Little Bike Posted July 10, 2017 Report Share Posted July 10, 2017 I keep looking at kilns and would like to have one set up in my backyard, however: gas or electric? I know for electric I'll need to spend some money on getting the house service ready, for gas I already have a pipe for a BBQ in the back. Looks like I can purchase a gas kiln for less than similar sized electric kilns (was looking at the top loading Olympics). I'm a complete kiln noobie. Do small gas kilns make much noise? I live in a typical tract house development with small yards, I don't want to bother/scare the neighbors...... ; ) Anybody have thoughts and/or opinions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted July 10, 2017 Report Share Posted July 10, 2017 1) double check that the bbq orifice and supply line are the correct size for that Olympic kiln. I can't remember if they're the same or not. 2) a friend of a friend fires with one of those Olympic guys as her soda kiln. They're apparantly painfully uneven to fire. It's an updraft, it's the wrong shape, it's too small to be able to even out, and you tend to loose a lot of stacking space trying to baffle it enough so that the top and bottom are at least within a couple of cones of each other. It IS doable, but it's one of those projects that's going to be a lot of work to figure out, and it depends on how many pots you're willing to sacrifice to the screw up fairy to do it. 3) check wth your city ordinances, and see what they have to say about you having an outdoor fireplace in that space. Usually gas kilns aren't that loud, and one sure wouldn't violate any noise regs in my city, but places vary. They might have some issues regarding overhangs, and clearances between buildings, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted July 10, 2017 Report Share Posted July 10, 2017 what she said. they fire notoriously uneven. But it can be done. The orifice for a BBQ would not be the same for an orifice for a kiln. They control the but output. Also they are different for lp or natural gas.. The pipe size and pressure could be an issue, so find out for the specs what you'll need. there are usually 4 or 5 burners on a gas Olympic depending on the size. Firing can be noisy. My two burners on my raku kilns are noisy. Electrics are simple. Especially if you get the works: good insulation, computer controls. Re-examine what your future plans may need: number of times firing monthly. etc. You can't leave a gas kiln alone. Electrics you can step away for a while. So there is a lot beyond price to consider. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted July 10, 2017 Report Share Posted July 10, 2017 Your local codes may or may not consider a gas kiln to be the same as a gas BBQ or outdoor fireplace. You'll need to find out if they specifically allow kilns, because they get a lot hotter than a BBQ or fireplace, and retain their heat much longer. Totally different beast. The little round gas kilns are a bear to fire successfully. Search the forums here and you'll find many discussions about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 I'm a gas man all the way but my advice is a kiln with at least 4 burners-The trash can gas kilns are super hard to control temps top to bottom. Consider moving to the county and getting a nice gas kiln-it could change your life. Gas kilns that fire natural draft are pretty quiet-the ones that roar are forced air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Bike Posted July 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 Thanks all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyK Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 Another consideration is the cost of gas vs. the cost of electricity in your area of the world... JK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 Your local codes may or may not consider a gas kiln to be the same as a gas BBQ or outdoor fireplace. You'll need to find out if they specifically allow kilns, because they get a lot hotter than a BBQ or fireplace, and retain their heat much longer. Totally different beast. The little round gas kilns are a bear to fire successfully. Search the forums here and you'll find many discussions about them. The reason I mention gas fireplaces is that my city doesn't classify gas kilns in any way in zoning laws. I guess there's not enough of them to have to go through the trouble of making up rules about them? I was told by someone in the planning department that the fireplace might be the next best applicable thing to compare to, in regards to rules involving proximity of the flue to trees and eaves, required supports, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 Rex is the man to talk to about those gas kilns. I think he fires all his work in one of those prefab gas kilns. I can't remember his name on this forum but there was a big discussion about it. I will look it up. EDIT: did a search: http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/user/2411-rex-johnson/ He fires all his work in one of those kilns. I think he has a complete cone difference between top and bottom. Might send him a PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 Your local codes may or may not consider a gas kiln to be the same as a gas BBQ or outdoor fireplace. You'll need to find out if they specifically allow kilns, because they get a lot hotter than a BBQ or fireplace, and retain their heat much longer. Totally different beast. The little round gas kilns are a bear to fire successfully. Search the forums here and you'll find many discussions about them. The reason I mention gas fireplaces is that my city doesn't classify gas kilns in any way in zoning laws. I guess there's not enough of them to have to go through the trouble of making up rules about them? I was told by someone in the planning department that the fireplace might be the next best applicable thing to compare to, in regards to rules involving proximity of the flue to trees and eaves, required supports, etc. I totally get that. I highly recommend giving them as much info about the kiln as possible, so there's not trouble down the line. Give them everything from dimensions, materials, BTU ratings, gas tank size, pictures, catalog pages, instruction manuals, etc. You don't want them to say okay and issue a permit, then deny signing off on it once they see what it really is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted July 11, 2017 Report Share Posted July 11, 2017 Apart from learning how to fire a gas kiln I’ld think about the glazes too. Don’t know what cone you fire to but generally speaking there is far more info for ^6 electric glazes than reduction these days. Used to be the other way around, with ^10 reduction making up the majority of glazes/recipes. If you go the commercial glaze route, same thing, many more choices with ^6 electric. Perhaps consider what type of pots you will be making and make your kiln choice from that. Shino’s, copper reds, true celadons and so forth from a reduction kiln, but just about everything else you can do in an electric kiln (with the correct cooling schedules). I would decide what look you want, each has it’s own pluses, minuses and learning curves then go from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted July 12, 2017 Report Share Posted July 12, 2017 Adding to what Min said: Another thing you didn't mention is how new you are to ceramics. If your starting out. I would want the most consistent learning experience I could get. Which you won't get from a kiln that is known to fire uneven from what I have read on here... Learning is a lot easier when results make sense and are consistent. Electric can provide much more of that than gas. Just a thought. No idea your experience level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted July 12, 2017 Report Share Posted July 12, 2017 Neil: agreed. That was the information that the gas permit guy I spoke with gave me after I gave him all the technical specs you mentioned. When he put it in the same category as the outdoor fireplace, he acknowledged there was a fair bit of difference between the two. He felt that it was closer than a gas bbq however, because the fireplace is considered a permanent structure, and would therefore likely involve more permits and agencies, leading to more sets of eyes doing inspections. So to the OP I'd say talk to your permits department, and see what they say. Your permit guy might come up with something different than mine, based in your local ordinances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted July 13, 2017 Report Share Posted July 13, 2017 Thats what I have a gas BBQ on a track. nowadays you cannot build a gas kiln yourself in most places and get a permit. Maybe mine is a pizza oven on track ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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