mid-Range, I took a class for "stringers" and "lentil" making and we used a Nortel.
Brenda

[Emily]

There are a lot of choices out there, so it's easy to get confused. The good news is that they're pretty much all good choices, so odds are you'll be happy with whatever you choose. If you do outgrow your kiln at some point (for example, if you choose something like the Chili Pepper and decide later that you want to do sculpture), there are always people who want to buy used kilns -- the hard part would be making yourself part with it.

Have you considered the electric service in your studio? Any kiln is going to need its own circuit. A normal household circuit is 15 amps, and even the smallest kiln will draw 12 to 15 amps, so you won't want anything else plugged into that circuit. Not every outlet is on its own circuit. Figure out where you want to put your kiln, and if it's a 15 amp circuit, make sure you won't be plugging anything else into that circuit.

[NBN GLASS]

Thanks Emily, I'm beginning to think Chili Pepper or Blue Bird (red or blue!!). You're right, I do believe that "parting" with your kiln is almost impossible so instead, just collect them all, fortunatley my husband is a self-employed electrical contractor and a "dedicated line" was already brought in for a kiln and even a spare. He not only removes my spiders but he "wires" too!!

Thanks for all inputs I appreciate everyones Pro-Opinions!!

Brenda

[pam]

The Glass Palette kiln by Don McKinney only uses 5 amps, so not all kilns need to be on a dedicated circuit. You can check out his kiln at

http://glasspalette.com/Equipment.html

[e. mort]

Since kilns are pretty expensive I think you should overbuy on this item rather than have to buy another kiln later. Go with a brick kiln with a decent size door and interior. That way if you decide later to do large marbles or maybe even cristmas ornaments or goblets you can. If I had to buy a new one I would get one of the paragon kilns with the guillotine door and mini door for punties...sweet. Currently I have a 12 year old kiln from arrowsprings, as well as a used skutt that I picked up last year. I mostly use the skutt now, but the arrowsprings kiln is nice for making beads.

Eric

[Cosmo]

I have no problem putting 3" marbles in my Chili Pepper.

And, a goblet will fit in it nicely if you turn it on the side.

[PaulaD]

Hi Brenda,
This IS a big decision. Emily is correct about the Chili Pepper though. It states all over the Chili Pepper literature not to go above 1200 degrees or the paint may catch on fire! I'm not sure what I am going to do for a boro kiln yet. I have brick kilns at home and hate them because I can never lift or move them and that's a biggest reason why I like the Chili Pepper!
I also hate kilns with small doors because I always bump them with the hot glass! I use the rack from Inspiration Tools in the Chili Pepper to rest my mandrels on.
I've had some Chili Peppers pre built, btw, so that people don't have to wait the 2 to 4 weeks for delivery when they order one...
Paula
p.s. Jen-Ken also makes a fuser/annealer that's pretty nifty!! But it has a smaller door and is brick!

[Cosmo]

I don't understand why everyone says you can't use a Chili Pepper for boro. I don't know of any colors that have to strike at 1200. The highest I strike anything is 1125-1150, and the Chili Pepper is certainly capable of that.

[PaulaD]

You can use it for boro. You just don't have have a big margin of error!

Paula

[Cosmo]

You can use it for boro. You just have have a big margin of error!

Paula

How so?

I've been using mine daily for boro since I got it. No problems yet...

[e. mort]

I have heard a lot of postive comments about the chili-pepper. If I ever get to the point where I am traveling and doing demos, then I will probably get one. My two brick kilns would be a real PITA to have to lug around. Plus, kiln brick can be brittle.

Chad, how to you fit a 3" marble into it? The one I have seen doesn't look like the little door opens enough to put it in. Does the top open up as well or something?

Thanks,

Eric

[PaulaD]

Hi Chad,
I just meant that if a beginner made a mistake with the pprogramming there is only 50 degrees diffeence between the 1150 and the 1200. Or if the Annealer was running hot and the new person didn't realize it.
I love the Chili Pepper myself and use it all the time.
Eric, the door has a real wide swing to it and it and opens all the way up vertically.
Paula

[Cosmo]

I have heard a lot of postive comments about the chili-pepper. If I ever get to the point where I am traveling and doing demos, then I will probably get one. My two brick kilns would be a real PITA to have to lug around. Plus, kiln brick can be brittle.

Chad, how to you fit a 3" marble into it? The one I have seen doesn't look like the little door opens enough to put it in. Does the top open up as well or something?

Thanks,

Eric

The door opens wide enough. I gues you could open the top as well, though.

[PaulaD]

Yes the top opens too. I open it when I need to crash cool something.
Paula

[NBN GLASS]

THANKS EVERYONE!!!!!!
Picked up the NEW KILN on Saturday...Drove to Centre DeVerre in NH and bought a JenKen Tall Annealer & Fuser with the 4" flip door. Many thanks for everyones help and hopefully one day I too can give someone some good advice....
THANKS
Brenda