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#1
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Kiln question
Arrrgh, I've hardly been able to get on the newsgroup lately, I'm having
withdrawals! (I spend all my free time waiting for the baby to sleep so I can make beads... I've finally gotten comfortable enough with my torch to be productive! Yay!) Anyway, I know this is a subject that gets hashed and rehashed periodically, and yes, I have seen the recent threads on the Wetcanvas boards, but I wanted to ask those folks here who have a bead kiln which kiln they use, what they like about it, what they dislike about it, any problems they've had, what they wish was different about it, why they chose it in the first place, whether they would choose the same kiln again or a different kiln, and why. I can't afford a new kiln right now, but I am an obsessive comparison shopper and I MUST buy a bead kiln by the end of the year... using my top-loading fusing kiln to garage beads is killing my hands and my energy budget. Thanks for any input! -- -Kalera Mom of Juliet, 5, Sam, 3, and Ophelia, born 5/31/03 Wife of the incomparable Moxley of www.spaceplex.com See us at www.strattonhome.org |
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#2
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I have a Fusebox kiln - similar to the one pictured he
http://www.frantzartglass.com/Itemdesc.asp?CartId={87F1AF7A-0683-444D-AAE5-627666CE107F}&ic=131111&Tp= I bought mine from Frantz a year or so ago, and the one they have now is the updated version with the digital controller attached. I have essentially the same thing, but my digital controller is a seperate unit, and my kiln is blue instead of grey. The only thing I don't like about my kiln is that it's not bigger. Seriously, I have filled it up completely and can fit about 50 beads in there with the little metal shelf. It is big enough to fuse if you want to. Frantz has their unit on sale with the digital controller - and it's a pretty good deal. I think my set was about $150 more when I bought it. I love the shape of the kiln, and that it fits on the end of my table. The ebad doors are in front, which makes it very easy to slip beads in without losing too much heat, and I don't need gloves to touch to doors or the mandrels. The controller comes pre-programmed, which, if you're making beads that aren't freaking huge, works just fine for annealing and for ramping up if you need to. Also, I haven't seen a huge increase in my electricity bill, so the kiln is pretty energy efficient. I did have that one fubar with the kiln not too long ago, but found out that it wasn't the kiln - it was a power outage that lasted only a few seconds. My hubby has since fixed that with a switch. I am very happy with my kiln - it has met my needs for the 9 months that I have been making beads. If you tend to make more than 50 smallish beads in a session, you may want to step up to a larger size. Good luck! -- Kandice Seeber Air & Earth Designs http://www.lampwork.net "Kalera Stratton" wrote in message ... Arrrgh, I've hardly been able to get on the newsgroup lately, I'm having withdrawals! (I spend all my free time waiting for the baby to sleep so I can make beads... I've finally gotten comfortable enough with my torch to be productive! Yay!) Anyway, I know this is a subject that gets hashed and rehashed periodically, and yes, I have seen the recent threads on the Wetcanvas boards, but I wanted to ask those folks here who have a bead kiln which kiln they use, what they like about it, what they dislike about it, any problems they've had, what they wish was different about it, why they chose it in the first place, whether they would choose the same kiln again or a different kiln, and why. I can't afford a new kiln right now, but I am an obsessive comparison shopper and I MUST buy a bead kiln by the end of the year... using my top-loading fusing kiln to garage beads is killing my hands and my energy budget. Thanks for any input! -- -Kalera Mom of Juliet, 5, Sam, 3, and Ophelia, born 5/31/03 Wife of the incomparable Moxley of www.spaceplex.com See us at www.strattonhome.org |
#3
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My kiln came from Arrow Springs and I love it. No troubles, stablizes easily,
large enough and versatile. Top opens on a hinge for fusing or emptying, but there's a front door for placing beads inside.If comes with a brick door as well. It's an AF99. And the best thing? Craig. He stand behind everything he sells. Please remember that whatever you buy, you want your element to be encased. No one wants a fried Kalera on the end of mandrel.... The Use of Foul Language in Written Communication: The Tiny Rumblings of the Ineffectual and Stunted Thinker. The Inability to Think Beyond The Obivious and The Crude. ~~~Henry A. Byrne |
#4
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You've only been making beads for Nine Months?! I yam impressed.
