Mark Brown on tue 21 mar 00
I have heard very little about AIM Kilns. What I have heard has been
good. I am buying a small AIM propane kiln. Any comments on this
manufacturer? Experience with an AIM kiln? performance? support?
As always, I appreciate the input!
Thank you, Mark
Charles on fri 26 oct 07
Hi Fred,
I have 2 cone art 2827's. They are true cone 10 kilns. They have controllers and are on (2) 60 amp breakers. I love them. I ordered through bigceramicstore.com and was incredibly pleased with the speed and service. Not sure on the insulation, but I am sure you can look it up.
Coneart/Shimpo are the maufacturer for all of Baileys kilns with a few design modifications.
I am VERY pleased with coneart and wow are the new kilns efficient. I fire about once a week and my electric bill is still incredibly low.
Charles
Visit me on the web www.hughespottery.com
Interested in lessons? www.thecreativeoasis.com
--- On Fri, 10/26/07, Fred Parker wrote:
> From: Fred Parker
> Subject: [CLAYART] Kiln advice?
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Date: Friday, October 26, 2007, 10:40 PM
> As I contemplate yet another all-night glaze firing I've
> about decided
> it's time to upgrade from my old manual Skutt 1027. I
> would be most
> grateful for advice from anyone who has been down this road
> before. Here
> are my parameters:
>
> 1. 60 amp breaker.
> 2. Computer controller.
> 3. In the future I hope to do some crystal glazes, and will
> therefore need
> to fire to higher temps (^8-^10).
> 4. 3" minimum insulation.
>
> I've read many manufacturers' literature and
> honestly cannot tell which
> kilns are "true" cone 10 and which are not. I
> want something that will
> last, and although most of what I do maxes out at ^6, I do
> NOT want to
> learn later that my new kiln will ONLY reliably fire to ^6.
>
> I know this subject has been beat to a pulp on the list. I
> welcome all
> replies, including direct emails.
>
> Many thanks in advance,
>
> Fred Parker
>
>
>
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Fred Parker on fri 26 oct 07
As I contemplate yet another all-night glaze firing I've about decided
it's time to upgrade from my old manual Skutt 1027. I would be most
grateful for advice from anyone who has been down this road before. Here
are my parameters:
1. 60 amp breaker.
2. Computer controller.
3. In the future I hope to do some crystal glazes, and will therefore need
to fire to higher temps (^8-^10).
4. 3" minimum insulation.
I've read many manufacturers' literature and honestly cannot tell which
kilns are "true" cone 10 and which are not. I want something that will
last, and although most of what I do maxes out at ^6, I do NOT want to
learn later that my new kiln will ONLY reliably fire to ^6.
I know this subject has been beat to a pulp on the list. I welcome all
replies, including direct emails.
Many thanks in advance,
Fred Parker
John Hesselberth on sat 27 oct 07
On Oct 26, 2007, at 10:40 PM, Fred Parker wrote:
> 3. In the future I hope to do some crystal glazes, and will
> therefore need
> to fire to higher temps (^8-^10).
Hi Fred,
More and more crystalline glaze work is being done at cone 6. Check
out our own Bill Schran's work for starters. Go to
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com/
He is showing that cone 10 for outstanding macro crystals is not at
all necessary. Why burn twice as much energy as you need to and have
much higher kiln maintenance costs?
Regards,
John
John Hesselberth
www.frogpondpottery.com
"Man is a tool-using animal....without tools he is nothing, with
tools he is all" .... Thomas Carlyle
Marcia Selsor on sat 27 oct 07
I have some Axner super kilns and I am very happy with them.
In addition to your parameters, they are ITC coated.
Marcia Selsor
http://marciaselsor.com
On Oct 26, 2007, at 9:40 PM, Fred Parker wrote:
>
> 1. 60 amp breaker.
> 2. Computer controller.
> 3. In the future I hope to do some crystal glazes, and will
> therefore need
> to fire to higher temps (^8-^10).
> 4. 3" minimum insulation.
