Precious Posted December 9, 2020 Report Share Posted December 9, 2020 Hey there everyone. Looking to purchase kiln. Kind of a beginner with kiln info and know absolutely nothing about the inner workings of setting them up. Need some feedback on what would be a good starting model that won't be super expensive. I'll be using and firing mainly cone 6 clay and glaze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted December 9, 2020 Report Share Posted December 9, 2020 So for a new kiln or newer kiln, something with an electronic control would likely be easiest, else you need to learn to use a cone sitter / timer and manually fire to some schedule which means turn on low, come back in a few hours turn up to a medium power level, a few hours more, turn on high power level return to make sure it finished firing. Manual models Not really an issue and forces you to learn a little about firing rates and cones. The automatic or electronic will allow one key style firing so easier on newbies. I think the most significant thing you can do is pick a size that will cover your needs and yet allow reasonable space for growth as you become more proficient. Along with size comes what electrical can you tolerate. Assuming this is a home kiln, then power is likely to be 240V single phase. For many home potters 3- 5 cubic feet is often adequate and not overly large. A 3 cu.ft. would be roughly 18” diameter and 22” high and generally requires a 40 amp circuit at 240 V. A 5 cu.ft. Would be roughly 23” diameter, 22” tall and require a 50-60 amp breaker at 240 v simce you know cone 6 is the magic number then a cone 10 kiln will be necessary for a reasonable number of firings on a set of elements. So maybe: size, power, automatic or manual, then used or new (all cone 10) as your budget allows. This will likely influence you to think of other things such as studio size, layout, ventilation, lighting etc.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted December 9, 2020 Report Share Posted December 9, 2020 Budget for a thermocouple and pyrometer (for real time feedback), and ventilation as well, both direct and general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted December 9, 2020 Report Share Posted December 9, 2020 Things To Know Ordering Kiln.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precious Posted December 13, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2020 Thank you all so much for all of the information! It's appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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