If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
OT Kiln ? for bead makers
Do any of you use a kiln that does NOT have a bead door? I'm in a bit of a
kiln quandary. I have a Paragon kiln (haven't used it) that I bought for bead and PMC stuff. It has a controller but no bead door. Now I've decided I need a portable kiln for PMC if I'm going to be teaching (the Paragon weighs 70 lbs). So - then I see the opportunity to get a brand new AIM with controller and bead door 500. So my quandary is - sell the paragon and buy the AIM and have a bead door? Or suck it up and use the paragon without the bead door. I plan on annealing as I go not batching. Agh. Kathy beadho K |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
IMO, a bead door is preferable if you are annealing as you go along, because
it lets out less heat. Without the bead door, depending on the kiln you have, opening the larger door can cause a lot of heat to escape. It really depends on the kiln though. I haven't used either of the kilns you talked about, so I can't help there. Good luck! -- Kandice Seeber Air & Earth Designs http://www.lampwork.net "KDK" wrote in message ... Do any of you use a kiln that does NOT have a bead door? I'm in a bit of a kiln quandary. I have a Paragon kiln (haven't used it) that I bought for bead and PMC stuff. It has a controller but no bead door. Now I've decided I need a portable kiln for PMC if I'm going to be teaching (the Paragon weighs 70 lbs). So - then I see the opportunity to get a brand new AIM with controller and bead door 500. So my quandary is - sell the paragon and buy the AIM and have a bead door? Or suck it up and use the paragon without the bead door. I plan on annealing as I go not batching. Agh. Kathy beadho K |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
I'm pretty sure you'll want 2 kilns.
Where will you be teaching, and what length of classes? At home? At a bead store? If I teach, I can use the classroom and kiln at the bead store. When I took classes, the teachers brought two full sized kilns, but the classes were from Fri afternoon to Sun evening. Portable kiln. That just makes me nervous. Visceral reaction, which may or may not be justified. Tina "KDK" wrote in message ... Do any of you use a kiln that does NOT have a bead door? I'm in a bit of a kiln quandary. I have a Paragon kiln (haven't used it) that I bought for bead and PMC stuff. It has a controller but no bead door. Now I've decided I need a portable kiln for PMC if I'm going to be teaching (the Paragon weighs 70 lbs). So - then I see the opportunity to get a brand new AIM with controller and bead door 500. So my quandary is - sell the paragon and buy the AIM and have a bead door? Or suck it up and use the paragon without the bead door. I plan on annealing as I go not batching. Agh. Kathy beadho K |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
I'll definitely have 2 kilns (only because there isn't one that I can
carry/lift that I can do beads on a mandrel in)- just trying to decide if I should keep my paragon (no bead door) or get the AIM kiln with a bead door for beads (I can also use either one for PMC). By portable I meant something that I can carry by myself. I can't lift a 70 lb kiln (my current paragon). The Sierra kiln is 30 lbs (I can carry 30 lbs) and 8x8x6 inside dimensions. Sierra actually makes one that only weighs 20lbs but it's a 4x4x ish on the inside a bit small. Kathy K "Christina Peterson" wrote in message ... I'm pretty sure you'll want 2 kilns. Where will you be teaching, and what length of classes? At home? At a bead store? If I teach, I can use the classroom and kiln at the bead store. When I took classes, the teachers brought two full sized kilns, but the classes were from Fri afternoon to Sun evening. Portable kiln. That just makes me nervous. Visceral reaction, which may or may not be justified. Tina "KDK" wrote in message ... Do any of you use a kiln that does NOT have a bead door? I'm in a bit of a kiln quandary. I have a Paragon kiln (haven't used it) that I bought for bead and PMC stuff. It has a controller but no bead door. Now I've decided I need a portable kiln for PMC if I'm going to be teaching (the Paragon weighs 70 lbs). So - then I see the opportunity to get a brand new AIM with controller and bead door 500. So my quandary is - sell the paragon and buy the AIM and have a bead door? Or suck it up and use the paragon without the bead door. I plan on annealing as I go not batching. Agh. Kathy beadho K |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
I used a top-loading fusing kiln to anneal for some time, and frankly,
it sucked rocks. If it's a front-loader, it won't be as bad, but even if it's deep enough to get the whole mandrel in, it will be fairly unpleasant and probably require a leather glove. -Kalera http://www.beadwife.com http://www.snipurl.com/kebay KDK wrote: Do any of you use a kiln that does NOT have a bead door? I'm in a bit of a kiln quandary. I have a Paragon kiln (haven't used it) that I bought for bead and PMC stuff. It has a controller but no bead door. Now I've decided I need a portable kiln for PMC if I'm going to be teaching (the Paragon weighs 70 lbs). So - then I see the opportunity to get a brand new AIM with controller and bead door 500. So my quandary is - sell the paragon and buy the AIM and have a bead door? Or suck it up and use the paragon without the bead door. I plan on annealing as I go not batching. Agh. Kathy beadho K |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Thanks Kalera.
