flpotter Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 I joined here a few weeks ago because I bought a used kiln and the manufacturer info was stripped off and it needs new elements. With the help of several people here I contacted Euclids and they said my kiln is most likely a Crusader 274S and it needs 12 elements at $38.50 a piece. I have never heard of this brand before and could not find any information on it. I am not sure if I want to invest $500 in this kiln to get it working. I don't know much about kilns but I am thinking of getting a brand new one and I was wondering if I could get some advice here on which manufacturers are the best and most affordable. I know Skutt is a good brand. I am looking for a digital 7 cubic feet. I fire to cone 6 but want a cone 8 or 10. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justanassembler Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 Do you have a specific reason for wanting to fire to cone 8 or 10 in oxidation? If not, I would advise you avoid it as it puts LOTS of extra wear on your elements and generally speaking your color pallet won't be a whole lot different @ those temperatures in ox than at 6... If you have a compelling reason to be firing that hot regularly, there are specialty kilns that might better fit your needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 I am partial to L&L kilns maybe because I have had 3 Skutts. Just make sure that whichever kiln you get that its wall thickness is at least 3 inches thick. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 If the bricks are in good shape, go ahead and put the elements in. Any kiln will get to temperature, they have to or no one would buy them! You thought it was in good enough condition to buy it, so why stop now? It's rarely necessary to fire above cone 6 in an electric kiln. The wear and tear on elements increases greatly above cone 6. I used to fire to cone 8. I get 25% more life from my elements at cone 6. If you really want new I recommend L&L. IMO as a kiln repair guy, there's nothing more durable or easier to use and maintain, and that's why I sell them. L&L has some models designed for cone 10 crystalline work. Call or email me if you have specific questions about any brand, or search the forums here and you'll find a lot of posts about new kiln recommendations. All kilns work, some just give you more headaches in the long run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 I had a Crusader Kiln in the 70s and also bought 2 for the University later. They were a good reliable kiln. It would probably be worth $500 to rewire it, if the bricks and everything else are in good shape. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 I am partial to L&L kilns maybe because I have had 3 Skutts. Just make sure that whichever kiln you get that its wall thickness is at least 3 inches thick. Mark Yeah, loved the L&L's we had at school, bought one for home, been using it for 30 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 Unless your going to spend the big bucks on a digital program kiln I would just rewire it. I've had a small paragon for 40 years and large Skutt for 30 years and had them rewired several times and replaced the floors last year. They still fire on schedule with no problems. Denice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flpotter Posted March 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 Thanks for the replies. From them, I think I will just change the elements then. The bricks are in good condition. I will look at the L&L kilns because eventually I do want a new larger one. I want a cone 8 or 10 because a professional potter told me to get at least a cone 8 kiln and the elements would last a lot longer if I was only going to cone 6 because I would not be maxing them out everytime. I passed up a really nice used kiln last year that only went to cone 6 because of that. Plus, I have just started to get into throwing porcelain and may be coning higher in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted March 7, 2013 Report Share Posted March 7, 2013 Cone 6 porcelain is just as good as cone 10 for functional ware. Most any newer 7 cubic foot kiln running on 240 volts will go to cone 10. 10 cubic foot, 208 volt kilns running on single phase are only rated to cone 5 if you need to stay within the 50 amp rating. There are higher amperage options available though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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