"Kandice Seeber" wrote in message news:KzHOa.10850$Ph3.1357@sccrnsc04... I have a Fusebox kiln - similar to the one pictured he http://www.frantzartglass.com/Itemdesc.asp?CartId={87F1AF7A-0683-444D-AAE5-627666CE107F}&ic=131111&Tp= I bought mine from Frantz a year or so ago, and the one they have now is the updated version with the digital controller attached. I have essentially the same thing, but my digital controller is a seperate unit, and my kiln is blue instead of grey. The only thing I don't like about my kiln is that it's not bigger. Seriously, I have filled it up completely and can fit about 50 beads in there with the little metal shelf. It is big enough to fuse if you want to. Frantz has their unit on sale with the digital controller - and it's a pretty good deal. I think my set was about $150 more when I bought it. I love the shape of the kiln, and that it fits on the end of my table. The ebad doors are in front, which makes it very easy to slip beads in without losing too much heat, and I don't need gloves to touch to doors or the mandrels. The controller comes pre-programmed, which, if you're making beads that aren't freaking huge, works just fine for annealing and for ramping up if you need to. Also, I haven't seen a huge increase in my electricity bill, so the kiln is pretty energy efficient. I did have that one fubar with the kiln not too long ago, but found out that it wasn't the kiln - it was a power outage that lasted only a few seconds. My hubby has since fixed that with a switch. I am very happy with my kiln - it has met my needs for the 9 months that I have been making beads. If you tend to make more than 50 smallish beads in a session, you may want to step up to a larger size. Good luck! -- Kandice Seeber Air & Earth Designs http://www.lampwork.net "Kalera Stratton" wrote in message ... Arrrgh, I've hardly been able to get on the newsgroup lately, I'm having withdrawals! (I spend all my free time waiting for the baby to sleep so I can make beads... I've finally gotten comfortable enough with my torch to be productive! Yay!) Anyway, I know this is a subject that gets hashed and rehashed periodically, and yes, I have seen the recent threads on the Wetcanvas boards, but I wanted to ask those folks here who have a bead kiln which kiln they use, what they like about it, what they dislike about it, any problems they've had, what they wish was different about it, why they chose it in the first place, whether they would choose the same kiln again or a different kiln, and why. I can't afford a new kiln right now, but I am an obsessive comparison shopper and I MUST buy a bead kiln by the end of the year... using my top-loading fusing kiln to garage beads is killing my hands and my energy budget. Thanks for any input! -- -Kalera Mom of Juliet, 5, Sam, 3, and Ophelia, born 5/31/03 Wife of the incomparable Moxley of www.spaceplex.com See us at www.strattonhome.org |
#5
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I know... she has my Ass whooped! I have been making beads for 4 years
now.... SHEEZE!!! nicole CLP wrote: You've only been making beads for Nine Months?! I yam impressed. "Kandice Seeber" wrote in message news:KzHOa.10850$Ph3.1357@sccrnsc04... I have a Fusebox kiln - similar to the one pictured he http://www.frantzartglass.com/Itemdesc.asp?CartId={87F1AF7A-0683-444D-AAE5-627666CE107F}&ic=131111&Tp= I bought mine from Frantz a year or so ago, and the one they have now is the updated version with the digital controller attached. I have essentially the same thing, but my digital controller is a seperate unit, and my kiln is blue instead of grey. The only thing I don't like about my kiln is that it's not bigger. Seriously, I have filled it up completely and can fit about 50 beads in there with the little metal shelf. It is big enough to fuse if you want to. Frantz has their unit on sale with the digital controller - and it's a pretty good deal. I think my set was about $150 more when I bought it. I love the shape of the kiln, and that it fits on the end of my table. The ebad doors are in front, which makes it very easy to slip beads in without losing too much heat, and I don't need gloves to touch to doors or the mandrels. The controller comes pre-programmed, which, if you're making beads that aren't freaking huge, works just fine for annealing and for ramping up if you need to. Also, I haven't seen a huge increase in my electricity bill, so the kiln is pretty energy efficient. I did have that one fubar with the kiln not too long ago, but found out that it wasn't the kiln - it was a power outage that lasted only a few seconds. My hubby has