David Hendley on thu 16 jul 98
At 11:42 AM 7/15/98 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>i have repeated this theme for years...don't look for any kiln, or a
>bargain...it has to serve you for years. if you have the wrong kiln, you
>get the wrong pots.
>
>several of the people on this net that talk so much about
>being frugal, looking for bargains.....are the same people
>that care a great deal about their kilns...build great ones...and they pay
>for themselves.
>
Since I know I'm one of the 'several of the people' mentioned above,
I'd like to agree with Mr. Mel on this point.
Your kiln is the most important tool a potter works with.
You need the best tool, and you need the apropriate tool, not whatever
you happen to run across for cheap.
Mel and I both know that, whatever our differences of opinion about
the details, we are both after the best possible pots.
I will, of course, still always be on the lookout for a bargain.
If I find some boxes of brand new, still-in-the-box, insulating bricks
for $1 a box at a salvage yard (which I have before), I'll take all they have!
Here's my homage to my kiln:
The fire's the thing it all comes down to.
The fire is the ultimate test that separates ceramics
from all other materials and art forms. The thought
has been thought, the work has been done, the feeling
has been created, but it still must pass the test.
The fire is my faithful servant and my demanding
master. My most brilliant collaborator and my
harshest critic.
It transforms. It purifies. It all comes down to the
fire.
To all of you who saw "CHEAP KILNS" and read this posting because
you thought it would tell you where to get a cheap kiln, ha-ha on you.
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
norwicha on fri 17 jul 98
I will always continue to look for "cheap kilns" meaning under 5 bucks.
I pick them up at school auctions etc. and let me tell you they are some
of the best tools I have ever used!! I can burn whatever I want in them
and who cares if the salt eats away at the soft brick after 8 firings, I
only paid a couple of bucks for it.
For all those who can't "build the great one", try experimenting with an
old used one, cut a hole in the side and stick a M-100 Raku burner in
it, cut a whole in the top add a corbled chimney and there you have it,
your very own reduction, salt or Raku kiln. Don't worry about pulling
out the old elements they don't get in the way, but cut the electric
plugs off or you will trip on them, or your neighbor will ask "where do
you plug that thing in?" as the fire is roaring away.
Don't get me wrong, I would like to build the best kiln someday, but
while I'm searching for what will best suit me I happy to be bringing
fire back to the "burned out".
Ann Norwich,
Gettysburg, PA where we are returning to normal now that 150,000 civil
war buffs have gone home.
Snail Scott on thu 3 apr 03
At 10:03 PM 4/3/03 +0100, you wrote:
>...I was
>wondering where the best place to look for cheep cheep second hand kilns
>would be, if such a place exists!
1: classified ads in the local newspaper. Check categories including
'garage sales', 'hobbies', 'tools & equipment' and 'auctions'.
2: Thrifty Nickel/Quick Quarter/Pennysaver-type classified papers.
3: bulletin boards in craft centers, clay supply shops, schools,
libraries, and wherever public announcements get posted in your area.
You should also post 'Kiln Wanted' signs of your own.
If you have friends or relatives in areas close enough to drive to,
have them check their local sources as well.
Keep checking regularly. You may not find something right away, and
some areas have more kilns around than others, but be persistent!
You can often find stuff on the Internet (eBay, etc.) but the more
widely advertised the item is, the higher the price is likely to go.
The really cheap deals will be in the odd local places.
-Snail
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