>
> Fred Parker
>
>
Marcia Selsor
http://marciaselsor.com
William & Susan Schran User on sat 27 oct 07
On 10/26/07 10:40 PM, "Fred Parker" wrote:
> it's time to upgrade from my old manual Skutt 1027. I would be most
> grateful for advice from anyone who has been down this road before. Here
> are my parameters:
>
> 1. 60 amp breaker.
> 2. Computer controller.
> 3. In the future I hope to do some crystal glazes, and will therefore need
> to fire to higher temps (^8-^10).
> 4. 3" minimum insulation.
>
> I've read many manufacturers' literature and honestly cannot tell which
> kilns are "true" cone 10 and which are not. I want something that will
> last, and although most of what I do maxes out at ^6, I do NOT want to
> learn later that my new kiln will ONLY reliably fire to ^6.
Fred,
Any of the major manufacturers are offering fine products. The top
contenders are L&L, Skutt & Paragon. All will fire to ^10, offering kilns
with 3" brick. The controllers have gotten much better and are capable to be
tied into a PC to have an accurate record of the firing.
IMHO no sectional kiln is a "true" ^10 kiln. I think you'd need to move up
to a front loader having much more insulation. But you 60amp breaker
probably won't allow for that. I've found putting fiber insulation between
sections of the top loading kilns to help with better insulating the kiln.
But if the design of the kiln involves a direct plug between sections, like
the Skutt, then don't do this.
You write that you'll need to fire to ^10 for crystalline glazes. Please
look at the Sept/Oct issue of Pottery Making Illustrated. I wrote an article
on ^6 crystalline glazes. Here's the URL:
Also look at my web site (after my signature below) for other crystal glaze
recipes and information about the process.
I'm currently teaching a crystalline class for the 4th time and we have
always worked at ^6. The reason for ^6 rather than ^10 is that it's much
less stress on the kiln. A crystalline firing schedule at ^10 may find you
replacing the elements after about 30 - 40 firings!
Please contact me if you have any specific questions.
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
Shula on sat 27 oct 07
Marci,
I'm also shopping for a kiln right now and I noticed that there is an element at the bottom of the kiln. How do you vent it?
Thanks
Shula
in Desert Hot Springs, CA
where I can barely see the mountains because of the smoke from the Southern California fires. Yesterday I couldn't see the mountains at all. I drove home from San Diego on Thursday. It seems to me that the smoke is worse here than where I was in San Diego.
-----Original Message-----
>From: Marcia Selsor
>
>I have some Axner super kilns and I am very happy with them.
>In addition to your parameters, they are ITC coated.
>Marcia Selsor
>http://marciaselsor.com
>
>On Oct 26, 2007, at 9:40 PM, Fred Parker wrote:
>
>>
>> 1. 60 amp breaker.
>> 2. Computer controller.
>> 3. In the future I hope to do some crystal glazes, and will
>> therefore need
>> to fire to higher temps (^8-^10).
>> 4. 3" minimum insulation.
>>
May Luk on sun 28 oct 07
Hello Fred and friends;
I had just bought Paragon TNF23-3 (5.1 cu ft, C/10, 3" insulation) and I am happy with its performance. This is a good size for my height and my part-time workflow. I have some issues in the beginning but I don't believe it's the factory's fault.
Amongst Skutt, L&L and Paragon, I chose Paragon mainly because of 2 things:
1- The Sentry controller gives me a 'cost' reading based on my firing. This makes costing and billing an easy task.
2- I have been reading Arnold's post on Clayart for over 5 years, I find him a person of integrity. I was using the ramp-hold chart from Paragon even I wasn't using their kiln for the past 4 years. I would like to do business with his company. When I was having hiccups with my kiln, he was very accessible and very helpful with my queries. He directed my email to the appropriate personnel and he followed up to make sure my problem was resolved.
Now I have the kiln, I also like the fact that the top edge of the brick is finished, unlike the Skutt. This is a high traffic area where I rest my wares, kiln shelves, kiln posts and my body (I am only 5'3") while loading. I know I am not supposed to do that, but when I am doing the kiln loading puzzle, the edge of the kiln becomes a temporary resting ares and that's just it goes for me.
I don't know about the other companies, Paragon will drill holes for you at the factory if you order the vent at the same time. I wished I knew.
My 2 cents worth.
Regards
May
Kings County
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