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buying a gas kiln

updated sat 11 sep 99

 

ginny bivaletz on tue 7 sep 99

after months of planning and researching i actually dialed the phone to
order our new 20 cubic foot downdraft gas car kiln from
clayarts,tacoma,washington.
joe,one of the owners, was busy with a customer and was to call me
back. i've decided to put it off until after the weekend and check
with all you folks before doin' the final deed. maybe i'm just needing
some moral support. i've done my homework as far as the availability of
a forklift and pallate jack and ,yes, it will fit thru the doors.
i've been transporting my greenware to another studio for 5 years now
to glaze and fire in an old west coast updraft. this will be my first
kiln and i will do my bisqueing in it also. maybe someday i spring for
an electric kiln for that purpose. any words of wisdom out there for a
nervous first timer.
ginny from the northwest, having a spell of wonderful weather just
right for finishing up basil,cukes and tomatos.

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com

PurpleLama@aol.com on wed 8 sep 99

ginnybiv@yahoo.com writes:

<< this will be my first kiln and i will do my bisqueing in it also. maybe
someday i spring for an electric kiln for that purpose. any words of wisdom
out there for a
nervous first timer. >>

Ginny brought up an interesting question for me. Do I buy the gas kiln first
or the electric kiln? Unlike Ginny, I thought I would buy the electric kiln
first. Should I reconsider that decision?

My first kiln was an electric one - bought second hand at a very reasonable
price. I lived in Baltimore at the time and had access to the gas kilns at
Baltimore Clayworks if I wanted to go above cone 6. (Confession: I am a
control freak and once I had my own kiln, rarely used their kilns except for
a special workshop or two.) I sold my kiln before I moved to California last
December. I, too, have been researching kilns, but always assumed that I
would buy an electric kiln first since that is what I have been using in
Baltimore. Then I planned to save my pennies and save and save to buy a Geil
gas kiln. Now the cost of the Geil kiln is several times that of the electric
kiln, but if I buy an electric kiln, I will have to spend mucho dinero
upgrading the electric service to the house/garage. In the past I mainly
worked with cone 6 porcelain, firing to cone 6 or doing raku. While I am
confessing, I must also confess to being a bit frightened of a gas kiln. I'm
afraid that it will explode. Geeze, we're talking about someone who lit her
first match in 11th grade chemistry to light a bunsen burner.

So, any opinions about which to buy first, gas or electric?

Thanks

Shula
PurpleLama@aol.com
Redondo Beach, CA USA

Steve Dalton on wed 8 sep 99

Ginny,
It's a big plunge, but go for it! If you get really good at bisquing in it,
don't worry about
the electric kiln. Use the money for either more equipment, supplies or a
vacation.
Buying something like that is a big move, you are smart to wait though and
think long and hard about it.
If you're ready, like I said go for it!
Steve Dalton
Happy throwing!
----------
> From: ginny bivaletz
> To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
> Subject: buying a gas kiln
> Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 13:23:52 EDT
>
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>after months of planning and researching i actually dialed the phone to
>order our new 20 cubic foot downdraft gas car kiln from
>clayarts,tacoma,washington.
>joe,one of the owners, was busy with a customer and was to call me
>back. i've decided to put it off until after the weekend and check
>with all you folks before doin' the final deed. maybe i'm just needing
>some moral support. i've done my homework as far as the availability of
>a forklift and pallate jack and ,yes, it will fit thru the doors.
>i've been transporting my greenware to another studio for 5 years now
>to glaze and fire in an old west coast updraft. this will be my first
>kiln and i will do my bisqueing in it also. maybe someday i spring for
>an electric kiln for that purpose. any words of wisdom out there for a
>nervous first timer.
>ginny from the northwest, having a spell of wonderful weather just
>right for finishing up basil,cukes and tomatos.
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com

Herb Moses on fri 10 sep 99

Hi Shula. If you buy the right size electric, you may not need to upgrade
the electricity to your house. Check with your electrician. Cost to
upgrade will vary depending on how much juice is flowing thru your area
(very technical, I know). Can they add more juice to you simply by
upgrading your panel, or do they have to dig a new line? I had a 48 amp
kiln with no upgrade needed.

I would buy electric first. It is cheaper, easier to use, and very
versatile. You will get a good feel for your work, and after while, you
will see if you hunger for reduction firing.

(if you get to PS for a weekend, join us for a firing. We usually load on
Thursday, fire on Friday, and unload on Sunday.)

Herb

http://www.usapottery.com
Palm Springs Pottery
198 S. Indian Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
----- Original Message -----
From:
To:
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 1999 10:04 AM
Subject: Re: buying a gas kiln


> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> ginnybiv@yahoo.com writes:
>
> << this will be my first kiln and i will do my bisqueing in it also.
maybe
> someday i spring for an electric kiln for that purpose. any words of
wisdom
> out there for a
> nervous first timer. >>
>
> Ginny brought up an interesting question for me. Do I buy the gas kiln
first
> or the electric kiln? Unlike Ginny, I thought I would buy the electric
kiln
> first. Should I reconsider that decision?
>
> My first kiln was an electric one - bought second hand at a very
reasonable
> price. I lived in Baltimore at the time and had access to the gas kilns at
> Baltimore Clayworks if I wanted to go above cone 6. (Confession: I am a
> control freak and once I had my own kiln, rarely used their kilns except
for
> a special workshop or two.) I sold my kiln before I moved to California
last
> December. I, too, have been researching kilns, but always assumed that I
> would buy an electric kiln first since that is what I have been using in
> Baltimore. Then I planned to save my pennies and save and save to buy a
Geil
> gas kiln. Now the cost of the Geil kiln is several times that of the
electric
> kiln, but if I buy an electric kiln, I will have to spend mucho dinero
> upgrading the electric service to the house/garage. In the past I mainly
> worked with cone 6 porcelain, firing to cone 6 or doing raku. While I am
> confessing, I must also confess to being a bit frightened of a gas kiln.
I'm
> afraid that it will explode. Geeze, we're talking about someone who lit
her
> first match in 11th grade chemistry to light a bunsen burner.
>
> So, any opinions about which to buy first, gas or electric?
>
> Thanks
>
> Shula
> PurpleLama@aol.com
> Redondo Beach, CA USA
>