since fixed that with a switch. I am very happy with my kiln - it has met my needs for the 9 months that I have been making beads. If you tend to make more than 50 smallish beads in a session, you may want to step up to a larger size. Good luck! -- Kandice Seeber Air & Earth Designs http://www.lampwork.net "Kalera Stratton" wrote in message ... Arrrgh, I've hardly been able to get on the newsgroup lately, I'm having withdrawals! (I spend all my free time waiting for the baby to sleep so I can make beads... I've finally gotten comfortable enough with my torch to be productive! Yay!) Anyway, I know this is a subject that gets hashed and rehashed periodically, and yes, I have seen the recent threads on the Wetcanvas boards, but I wanted to ask those folks here who have a bead kiln which kiln they use, what they like about it, what they dislike about it, any problems they've had, what they wish was different about it, why they chose it in the first place, whether they would choose the same kiln again or a different kiln, and why. I can't afford a new kiln right now, but I am an obsessive comparison shopper and I MUST buy a bead kiln by the end of the year... using my top-loading fusing kiln to garage beads is killing my hands and my energy budget. Thanks for any input! -- -Kalera Mom of Juliet, 5, Sam, 3, and Ophelia, born 5/31/03 Wife of the incomparable Moxley of www.spaceplex.com See us at www.strattonhome.org -- Nicole Black Cat Beads eBay Sto http://www.stores.ebay.com/blackcatbeads I never met a bead I did not like! : ) |
#6
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Well, I took a class about a year ago, then apprenticed with Paulette
for about a month in August. I didn't have my own studio set up to make beads regularly until November. So, I have been making beads regularly for about 9 months. -- Kandice Seeber Air & Earth Designs http://www.lampwork.net "CLP" wrote in message ... You've only been making beads for Nine Months?! I yam impressed. "Kandice Seeber" wrote in message news:KzHOa.10850$Ph3.1357@sccrnsc04... I have a Fusebox kiln - similar to the one pictured he http://www.frantzartglass.com/Itemdesc.asp?CartId={87F1AF7A-0683-444D-AAE5-627666CE107F}&ic=131111&Tp= I bought mine from Frantz a year or so ago, and the one they have now is the updated version with the digital controller attached. I have essentially the same thing, but my digital controller is a seperate unit, and my kiln is blue instead of grey. The only thing I don't like about my kiln is that it's not bigger. Seriously, I have filled it up completely and can fit about 50 beads in there with the little metal shelf. It is big enough to fuse if you want to. Frantz has their unit on sale with the digital controller - and it's a pretty good deal. I think my set was about $150 more when I bought it. I love the shape of the kiln, and that it fits on the end of my table. The ebad doors are in front, which makes it very easy to slip beads in without losing too much heat, and I don't need gloves to touch to doors or the mandrels. The controller comes pre-programmed, which, if you're making beads that aren't freaking huge, works just fine for annealing and for ramping up if you need to. Also, I haven't seen a huge increase in my electricity bill, so the kiln is pretty energy efficient. I did have that one fubar with the kiln not too long ago, but found out that it wasn't the kiln - it was a power outage that lasted only a few seconds. My hubby has since fixed that with a switch. I am very happy with my kiln - it has met my needs for the 9 months that I have been making beads. If you tend to make more than 50 smallish beads in a session, you may want to step up to a larger size. Good luck! -- Kandice Seeber Air & Earth Designs http://www.lampwork.net "Kalera Stratton" wrote in message ... Arrrgh, I've hardly been able to get on the newsgroup lately, I'm having withdrawals! (I spend all my free time waiting for the baby to sleep so I can make beads... I've finally gotten comfortable enough with my torch to be productive! Yay!) Anyway, I know this is a subject that gets hashed and rehashed periodically, and yes, I have seen the recent threads on the Wetcanvas boards, but I wanted to ask those folks here who have a bead kiln which kiln they use, what they like about it, what they dislike about it, any problems they've had, what they wish was different about it, why they chose it in the first place, whether they would choose the same kiln again or a different kiln, and why. I can't afford a new kiln right now, but I am an obsessive comparison shopper and I MUST buy a bead kiln by the end of the year... using my top-loading fusing kiln to garage beads is killing my hands and my energy budget. Thanks for any input! -- -Kalera Mom of Juliet, 5, Sam, 3, and Ophelia, born 5/31/03 Wife of the incomparable Moxley of www.spaceplex.com See us at www.strattonhome.org |