The Paragon is a front loading, but I think it will be a pain to try to put mandrels in (I was lured by the nah you don't "need" a bead door). I think i'll get the AIM and sell the Paragon. Kathy K "Kalera Stratton" wrote in message ... I used a top-loading fusing kiln to anneal for some time, and frankly, it sucked rocks. If it's a front-loader, it won't be as bad, but even if it's deep enough to get the whole mandrel in, it will be fairly unpleasant and probably require a leather glove. -Kalera http://www.beadwife.com http://www.snipurl.com/kebay KDK wrote: Do any of you use a kiln that does NOT have a bead door? I'm in a bit of a kiln quandary. I have a Paragon kiln (haven't used it) that I bought for bead and PMC stuff. It has a controller but no bead door. Now I've decided I need a portable kiln for PMC if I'm going to be teaching (the Paragon weighs 70 lbs). So - then I see the opportunity to get a brand new AIM with controller and bead door 500. So my quandary is - sell the paragon and buy the AIM and have a bead door? Or suck it up and use the paragon without the bead door. I plan on annealing as I go not batching. Agh. Kathy beadho K |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Thanks Kandice. The more I learned about bead making, the better a bead
door sounds. Think I'll go for the bead door buy! Kathy K "Kandice Seeber" wrote in message ... IMO, a bead door is preferable if you are annealing as you go along, because it lets out less heat. Without the bead door, depending on the kiln you have, opening the larger door can cause a lot of heat to escape. It really depends on the kiln though. I haven't used either of the kilns you talked about, so I can't help there. Good luck! -- Kandice Seeber Air & Earth Designs http://www.lampwork.net "KDK" wrote in message ... Do any of you use a kiln that does NOT have a bead door? I'm in a bit of a kiln quandary. I have a Paragon kiln (haven't used it) that I bought for bead and PMC stuff. It has a controller but no bead door. Now I've decided I need a portable kiln for PMC if I'm going to be teaching (the Paragon weighs 70 lbs). So - then I see the opportunity to get a brand new AIM with controller and bead door 500. So my quandary is - sell the paragon and buy the AIM and have a bead door? Or suck it up and use the paragon without the bead door. I plan on annealing as I go not batching. Agh. Kathy beadho K |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Do any of you use a kiln that does NOT have a bead door?
yes - mine is a very old enameling kiln that I "converted" to beadmaking use. for me - the trick is I have to cut mandrels that are short enough to fit inside the entire kiln with the door closed. Luckily this is a pretty "deep" kiln - so my mandrels are about 8 to 9 inches - and I put them in diagonally -- works for me. Cheryl last semester of lawschool! yipee! A HREF="http://www.dragonbeads.com" DRAGON BEADS /A Flameworked beads and glass http://www.dragonbeads.com/ |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
but even if it's deep enough
to get the whole mandrel in, it will be fairly unpleasant and probably require a leather glove. ummm - yeah - it's a bit warm at times... LOL I solved it by getting a really LONG pair of loop hemostats - which I grab the mandrel with and then use to shove the whole works into my kiln -- However - mine has a DROP DOWN front door -- so the heat rising UP off the kiln brick can be pretty intense-- I've learned to be QUICK! G Cheryl last semester of lawschool! yipee! A HREF="http://www.dragonbeads.com" DRAGON BEADS /A Flameworked beads and glass http://www.dragonbeads.com/ |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Which paragon do you have? I have the Caldera and just love it.
"KDK" wrote in message ... Thanks Kalera. The Paragon is a front loading, but I think it will be a pain to try to put mandrels in (I was lured by the nah you don't "need" a bead door). I think i'll get the AIM and sell the Paragon. Kathy K "Kalera Stratton" wrote in message ... I used a top-loading fusing kiln to anneal for some time, and frankly, it sucked rocks. If it's a front-loader, it won't be as bad, but even if it's deep enough to get the whole mandrel in, it will be fairly unpleasant and probably require a leather glove. -Kalera http://www.beadwife.com http://www.snipurl.com/kebay KDK wrote: Do any of you use a kiln that does NOT have a bead door? I'm in a bit of a kiln quandary. I have a Paragon kiln (haven't used it) that I bought for bead and PMC stuff. It has a controller but no bead door. Now I've decided I need a portable kiln for PMC if I'm going to be teaching (the Paragon weighs 70 lbs). So - then I see the opportunity to get a brand new AIM with controller and bead door 500. So my quandary is - sell the paragon and buy the AIM and have a bead door? Or suck it up and use the paragon without the bead door. I plan on annealing as I go not batching. Agh. Kathy beadho K |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Good news, and agonizing over kiln purchase | Kalera Stratton | Beads | 14 | October 17th 03 02:11 AM |
Good news, and agonizing over kiln purchase | Kalera Stratton | Beads | 0 | October 14th 03 06:11 PM |
Seeking Kiln Advice | saucy | Beads | 5 | August 11th 03 04:18 AM |
Kiln | saucy | Beads | 18 | August 7th 03 03:09 AM |
Kiln question | Kalera Stratton | Beads | 13 | July 11th 03 06:35 AM |