This is my first posting on this site here, ... So be nice 'kay?
If I foul anything up, I will certainly appreciate "Your gentle hand, caringly guiding me back to the path..."
Enuf goofin'... I am getting ready to purchase my first kiln(s), and was wondering, how well do ceramic kilns work for fusing/slumping and (eventually) casting???
Any and all input will be GREATLY appreciated!!!
Yo Geo- try searching for "ceramic kiln" first- this topic comes up frequently.
Generally for fusing, you want top elements. Casting should be no problem in a deeper side-fired ceramic kiln. The compromise is a deeper fusing kiln with top and side (and maybe even bottom) elements that you can control individually. For fusing you could raise the kiln shelves on furniture.
(not sofas and armoires lol).
Geo:
I bought a used lid and bottom and then took my 23 x 18 ceramic kiln and made it two 23 x 9 glass kilns. Glass kilns like to be wide and shallow (in my world) while ceramic kilns like to be deep and narrow. I don't like stacking shelves because I get too much heat work at the top.
I only have side elements, top elements are much nicer, especially if you are doing anything with frit,clear capping,etc. If you have side elements only you will need to go slower than most of the fusing and slumping charts. Somethings you can do with side elements only, check my wife's website "www.artnglasstudio.com", these were all done with old ceramic kilns. However, I am adding a top element in another kiln (ceramic) so I can explore other avenues.
The best of both worlds is to have side & top elements that you can adjust individually with an infinite switch.
Rich Edelman KILN-TEC http://www.kilntec.com
