billie schwab on thu 22 aug 02
could i get some feedback about when it is time to buy a new electric kiln?
how long should one repair an old reliable?
tia,
billie
www.venus-pottery.com
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Marianne Lombardo on thu 22 aug 02
My old faithful is over 20 years old. So far, no repairs, not even an
element. Ouch, maybe I shouldn't say that. Watch one go now.
Marianne Lombardo
Omemee, Ontario, Canada
email: mlombardo@nexicom.net
> could i get some feedback about when it is time to buy a new electric
kiln?
> how long should one repair an old reliable?
william schran on thu 22 aug 02
About the same as figuring out when to buy a new car. When the
repairs start costing more than payments for a new one.
Bill
Snail Scott on fri 23 aug 02
At 09:03 AM 8/22/02 -0400, you wrote:
>could i get some feedback about when it is time to buy a new electric kiln?
>how long should one repair an old reliable?
Forever?
Figure cost of parts AND cost of your time fixing the
old one, versus the cost of the new one AND the time
associated with shopping/buying/installation. For me,
the old critter would have to be near-terminal, for
it to be worth thousands for a new one, but that's me.
The last time I bought a kiln, it was because the one
I'd paid $75 for a few years earlier needed all new
elements and several dozen new bricks, to the tune of
about $300 plus a lot of labor. I got another secondhand
kiln for $350, ready to plug in and fire. Replaced two
elements and the sitter-cone supports in the 6 years
since, and cannibalized the old kiln for its lid and
floor. Now that was a worthwhile relacement cost. I
can't imagine forking over the money for a 'new' new
kiln when simple repairs are still possible on the old
one. I might replace the thing with a different kind
of kiln (bigger, or with a contoller, if that were
really important to me), but not just for 'newness'.
-Snail
Arnold Howard on mon 26 aug 02
At trade shows, people tell me stories about the incredible
longevity of their older kilns. I would say that as long as the
bricks are in good condition, the kiln is worth repairing.
Reasons to buy a new kiln:
1) Energy savings from thicker walls of a new kiln
2) Saving time from a digital controller (i.e. you are firing
crystalline glazes, or you have a very tight schedule and don't
have time to keep thinking about the kiln)
3) You have overfired the older kiln
Arnold Howard
Paragon
--- billie schwab wrote:
> could i get some feedback about when it is time to buy a new
> electric kiln?
> how long should one repair an old reliable?
> tia,
> billie
>
>
>
> www.venus-pottery.com
>
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