#7
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OK, so collectively you guys have given good reviews to every kiln I'm
looking at! Actually, you have been very helpful... I think I'm narrowing things down. I do want a digital controller, but I may build it myself. I'm currently very torn between buying a less expensive kiln so I can have it sooner (I'm looking at an AIM or a Jen-Ken) or waiting and getting a more expensive kiln; the Fusebox or the Arrow Springs. As of this moment, I'm toward a Jen-Ken with a digital controller, because it's a good kiln with a solid reputation, and I don't REALLY have time to build my own, do I? LOL! I'm thinking that having it NOW would be a Very Good Thing and perhaps even worth my while if I bought another, more expensive kiln next year. It might even come close to paying for itself in electrical expenses by then; using a large top-loading kiln to garage beads is ridiculously wasteful. I wish that there was a little annealer available for under $300; I'd go for it, but even the smallest annealers suitable for garaging beads as I make them is comparable in price to the cheaper fusing/bead kilns! -- -Kalera Mom of Juliet, 5, Sam, 3, and Ophelia, born 5/31/03 Wife of the incomparable Moxley of www.spaceplex.com See us at www.strattonhome.org |
#8
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I wish that there was a little annealer available for under $300; I'd go for it, but even the smallest annealers suitable for garaging beads as I make them is comparable in price to the cheaper fusing/bead kilns! You can use something like this - and this is a GREAT DEAL. My"annealer" is an older enameling kiln that I modified to use for annealing beads... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tegory=28 124 Cheryl of A HREF="http://www.dragonbeads.com" DRAGON BEADS /A Flameworked beads and glass http://www.dragonbeads.com/ |
#9
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Hi Kalera:
One other thing to keep in mind as you decide: are you closer to one or the other? AIM is Corvallis Oregon, I think Jen-Ken is in the east somewhere. (Don't know if you have located distributors close to you.) But maybe if you're close, you can pick up and save some shipping? And for kilns, shipping could be fairly significant. (Those of us in the Portland, Oregon, area are pretty lucky kiln-wise: Skutt is here, EK Miller (Fusebox) is here, AIM is down the road in Corvallis, I think there's someone manufacturing toolbox/mailbox annealers on the coast...) --Dave P.S. Got a good laugh about your comments on building your own controller --- first "I may build it myself", then "I don't really have time to build my own, do I?" I go through that internal argument on so many things all that time (most recently on rebuilding a malfunctioning oxygen concentrator myself...) "Kalera Stratton" wrote in message ... OK, so collectively you guys have given good reviews to every kiln I'm looking at! Actually, you have been very helpful... I think I'm narrowing things down. I do want a digital controller, but I may build it myself. I'm currently very torn between buying a less expensive kiln so I can have it sooner (I'm looking at an AIM or a Jen-Ken) or waiting and getting a more expensive kiln; the Fusebox or the Arrow Springs. As of this moment, I'm toward a Jen-Ken with a digital controller, because it's a good kiln with a solid reputation, and I don't REALLY have time to build my own, do I? LOL! I'm thinking that having it NOW would be a Very Good Thing and perhaps even worth my while if I bought another, more expensive kiln next year. It might even come close to paying for itself in electrical expenses by then; using a large top-loading kiln to garage beads is ridiculously wasteful. I wish that there was a little annealer available for under $300; I'd go for it, but even the smallest annealers suitable for garaging beads as I make them is comparable in price to the cheaper fusing/bead kilns! -- -Kalera Mom of Juliet, 5, Sam, 3, and Ophelia, born 5/31/03 Wife of the incomparable Moxley of www.spaceplex.com See us at www.strattonhome.org |
#10
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Jen-Ken is in Florida. I bought a minifuse Jen-Ken kiln from Centre de Verre.
They charged $60.00 to ship. I love my kiln! Patti |
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